Outcomes for our vulnerable children, including those who qualify for the Pupil Premium Grant, permeate all of the choices we make in school and the allocation of resources to ensure that we can help overcome barriers is key. Having high aspirations for all of our learners creates a culture for success but by being mindful of the importance equity can play in a child’s outcomes, we aim to level the playing field as much as possible and give children the boost they need to make progress alongside their peers. We try to create as many opportunities as possible for our Pupil Premium children to have rich experiences to build upon their cultural capital whilst instilling our values so that where ever life may take them, they know how to make good choices. 

What is the Pupil Premium?

The Pupil Premium Grant is allocated to schools by reference to the number of children from low-income families who are currently known to be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) and children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months. The calculation of the payment also takes account of pupils who have been eligible for FSM at any point in the last 6 years (known as the Ever 6 FSM measure).

As a School we are currently free to spend the Pupil Premium as we see fit to meet the needs of our targeted children and close the gap in achievement; this is coordinated by the Head of Academy. We are held accountable for how we use the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families and you can find a copy of our spending strategy below.

Due to the changes to educational provision caused by the COVID-19 pandemic the detail in this Pupil Premium strategy remains subject to review. Our use of the funding has been adapted to meet students’ needs (alongside the COVID Catch-Up funding) as they have arisen, whilst maintaining where possible the principles outlined in this document.

During the pandemic the following key steps have been taken to ensure that ‘disadvantaged’ pupils’ barriers to learning will continue to be overcome wherever possible:

· Step 1 – Children attended school

· Step 2 – Ensuring children have the correct tools to complete home learning

· Step 3 – Family support through the inclusion and leadership teams

The Government has announced a catch-up fund to mitigate the effect of the COVID pandemic on children who missed a significant portion of their schooling during the lockdown. Funds total £80 per child have been allocated to schools. School leaders have been tasked with assessing the best way to spend the money to ensure maximum impact for learners alongside balancing the logistics of school life.  As the catch-up premium has been designed to mitigate the effects of the unique disruption caused by coronavirus (COVID-19), the grant will only be available for the 2020 to 2021 academic year. It will not be added to schools’ baselines in calculating future years’ funding allocations.

The plan below details how the school intends to spend the funding for this academic year. 

The Government has provided much needed additional funding to help improve the provision of P.E. (Physical Education) and sport in primary schools and to ensure that these improvements are sustainable. This funding is ring-fenced and therefore can only be spent on provision of P.E. and Sport in schools.

We are excited to be looking to the development of our PE and sports at Goldthorpe Academy and plan for opportunities for sport at Goldthorpe to be far and wide and include a range of clubs for children throughout the school, including The Daily Mile which runs every day, alongside a growing number of extra-curricular events, soon to include trips to see professional sports in action.