We have the highest expectations of, and aspirations for, all our students. Our Trust Board shares our belief that every student should have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential. We share the drive to ensure that every student’s academic achievement and qualifications matter.
We make every effort to ensure that disadvantaged students receive outstanding support and believe that our core business is to ensure our students make at least good progress as a result of good or outstanding teaching. The Department for Education (DfE) provides additional Pupil Premium Funding (PPF) to all schools and academies based on the number of students eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) and the number of children who are looked after (CLA). The aim of PPF is to support schools in raising the achievement of the most disadvantaged students.
As an Academy, we recognise that it is not the funding itself that will improve achievement and attainment, but how it is used. The Department for Education (DfE) expects us to use PPF appropriately and to be accountable for the decisions we make. We also know that Ofsted consider the active involvement of governors as one of the characteristics of academies that are successfully using their PPF to improve achievement and that successful academies “thoroughly involve governors in the decision making and evaluation process”.
The Pupil Premium Plan is reviewed anually and impact reported on by the Pupil Premium Lead along with the appropriate SLT from each site. A member of the Trust is also appointed to review the plan with the Pupil Premium Lead throughout the year to ensure that targets are being met.