Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium Grant Expenditure

Overview of Outwood Academy City

Number of pupils and pupil premium grant (PPG) received:
Total number of pupils on roll: 1141
Total number of pupils eligible for PPG: 481
Total amount of PPG received: £388,079

Outwood Academy City has been allocated £388,079 for the academic year 2020/21.

Pupil Premium is an additional grant given to students who:

• have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any time in the last six years (£935)
• have been in care for more than six months (£2,300)
• have parents/carers in the armed services, who face particular challenges (£300)

The aim at Outwood Academy City is to develop many robust intervention strategies, all of which are designed to support each individual student to achieve their full potential. Our aim is to ‘narrow the gap’ between different groups of students and fulfil one of our core aims “to raise standards for all students by sustaining and enhancing performance and to develop the whole child”.

Below is a list of strategies that we use to support students and the total cost of some of these strategies. The intervention strategies exceed by far the total amount we receive for the Pupil Premium. The Pupil Premium is used to support all of these strategies:

Curriculum Support

• Revision sessions for students who are examined are to be held at regular intervals throughout the year. Sessions are provided within the school day, evenings, weekend and during holiday time.
• ‘Maths Watch’ CDs are to be provided for Year 11 students to support their exam preparation.
• All students have access to Hegarty, an online resource used to set homework, review lesson outcomes and guide students through activities.
• Revision guides are provided for students in Maths and English.
• Directors of English, Maths and Science have been deployed from the Outwood Trust to support students in making the required progress and beyond in English, Maths and Science.
• Option and extra English and Maths and Core Science are additions to Core Curriculum for these subject areas.
• Specialist literacy and numeracy support in Key Stage 3.This includes the implementation of the Accelerated Reader programme along with curriculum time allocated for pupils in year 7 who have been identified with reading ages significantly below chronological age.
• Level 3 Teaching Assistants in both Literacy and Maths to be used for strategic support and intervention strategies to improve the performance of pupils.
• 1-to-1 intervention in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 to improve pupil performance in English and Maths.
• PLC and Bridge provision to provide curriculum pathways for pupils to improve pupil outcomes and performance
• Offsite provision is offered to support students who are disengaged with the traditional school environment or who have a particular wish to explore a more vocational route, approximately £50 per day per student.
• Students who qualify for Pupil Premium are also supported with music lessons and contributions towards equipment and trips to enhance their learning experience whilst at the Academy.

Uniform and Trips

Uniform has been provided for all students who are awarded a place at Outwood Academy City, so that all students have an equal starting point. This will continue in the future.

Outwood Academy City offers financial assistance for families and students wishing to attend school trips and excursions, this ensures that all students benefit from a variety of experiences designed to enhance life chances and removes what could be a financial barrier.

Careers advice and guidance for Years 8 to 11

Careers advisors (Careers Inc.) have been employed to work with students from Years 8 to 11. Presently, all Year 11 students receive an individual ‘interview’ to support them with their Post 16 applications, but are also offered the opportunity for independent advice and guidance with the Careers Inc service. Additional consultations have been made available to any student who wishes to receive further support with their Post-16 transition routes. Work is taking place with Years 8 to 11 students, in particular with those students who are at risk of becoming NEETs (Not in Education or Training). Students who are identified by the above criteria are all given time with the advisor with a particular focus on their future and choices.

Attendance

A greater focus will be adopted to support all students in meeting the minimum requirement of 95%. An Attendance Manager is employed to drive attendance and work closely to support the most vulnerable groups of students and families. There is also an allocation for hardship fund to assist pupils who may struggle to attend school due to transport or uniform issues.

Reading Programmes

Lexia Reading is used by school systems throughout the world to encourage students to improve their reading and literacy. Lexia Reading’s interactive, educational software will help identified students learn to read, and increase school performance. The package will initially be used with Key Stage 3 to support lifelong literacy. Additional reading interventions (MISKIN/Corrective Reader) will also be put in place for students identified from LUCID and targeted if reading age is below 9.

Dyslexia Interventions

Students will receive specialised dyslexia support from qualified staff, with strategies shared with all staff and parents. Staff and students will have greater understanding of personal need and parent’s confidence in school actions will increase.

Inclusion

Bridge

The Bridge is the Academy’s Social Inclusion Centre, co-ordinated by the Bridge Manager. Within the Bridge support is given to students with more complex social, emotional, behavioural and medical issues. It provides a safe and supportive environment for the Academy’s most vulnerable students. The Bridge facility is used to provide one to one support for students and is also open on a morning for social time and a breakfast club.

PLC

The Personalised Learning Centre is co-ordinated by the Personalised Learning and Assessment Manager and provides students with personalised learning packages designed to meet individual need, provide focussed intervention to support and raise attainment and deliver alternative GCSE equivalent qualifications.

Other interventions put into place:

Peer Mentoring Programme:
Peer mentors are positive role models working closely with Year 7 and 8 students, supporting them with a variety of issues. They are trained to listen, provide non-judgmental advice and support wherever possible. The peer mentor team (mentors in Year 11) will receive training to help them provide one to one support for vulnerable students.

Pastoral Care/Interventions:
Our Inclusion Coordinator is a specialist in the area of safeguarding; she works tirelessly to support our most vulnerable students maintaining strong links with external agency support services. Both are an extremely valuable resource and greatly appreciated by the students.

Additional schemes to run throughout the year:

• Behaviour for Learning (B4L) – focuses on getting students back on track and understanding why they are behaving in a way that is a cause for concern.
• Self-esteem Group work – working with students who need to build personal confidence.
• Study support – working with students to create a culture of organization, preparing for their future.
• Rebound Programme – A behaviour modification programme designed to support the most difficult to reach and disengaged students and prepare them for the transition from Key Stage 3 into Key Stage 4.
• ‘627’ Focussed Transition – for vulnerable and Pupil Premium students. An additional transition to assist the move into Year 7.
• Positive Role Models programme – A programme put in place to work with some of our male students to attempt to reduce incidents of negative behaviour around school.

Pupil Premium Plan