Detail | Data |
School name | Church Lawton School |
Number of Pupils in school | 78 (Sept 24) |
Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils | 30% (Sept 24) |
Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers | 2024 - 2025 |
Publish date | November 2024 |
Review date | July 2025 |
Statement authorised by | Local Committee 25/11/2024 |
Pupil Premium Lead | Karen Woodall |
Governor Lead | Lisa Thompson |
Detail | Amount |
Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year | £17,470* |
Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable) | £0 |
Total budget for this academic year | £17,470 |
*Data taken from GIAS Download May 2024
1
Church Lawton School is a special school for pupils with a diagnosis of Autism. All our pupils have Education Health Care Plans. Barriers to learning are primarily developmental with a focus placed upon enabling pupils to acquire communication and independence skills and socially appropriate behaviours within school, home and the wider community.
Our strategy is underpinned by evidence informed research, with a focus on 3 main principles of improving outcomes: high quality teaching; removing barriers to learning through targeted support; providing wider opportunities through enrichment activities and the quality-of-life curriculum.
Although our strategy is focused on the needs of disadvantaged pupils, it will benefit all pupils in our school where funding is spent on whole-school approaches, such as high-quality teaching and proven interventions. Implicit in the intended outcomes detailed below, is the intention that outcomes for non-disadvantaged pupils will be improved alongside progress for their disadvantaged peers.
Our strategy will be driven by the needs and strengths of each young person, based on formal and informal assessments, not assumptions or labels. This will help us to ensure that we offer them the relevant skills and experience they require to achieve greater independence and to prepare them for the next stage of their learning journey.
This details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified among our disadvantaged pupils.
Challenge number | Detail of challenge |
1 | Levels of anxiety prevent full access to classroom learning. Sensory regulation needs and mental well-being under the direction of the Occupational Therapist and Assistant Psychologist. |
2 | Attainment in English, Maths and Science is lower than national age-related expectations. |
3 | Ability to access broader curriculum experiences is limited outside of school. Some pupils find it difficult to participate in opportunities that can be provided in school such as music, extra-curricular clubs, residential experiences, independent travel, and Duke of Edinburgh awards. |
4 | Pupils lack confidence to try new experiences, have a low self-esteem and need to increase their mental well-being and resilience. |
5 | Levels of anxiety on arrival at school in the morning impact pupils being able to access learning. Strategies are needed to improve the pupil’s ability to concentrate and sustain energy levels throughout the day whilst self-regulating emotions and building resilience. |
This explains the outcomes we are aiming for by the end of our current strategy plan, and how we will measure whether they have been achieved.
Intended outcome | Success Criteria |
For disadvantaged students to progress towards national age-related expectations in core curriculum areas by being able to regulate levels of anxiety to fully access classroom teaching. | Demonstrated by our end of year assessments, observations and detailed pupil progress records at the end of our strategy. Staff provide high quality teaching evidenced through lesson observations, learning walks, and pupil progress data, measured over time from their individual starting points and as identified through assessments and achievement of EHCP outcomes. Increased awareness of strategies and tools available to them for self-regulation of anxieties and ability to re-engage with learning. |
To achieve and sustain improved well-being for all pupils in our school, particularly our disadvantaged pupils. | Sustained high levels of well-being demonstrated by:
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Evidenced through discussions with teachers and multi-agency support team at pupil progress meetings. Assessment data from end of key stage assessments. | |
For disadvantaged students to achieve national age-related expectations in English, Maths and Science. Attainment to be in line with their peers. | At least 75% of students achieving expected standard in core curricular subjects at the end of their key stages or making exceeding progress towards the expected standard, closing the gap on age-related expectations, comparable with their peers. |
For all disadvantaged students to be given the opportunity to engage in wider opportunities such as peripatetic music tuition, the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, Residential visits, extra-curricular clubs | 100% Participation for those expressing an interest in learning a musical instrument. 100% Participation for those expressing an interest in completing the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. For all pupils to attend trips, visits, out of school clubs and residentials alongside their peers. |
This details how we intend to spend our pupil premium (and recovery curriculum funding) this academic year to address the challenges listed above.
Budgeted Cost: £2,300
Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
Purchase White Rose Maths Software and resources for the framework of maths teaching for all classes from EYFS to KS3. | At least 75% of students achieving expected standard in core curricular subjects at the end of their key stages or making exceeding progress towards the expected standard, closing the gap on age-related expectations, comparable with their peers. Evidence indicates that leaving school with a good GCSE Grade in Maths is a prerequisite for progressing into quality jobs, apprenticeships and further education. Too many young people do not make the grade. These pupils are disproportionately drawn from disadvantaged homes. To break this link between family income and educational attainment young people need to access great maths teaching in primary and secondary school. The focus is on improving the quality of teaching. Excellent maths requires good content knowledge, assessment to build on pupils existing knowledge, the use of manipulatives and representations, the teaching of strategies for problem solving and structured interventions to provide additional support. EEF – Improving Mathematics in Key Stages 2 and 3 Guidance Report 2022. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/maths-ks-2-3 | 2 |
Budgeted Cost: £3,000. In addition to the funding received, we will continue to deliver a recovery curriculum using additional funds of
£75,000 from our revenue budget.
Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
Employment of teacher specialist in Maths, English and Science to work across primary and secondary from recovery premium funds to provide targeted interventions to address gaps in learning in core subjects, enhancing progression and embedding key skills. Any shortfall in funding will be picked up from our local recovery curriculum budget. | End of year and end of key stage assessment data Termly pupil progress meetings between teaching staff, multi-agency teams and senior leaders to monitor progress and effectiveness of strategies and interventions. Evidence from EEF teaching and learning toolkit – small group tuition shows that this is an effective strategy, and the average impact is four months’ addition progress over the course of a year. | 2 |
Budgeted Cost: £12,170
Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
To continue to develop pupils’ interests in music, encouraging development of skills and talents through:
Provision of wider opportunities for experiencing music in a group situation. Workshops to be provided where pupils will learn new skills and develop techniques. (Budgeted cost £3,500) | Termly pupil progress meetings between teaching staff, multi-agency teams and Senior Leaders to monitor progress. Termly combined records and reports show an increase in pupils’ confidence to try new experiences and increased self-esteem. Arts participation approaches can have a positive impact on academic outcomes in other areas of the curriculum. Improved outcomes have been identified in Maths, English and Science. Arts based approaches can also re-engage pupils in learning. (EEF teaching and learning toolkit – Arts participation) Research shows that being able to effectively manage emotions will be beneficial to young people. It may not directly translate to reading and maths scores, however it has a valuable impact on attitudes to learning and social relationships in school. | 1, 3 and 4 |
Provision of breakfast items to ensure that disadvantaged students have access to a healthy breakfast at the beginning the school day. Ensure sustenance, energy levels. (Budgeted cost £2,300) | The EEF provide some evidence that providing free breakfast can benefit pupils, by preparing children for learning or supporting behaviour and school attendance. Impact + 2 months progress. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/magic-breakfast | 2 and 5 |
To allow pupils to engage with new experiences and gain a wider knowledge of the world around them with the aim of developing independence skills, building self-esteem, confidence and resilience:
Providing the opportunity to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme for interested pupils, including access to equipment, training and expert instructors (Budgeted cost £6,370) | Research studies have shown that outdoor adventure learning has a positive impact. It plays an important role in the wider school experience developing team-working, self-esteem, resilience and motivation. Disadvantaged students may not have access to these opportunities outside of school. | 3 |
This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on pupils in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.
Termly assessments in all core and examination subject areas are undertaken and pupil progress meetings held between teaching staff, multi-agency teams and senior leaders to monitor progress and effectiveness of strategies and interventions.
Pupil premium students have progressed at an accelerated rate in comparison to school expectations. In all core areas pupil premium pupils were significantly above our benchmarked target of 75% on track or exceeding progress and in comparison, with their peers they have either exceeded or equalled their rates of progress. Pupil premium students achieved the following percentages for those on track or exceeding progress: Reading 90.5%, Writing 83%, Maths 86%, Science 81%.
What is your assessment of how successfully the intended outcomes of the pupil premium plan were met?
Our pupil premium plan exceeded our expectations with regards to outcomes for students across all core areas. Not only did they perform significantly higher than the school benchmark of 75% on track or exceeding, but they also performed ahead or equal to their peers. For example, 90.5% of pupil premium students made on track or exceeding progress compared to 86% of all pupils. Within these percentages in reading and writing, pupil premium students had a significantly higher percentage making exceeding progress compared to all pupils. Reading – 90.5% - of which 43% made exceeding progress. For all students 86% - of which 30% made exceeding progress. Writing – 83% - of which 29% made exceeding progress. For all students 81% of which 20% made exceeding progress.
All pupil premium students were offered the opportunity to engage with 1:1 peripatetic music tuition. 100% of pupil premium students, who expressed an interest in music lesson were accommodated and they fully engaged on a weekly basis. Equipment and resources were purchased to fully support these lessons alongside class-based music lessons that the pupils are timetabled in. This has enabled those students to pursue talents and interests in music, building self-esteem and motivation to learn new skills, perform and achieve external qualifications and awards. The funding also allowed the delivery of extra- curricular clubs, after-school and during lunchtimes, including choir, music therapy, maths, MFL, mindfulness, creative club, chess and board games. Pupil premium students had full access to these clubs and engaged to promote their interests and talents.
Over the year our pupil premium strategy has allowed 100% of pupil premium students to access all school trips and experiences alongside their peers. This includes day visits and, for all who expressed an interest, a residential experience for the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. Pupil premium students also benefitted from curriculum enrichment days. A Science/Maths/STEM week was held which included trips out to Jodrell Bank Radio-telescope and hands on workshops in school for all age groups of pupils. The week focused on challenges, investigations, and problem-
solving activities. Pupils were excited and engaged, promoting a love of these subjects and inspiring learning going forward. Pupils were proud to share their achievements with each other and their parents.
Teachers and support staff were given a range of training during inset and twilight sessions to promote quality first teaching. These included maths workshops, STEM training, study skills, strategies to support pupils in class and SPELL framework. The therapy team were involved in leading training sessions to ensure strategies incorporated Autism approaches.
New assessment software is now embedded across all key stages of the school. A variety of staff training has taken place, and the assessment policy clearly sets out the expectations and plan for key assessment dates. Assessment software is allowing closer tracking of pupil premium students’ progress and attainment against age related goals. This progress and achievement is shared with parents and other stakeholders. The new assessment software has allowed us to quantify accelerated progress made by our pupil premium students compared to their peers. The increased infrastructure of the wi-fi network to include the school field and outdoor classrooms has built the capacity for learning and assessment opportunities for our pupils including pupil premium students. It has expanded the possible learning spaces to include outdoors and the outside classrooms where many pupils feel a more conducive atmosphere to work. More space, close to nature and the fresh air, quiet and reflective learning environments. Pupils attended a wide range of lessons, learning experiences and assessment opportunities whilst outdoors feeling less anxious and more able to engage with learning.
The employment of a full-time teacher across primary and middle school to provide targeted interventions and address gaps in learning in core subjects has enhanced progression particularly for pupil premium students. The data analysis strongly quantifies this. Progress for pupil premium students in primary and middle is significantly higher than their peers in all core subjects and is in line with or above our school benchmark of at least 75% achieving or exceeding their targets. Primary and middle school pupil premium students achieved the following percentages for those on track or exceeding progress: Reading - 86% of which 71 % had exceeding progress, writing – 86% of which 43% had exceeding progress, maths – 86% of which 29% had exceeding progress and science – 100% of pupils of which 33% had exceeding progress.
Pupil premium students in all classes across the school have the offer of a range daily breakfast items to ensure that they start the day with an adequate balanced diet and felt nourished. Anxieties were lessened and they felt comfortable, alert, and ready to learn.
Pupil Premium & Recovery Premium Expenditure 2023 - 2024 | ||
Teaching Strategies | ||
Cost | Percentage of total | |
Educational Software & Resources | 3,923 | |
Staff Training | 649 | |
Enrichment Activities / Workshops | 785 | |
5,357 | 10% | |
Targeted Academic Support | ||
Recovery Pupil Premium Interventions | 31,913 | |
School Contribution to NTP Interventions | 3,375 | |
35,288 | 68% | |
Wider Strategies | ||
Attendance | 198 | |
Music development / resources | 1,864 | |
Stage | 3,370 | |
Individual Pupil Welfare / Breakfast Club | 1,434 | |
Educational Equipment | 2,630 | |
Duke Of Edinburgh | 1,901 | |
11,397 | 22% | |
Total | 52,042 |
Please include the names of any non-DfE programmes that you purchased in the previous academic year. This will help the Department for Education identify which ones are popular in England
Programme | Provider |
Further information (optional)
Use this space to provide any further information about your pupil premium strategy. For example, about your strategy planning, or other activity that you are implementing to support disadvantaged pupils, that is not dependent on pupil premium or recovery premium funding.