Pupil premium
The Pupil Premium provides additional funding on top of the main funding a school receives. It is targeted at students from disadvantaged backgrounds to ensure they benefit from the same opportunities as students from less deprived families.
Since September 2022, the premium has been worth £985 and goes to students who are currently registered for Free School Meals (FSM) and those who have received FSM in the past six years (known as Ever6/E6). Students in care, even for one day, also continue to qualify for the Pupil Premium.
Our primary aim is to narrow the gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students and ensure that all our students exceed national expectations, by providing outstanding teaching and learning opportunities for all students. All teaching staff are aware of the students eligible for PPG and this informs their planning, monitoring and intervention.
How the Pupil Premium is spent is monitored closely with all schools accountable for the impact of the money spent. At Heartlands Academy we pride ourselves on utilising the Pupil Premium to support our students with a specific focus on literacy, transition, behaviour, attendance, and achievement, maximising the life opportunities for all students.
Why is there a Pupil Premium?
Students who have been eligible for Free School Meals at any point in their academic career have consistently lower educational attainment than those who have never been eligible. In 2009-10 GCSE statistics showed that around a third of students who have been on Free School Meals in the previous six years, achieved five or more A*- C grades, compared to more than two-thirds of their fellow students.
Using a variety of data a Pupil Premium Plan is produced; identifying predicted gaps in attainment and achievement between Pupil Premium students and non-Pupil Premium students, and any gaps in attendance. Currently, the main barriers to educational achievement for disadvantaged students include;
- Persistent absence.
- Lack of aspiration and resilience in some students.
- Progress significantly below average.
- Low levels of Literacy on transition.
- Correlation between students with complex needs and their eligibility for Pupil Premium support.
2022-2023 Pupil Premium Statement