We want every student to flourish and reach their full potential. We don't believe that social, material or cultural disadvantage should be a barrier to this.
Nationally, there is a gap between the outcomes and attainment of students who are poorer than their peers. This disadvantage starts at birth, and by the time students reach secondary school, the gap in attainment is typically more than two years. In April 2011, the government introduced a Pupil Premium Grant, which provided additionally funding to schools where students faced additional material, social and cultural disadvantage. Schools use this money in a variety of ways in an effort to ‘narrow the gap’ between disadvantaged students and their peers.
The Education Endowment Foundation
The EEF is a national charity, part of The Sutton Trust and backed by the Department for Education, that takes an evidence based approach to what works best in supported disadvantaged students.
The EEF toolkit underpins much of the approach that we take to supporting disadvantaged students at Prospect.
Eligibility
The Pupil Premium Grant is applied to any student who has:
- Free School Meals
- Had Free School Meals at any time in the last six years (known as ‘Ever6’)
- Been in care/looked after child at any time
- Been adopted from care, or left care under a special guardianship or residence order
- Parents currently in the armed services (a lower premium is payable for these students)
If you feel that any of these criterion apply to your child, please let us know.
The Pupil Premium Grant
At King's Academy Prospect roughly 38% of our pupils receive funding through the pupil premium, this means that in 2022/23 Prospect will receive £311,753. We decided to use this funding in a number of ways to help support our students. While doing this we remember that not all students who qualify for the PPG are socially disadvantaged and not all socially disadvantaged students qualify or are registered for PPG. We therefore focus on the needs and levels of progress of all students as well as those who are eligible for the PPG. In providing support we will not socially isolate students. Therefore, it is likely that all groups receiving additional support will be a mix of PP and non PP students. Some examples of strategies that have been aimed at those entitled to PP are help with uniform costs, providing breakfast, providing revision materials, aiding work experience, running intervention sessions, a laptop loaning scheme and a residential revision programme.
Seven years after the introduction of the premium, the moral and educational case for giving additional support to underprivileged children remains as strong as ever. There are no quick fixes. So let’s not lose our nerve: the pupil premium is still our best bet in providing the focus and funding to improve the outcomes of our most disadvantaged children
Sir Kevan Collins
Former Chief Executive of the EEF
How we use the Pupil Premium
This additional funding will be spent on a range of strategies to enable them to make the same educational progress as their peers. Strategies may include:
- Providing high quality teaching and ensuring, where possible, our best teachers are allocated to these students
- Targeted academic support, such as the provision of additional intervention classes where appropriate
- Provision of pastoral support and guidance, focusing on attendance, behaviour and social and emotional support
- Contribution towards the cost of school uniform and other items necessary for the school day
- Educational visits and contributions towards school trips to ensure they are able to access a broad and balanced curriculum
- Smaller class sizes
National Schools Breakfast
Kings Academy Prospect is very excited to announce a partnership with The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) to provide children with a healthy breakfast at the start of the school day. We are committed to supporting child development, and we believe a healthy school breakfast, without barrier or stigma, can set up children to succeed and give them the very best chance to learn.
It is important to KAP that pupils get the opportunity to start the day with a nutritious breakfast. Evidence shows that providing a healthy school breakfast at the start of the school day can contribute to improved readiness to learn, increased concentration, and improved wellbeing and behaviour.
As a result, each child in the school will be entitled to collect a free to eat bagel before tutor or during school breaks. This can be collected from the canteen between 8.15am and 8.25am. There will be a range of extras available that they can purchase. Please encourage your child to take up this opportunity to enjoy a healthy free breakfast.