The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011. It was allocated to children from low-income families who were known to be eligible for free school meals, and children who had been looked after continuously for more than six months. Eligibility for the Pupil Premium for 2012–13 was extended to pupils who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years (known as the Ever6 Free School Meals measure). Schools also receive funding for children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months, and a smaller amount for the children of service personnel. Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. However, they are accountable for how they use the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families and the other target groups. New measures have been included in the performance tables that show the achievement of pupils who attract the Pupil Premium.
The Year 7 Catch Up Premium was introduced in 2013. It is provided for students who have not reached age-related expected standards in maths and reading at the end of key stage 2. The funding is used to help students catch up with their peers, by making improvements in these vital areas of the curriculum. Schools are able to decide how best to use the funding in support of their students.
At De Lisle College, we have introduced a variety of strategies to help support students who are eligible for the Pupil Premium. In deciding which approaches to adopt, we have ensured that there is a firm evidence base of impact before proceeding. We have consulted the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) Teaching and Learning Toolkit, Ofsted research reports, and other published literature in identifying strategies which are likely to be effective. The documents below provide an evaluation of how we have used Pupil Premium funding to support disadvantaged pupils, as well as detailing the actions we are undertaking over the course of the current academic year, and the intended outcomes.