Pupil Premium

Pupil premium is a grant allocated to schools to support socially disadvantaged pupils.

At Castle Hill Primary School we are committed to ensuring that all children achieve well and become their own success stories. We have high expectations for learning and beahviour and we plan to meet the needs of all our children, no matter their background. We recognise that our pupil premium children face extra challenges to reach their full potential and often do not perform as well as their peers. We therefore strive to eradicate or reduce barriers to learning and future success. 

We aim to work effectively with parents to support their children's learning, wellbeing and progress. 

PPG Strategy 2023-2024

Who qualifies for pupil premium?

Castle Hill Primary School received pupil premium grant based on the number of children eligible for free school meals, even if those children do not wish to take up the free school meal. The more pupils who are eligble, the more funding Castle Hill Primary receives which can be used to benefit pupils.

Families in receipt of the following benefits, may be eligible for free school meals: 

• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• The Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and have an annual household income of less than £16,190

How do we identify the needs of our PPG children in and out of school?

The needs of PPG are identified through eligibility criteria based on if they have been in receipt of free school meals at any time during the last 6 years (forever6), looked after children (LAC) and services children.

Needs of PPG children are broadly identified through knowledge of the community, families and individual pupils. Academic needs are looked at through rigorous assessment internally and externally.  

PPG lead holds pupil interviews with individual pupils. This information is held centrally and is updated as needed or termly and CTs are informed. Regular dialogue with Family Liaison Officer (FLO) with regards to pupils wellbeing needs, attendance and any safeguarding or other concerns.

Pupil Progress meetings with class teachers focus discussions around PPG pupils. Interventions are then targeted to support or accelerate progress.  PPG pupils are tracked and their performance compared to their peers and other disadvantaged pupils nationally.

How do we track the achievement of our pupil premium pupils?

Our pupil premium team is the Assistant headteacher, who is also the pupil premium lead, together with our Deputy headteacher, Family Liaison Officer (FLO), SENCO and School Business Manager (SBM). The team meets approximately every 6 weeks to track the attendance, punctuality, academic progress and wellbeing of each pupil premium child which is then discussed with the headteacher. Provision for the children and their families is planned and evaluated to ensure pupil premium children are accessing as much support and intervention as possible to make rapid and sustained progress in school. 

Pupil premium spend is also a standing item on the Trustees’ committee agenda every term, to oversee the work of the pupil premium team in school and its impact on pupils.

How will we measure impact?

We are continuing with actions that have proven successful and or using resources that are high impact and evidenced based.

Impact will also be measured by looking and interrogating internal data and external data when made available. Our aim is that our PP/FSM are performing in line with or better than their peers.  

We will monitor PPG pupils’ attainment and progress and compare with non-PPG pupils. This will be for external data, where available, and internal data.  

How do we spend our pupil premium money?

To subsidise staffing costs, including the Family Liaison Officer, the Learning Behaviour Mentor, intervention groups, booster groups and additional Teaching Assistant support.  

To purchase learning resources to support specific groups of pupils academically or socially,  emotionally and physically. 

Subsidising the cost of extra-curricular clubs (x1) run by outside agencies. 

To offer financial assistance for families for educational visits, school residentials etc. 

Providing family/parenting support including workshops.