Covid has potentially reversed a decade of progress in closing the attainment gap. The evidence is clear that disadvantaged students have fallen further behind during the pandemic. And we know that these students will also face the biggest challenges in educational recovery.

It is more important than ever to focus our efforts on what evidence tells us is most likely to be effective for pupils from lower socio-economic backgrounds. A decade of research into educational disadvantage has shown there are no ‘quick fixes’, but engaging with evidence offers schools a valuable tool for understanding which practices and programmes are most likely to deliver the greatest impact.

Our hope at Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery, is that Pupil Premium Funding will support an excellent, evidence-informed education system that creates great opportunities for all children and young people, regardless of their family background.

Pupil Premium

What is it?

The school receives Pupil Premium funding, which is additional to the main school budget. The Pupil Premium funding is allocated to pupils who are either currently eligible for free school meals or who have been eligible in the last 6 years, known as ‘Ever 6’. Pupil Premium for Looked-after children (LAC) as defined in the Children Act 1989 as one who is in the care of, or provided with accommodation by, an English Local Authority.

What is it used for?

Pupil Premium funding is intended to address the historic underachievement of children from poorer backgrounds in this country. By giving schools additional money when they have families from poorer backgrounds, the Government is seeking to ‘diminish the difference’ in achievement, meaning that any student from any background should be able to achieve at a high level. The money is intended to support schools to ensure this happens for students in their care.

Pupil Premium funding at Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery is spent on a range of support and additional intervention which ensures that every child succeeds. You can read in more detail about our spending and the review of our impact and see the planned expenditure in the documents below.

How is the impact monitored?

Assessment procedures at Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery are robust and we are relentless in monitoring and evaluating the progress of all children. This is done in our pupil progress meetings each half term, where we identify any child who is not on track or has not made adequate progress, and then put in place targeted support for them. Children eligible for Pupil Premium funding are identified through this process and support mapped on to the range of resources the school has to offer.

What are the main barriers to educational achievement faced by eligible pupils of the school?

We always seek to understand every child and their family as individuals. However, some common challenges for eligible pupils include:

• Reduced experience of nursery settings and lack of a language rich environment, resulting in lower attainment on entry
• A narrower physical sphere or experience; they may have had less opportunity to travel outside of the immediate area or to access a wide range of opportunities and experiences
• They may have had less access to books, toys and other resources which support early learning and development
• Some families experience housing challenges and this can have very significant negative impact on them, including tiredness, personal hygiene, hunger, fear and anxiety
• Some children experience a poor diet
• Some children experience the effects of substance misuse or domestic violence

These challenges mean that we support the pupils in 4 areas:

• Focus on academic support
• Focus on social, emotional and behaviour
• Focus on enrichment and widening opportunity
• Focus on families/community

Pupil Premium Strategy Statement 2021-2022

and Impact 2020-2021