Pupil Premium Funding is provided to schools in addition to their main school funding so that schools can target the narrowing of any gaps between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and non-FSM children.
The amount of Pupil Premium Funding received by schools is linked directly to the number of pupils on roll who are currently receiving free school meals, have ever received free school meals in the past or who have been a looked after child.
In the financial period of 2017-18, Thomas’s Academy was awarded a Pupil Premium of £ 106,928.
This funding has been used to provide an increased range and frequency of intervention in every class to ensure that any attainment gaps between disadvantaged and more privileged children are reduced or removed entirely.
Our interventions are delivered by our Learning Assistants and by a full-time Specialist Intervention Teacher. We monitor the impact of these interventions very closely, with data being analysed on a termly basis and support targeted to address any emerging needs.
The impact of this focus has been to support the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. In 2017, the attainment measures for children eligible for Pupil Premium were significantly above national averages in Reading, Maths, and Grammar Tests:
|
Percentage Achieving Expected (Standards 100+)
|
| |
Reading |
Writing |
Punctuation & Grammar |
Maths |
| National Average |
71% |
76% |
77% |
75% |
Disadvantaged pupils
at Thomas's Academy |
94% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
Pupil Premium funding is also used to provide support for our vulnerable pupils through our well-trained team of Learning Assistants who work both in class and with small groups to deliver a range of interventions.
Finally, a proportion of our Pupil Premium funding is used to provide an Educational Welfare Service supporting pupils with poor attendance to get into school on time every day.
Please click here for a more detailed report on our use of Pupil Premium Funding in 2018/19.