In 2011-12 the Government launched its Pupil Premium funding. This money is sent to schools based on the numbers of pupils in the school who are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). This money is allocated to initiatives to ensure pupils reach their full potential, both academically and socially.  In 2012 it was expanded to include all children who have been eligible for FSM within the last six years.  In addition children whose parents work in the forces, are looked after children, or have previously been in local authority care are also entitled to the grant.

Sandgate’s Pupil Premium funding for 2023-2024 was £94,997 amount for 2024-2025 will be updated in July for the next financial year.

In the 2023-2024 financial year, schools received the following funding for each pupil registered as eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last 6 years £1455. We received £2,530 for any pupil:

• identified in the January 2018 school census or the alternative provision census as having left local authority care as a result of:
  • adoption
  • a special guardianship order
  • a child arrangements order (previously known as a residence order)
• who has been in local authority care for 1 day or more
• recorded as both eligible for FSM in the last 6 years and as being looked after (or as having left local authority care).

As well as this, children who have been Service/Forces children received funding of £335 and this remains eligible for up to 5 years post service.

The amounts for 2024-2025 have now been released.  Eligible pupils for FSM and at any point in the last 6 years will receive £1450, those who are looked after children or have been in local authority care £2570 and services children will receive £340.

At Sandgate Primary School we allocate funding for an academic year September to July.

It is our intention that all pupils, irrespective of their background or the challenges they face, make excellent progress and achieve high attainment across all subject areas.  The focus of our pupil premium strategy is to support our disadvantaged pupils to achieve that goal too. Those who already attain at a high standard will also make excellent progress to reach their full potential. 

We will consider the challenges faced by all of our vulnerable pupils, not just those who receive the pupil premium funding, such as young carers and those affected by the cost of living crisis. The challenges, intended outcomes and activities in this statement is intended to support their needs as well as those pupils eligible for the funding.

High-quality teaching is at the heart of our whole school approach, with a focus on areas in which disadvantaged pupils require the most support. This is proven to have the greatest impact on closing the attainment gap, as well as benefiting and improving the outcomes of non-disadvantaged pupils in our school.

Our approach is responsive to common challenges and individual needs which are identified by continuous assessment. This robust approach to assessments means that assumptions are not made about the impact of disadvantage.  The approaches we have adopted through high-quality teaching, targeted interventions and wider strategies are specifically chosen to ensure all pupils reach their full potential during their time at Sandgate Primary School.

To ensure our approaches are successful we:

• Ensure disadvantaged pupils are challenged in their learning across all subjects.
• Act early and identify any challenges so that intervention is timely.
• Adopt a whole school approach in which all staff take responsibility for disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes and raise expectations of what they can achieve.

Our whole school objectives are:

• To close the attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils.
•  For all disadvantaged pupils in school to make or exceed nationally expected progress rates.
• To support our children’s health and wellbeing (when working closely with families) to enable them to access learning at an appropriate level. This will include ensuring there is no attendance gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils.

If you would like to apply for the funding, please complete the online application here.  If you would like to discuss this any further, please contact Mrs Jones on 01303 257280.