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: £1480 per pupil, per school year
• Children in care: £2570 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: £2570 per pupil, per school year
• Children recorded as being from service families: £335 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 2024/25 SMBS has been allocated £46000

Here at St Mary’s Bryanston Square CE Primary School we strive for excellence for all of our pupils. For this to happen we need to ensure, all of our pupils have all the tools and opportunities provided for them, particularly where there may be barriers.

Our ultimate goals for pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is:

• For the achievement of disadvantaged pupils to be in line with or as close as possible to their non-disadvantaged peers
• To have accessed and engaged in a wide range of experiences which provide an opening of the world and opportunities around them (cultural capital)
• To support the whole family where appropriate with the promoting of the importance of schooling and learning.

Our current strategy works on the basis of all pupils having access to high levels of quality teaching and learning. This means having a workforce of highly skilled and trained teachers and support staff to enable learning to take place.

Additionally, we supplement and subsided access to enrichment activities such as residential visits or musical tuition for pupils eligible for PP funding.

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:

We have 40 pupils who meet the eligibility for pupil premium criteria. This equates to 28% 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. 

Outcomes for Disadvantaged Pupils

Disadvantaged pupils at St Mary’s achieve very well in comparison to their peers nationally.

National data highlighted in the IDSR (Inspection Data Summary Report) shows clearly that the three-year average of outcomes at the end of Key stage 2 is above average for all pupils, including those pupils who are disadvantaged. The impact of our work to ensure that we have a high-quality teaching and learning lead, is that the attainment of all pupils, whether from disadvantaged or non-disadvantaged backgrounds, is above average. It should be particularly noted as a success, when we take into account the additional challenge of high levels of pupil mobility.

The three-year average for children meeting the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Mathematics is 81%. This is 20% higher than the national average. As demonstrated in the table below, the three-year average percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard is 87%. This is significantly above the 46% average nationally for pupils who are disadvantaged.

Phonics is taught successfully and the three-year average percentage of children passing the phonics check in year 1, is in line with the national average, despite high mobility in two out of the three years, the vast majority of newer pupils having English as an additional language. Children benefit from targeted small group tuition and additional in class teaching sessions, which ensured that by the end of the year, three of the four Year 2 pupils had passed the phonics check and that the gap between pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and non-disadvantaged backgrounds was smaller than the national averages. The average reading age for all year groups is in line with pupils’ chronological age. The average reading age for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and pupils from non-disadvantaged backgrounds is similar.

End of Key Stage 1 results show that attainment for was above the national average in Reading, above the national average for Writing, and in line with the national average in Maths. Attainment for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, where there no SEND is above the national average for Reading, Writing and Maths. Attainment for pupils from non-disadvantaged backgrounds is in line with the national average for Reading, and above the national average for Writing and Maths.

The Year 4 Multiplication tables check score for all pupils, three-year average for pupils from all backgrounds is significantly above the national average (23.9 v 20.6 nationally).

End of Key Stage 2 results show that attainment was above the national average for Reading (94% vs 75% nationally), Writing (87% vs 72% nationally) and Maths (94% vs 74% nationally). At the expected standard, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils is significantly above the national averages for disadvantaged pupils in Reading, Writing and Maths and has been consistently above average over the last three years.

The attainment of pupils from non-disadvantaged backgrounds is above the national average. Progress for both disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  A key factor contributing to the positive outcomes secured by pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds has been the continued focus on research-based, high-quality teaching strategies for all.  

Attendance figures for disadvantaged pupils from 22/23 to 24/25 highlight that disadvantaged pupils at St Mary's attend more regularly (95%) than their peers nationally (92%). This is also true for persistent absence, which for 24/25 (2 terms) stood at 11.4%, less than half the national figure of 24.5%. 

Our 3-year trends highlighted in the IDSR show a consistent, positive attendance pattern, a direct result of the school's focused attention on attendance, particularly for those identified as disadvantaged.

The continued, targeted, whole-school attendance strategy ensured that the attendance of pupils from a disadvantaged background has been consistently above the national average for the last 3 years and in line with pupils from non-disadvantaged backgrounds. This bucks the national trend. It is a key indicator of our success with this group of pupils.