Pupil Premium

Please read the information below which gives details of our Pupil Premium Grant and how we allocate the funding.

What is Pupil Premium?

Pupil Premium is an amount of money received by the school, which is allocated to support children within the following criteria: 

• Children in Reception to Year 6 who are, or have ever been, entitled to free school meals based on their family income: £1345 per pupil, per school year
• Children in care: £2345 per pupil, per school year
• Children previously in care who have been adopted, or who have a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order: £2345 per pupil, per school year
• Children recorded as being from service families: £310 per pupil, per school year.

How is the funding used?

Our aim is to ensure that all children, regardless of their background or circumstances, reach the highest possible levels for their stage of schooling, make the best possible progress through the school, have access to a wide range of curriculum opportunities and develop their self confidence. We are fully committed to ensuring that this is the case for all children who receive (or have received) Free School Meals, and that our use of the Pupil Premium is achieving this.

St Mary's Funding Allocation: 

For the year 2021/22 SMBS has been allocated £67,250. 

We have 50 pupils who meet the eligibility for pupil premium criteria. This equates to 32.7% of the school roll.

What are we spending this money on? 

 We are using research provided by the Education Endowment Foundation (https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Pupil_Premium_Guidance_iPDF.pdf) linked to a tiered approach. This is highlighted below:

1) Teaching:

Spending on improving teaching might include professional development, training and support for early career teachers and recruitment and retention. Ensuring an effective teacher is in front of every class, and that every teacher is supported to keep improving, is the key ingredient of a successful school and should rightly be the top priority for Pupil Premium spending.

2) Targeted academic support:

Evidence consistently shows the positive impact that targeted academic support can have, including on those who are not making good progress across the spectrum of achievement. Considering how classroom teachers and teaching assistants can provide targeted academic support, including how to link structured one-to-one or small group intervention to classroom teaching, is likely to be a key component of an effective Pupil Premium strategy.

3) Wider strategies:

Wider strategies relate to the most significant non-academic barriers to success in school, including attendance, behaviour and social and emotional support. While many barriers may be common between schools, it is also likely that the specific features of the community each school serves will affect spending in this category. 

At St Mary's we have spent the following: 

• Appointing a Deputy Head Teacher responsible for Teaching & Learning across the school. (£60,000) The proposed impact of this is for the DHT to coach and lead in the up levelling of day-to-day teaching and learning strategies across the school, which will impact upon all pupils. Improve the quality of teaching and learning in all year groups. Improve and strengthen the curriculum offer. 
• Subsidising school breakfast club (£5,000)