COVID19 Catch up Premium
School Name Coronavirus (Covid-19) Catch Up Premium
Summary Information |
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Total Number of Pupils Eligible |
316 |
Total Catch Up Premium |
£73,800 |
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Planned Expenditure |
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The Catch Up Premium will be used to support the funding of the following strategies: The three headings below have been taken from the EEF Covid Support Guidance for Schools. |
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1. Teaching and Whole School Strategies |
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Desired outcome |
Chosen action / approach |
What is the evidence and rationale for this choice? |
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To identify and effectively address gaps in learning |
Students have undertaken reading speed tests Students have taken mid-Cycle assessments Additional referrals to the Educational Psychologist
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There is now a considerable body of research to suggest that reading fluency is a key indicator of academic success. Improving reading fluency is also likely to help students speed up the rate at which they can acquire new learning. So, knowing students’ reading speed is helpful in identifying which students to target most closely. It is also crucial that teaching staff are aware of where students have gaps in their knowledge of specific subjects so that these can be remedied. The whole school assessment strategy includes a 12 week assessment cycle but this seems overly long for this initial assessment, hence the introduction of mid-cycle testing. We are receiving additional requests to have students assessed by the EP in order to make Requests for Statutory Assessment and there is a backlog post-lockdown. An EP report can help us identify and target need effectively and it is an essential element of applying for an EHCP. |
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To effectively address gaps in learning which have been identified |
Recruitment and deployment of 2 Teach First teachers (along with the 2 teachers already recruited as part of the PP Strategy) Recruitment of an additional Teaching Assistant |
The Department of Education have recommended the recruitment of Teach First graduates as part of the nationwide Catch Up Strategy. They are also co-funding it so that schools pay only the ‘on costs’ which makes it cost effective. SEND students within the school have historically made good progress and we believe this is in part due to the effective deployment of good quality TA provision. SEND students are a vulnerable group as so need additional support. We also suspect that staff absence may be higher during the pandemic and recruiting an additional TA may help to protect SEND students from the negative consequences of this. |
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Create online provision for both catch up/revision and isolating pupils to minimise any further widening of the gap between vulnerable students and their peers |
The school has taken out a subscription to Google Classrooms Staff will be paid to make additional resources and to supervise online learning, such as tracking attendance and work completion |
The school has researched online learning platforms and Google Classroom was chosen as best meeting our requirements. Staff have received training in using Google Classroom (and additional IT related to it) to best effect. We have also had complaints about sound quality and want to address these. Having high quality online provision is of no benefit if students if they do not access it. We have undertaken research that has enabled us to ensure students have access to IT at home so that we can be confident that this is not a barrier. We want to provide staffing to check that students are accessing their online learning and to provide them with support to do so. |
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2. Targeted Support |
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Desired outcome |
Chosen action / approach |
What is the evidence and rationale for this choice? |
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To ensure high levels of attendance at school as this is fundamental to accessing academic support |
We are buying in external Education Welfare Support We have also made We are also recruiting additional SLT support to oversee parental engagement and liaison as this is likely to play a significant role in re-engaging families |
Good attendance at school has been shown to be consistently reflected in better academic results. It is also plays a crucial role in safeguarding students as if we are regularly seeing students we can safeguard them from external factors and can offer the pastoral support. As the C19 pandemic has made it more complex to track who should and should not be in school, and we know that it has also contributed to poor mental health and other issues that can contribute to poor attendance, we also feel that additional capacity to address these issues is helpful. Close contact from SLT is likely to help improve relationships with home and to ensure that measures are in place to encourage attendance and rapid progress. It is likely that more Team Around the Family meetings will have to be held. |
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To target literacy support at those students whose literacy levels are lowest so that they can make rapid progress |
We have bought into Lexia as a literacy catch-up program and this is supported by a literacy specialist teaching assistant |
Good literacy skills are the foundation for learning. We have historically had good results from Lexia and students engage well with it. |
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To reengage disengaged students who are sent to Refocus/Reset |
To create a Inclusion Manager position within Refocus/Reset to more effectively target disaffected students, provide data relating to these students, and to deliver post-FTE interventions |
PP students are more likely to spend time in Reset and Refocus and so it is essential that we monitor this data and respond swiftly and effectively in re-engaging them. Recent experience suggests we could do this more efficiently if we had one member of staff within the Inclusion Team who was managing the team day-to-day. |
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To ensure that students and their families are offered support to address the mental health aspects of the pandemic |
All families were asked to complete a survey about their mental health and wellbeing before the summer holidays Referrals for mental health and wellbeing support are being triaged by an Allocation Team within the school which includes CAMHS staff Identified students are being targeted by specially trained staff |
Research was undertaken in conjunction with CAMHS in order to ensure that the school could accurately identify the issues which were contributing to poor mental health and wellbeing so that we could better target them. This research highlighted anxieties about returning to school and about the pressures of learning, interacting with peers, managing emotions, and concerns relating to contracting the virus or measures being taken to avoid this. We believe that continuing to work with CAMHS and also targeting and tracking our support is likely to be most effective in addressing the anxieties which we have identified. |
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3. Wider Strategies |
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Desired outcome |
Chosen action / approach |
What is the evidence and rationale for this choice? |
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To ensure that students and their families are offered support to address the mental health aspects of the pandemic |
Key staff have received intensive training in Early Help for Mental Health from CAMHS All staff have received a half day training session in Early Help for Mental Health |
As stated above, we are aware that students and their families are experiencing additional anxiety and other mental health difficulties due to C19. We believe that this requires a whole school approach to be truly tackled and that staff need to know what to look for and which strategies can be effectively used to support the mental health and wellbeing of children in their care. |
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Proposed Report for catch up funding spend 2021
Catch-up funding 20-21 |
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School details |
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Name of School |
St James School |
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Total number on roll |
972 |
Number of DS |
% DS |
% SEND |
Number of SEND |
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Year 7 |
200 |
59 |
29 |
22 |
44 |
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Year 8 |
198 |
57 |
29 |
19 |
39 |
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Year 9 |
191 |
55 |
29 |
17 |
32 |
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Year 10 |
195 |
59 |
30 |
13 |
26 |
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Year 11 |
185 |
57 |
31 |
16 |
29 |
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Total funding |
£73,800 |
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Context |
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This Report should be read in conjunction with St James School’s Pupil Premium Strategy.
Children and young people across the country have experienced unprecedented disruption to their education as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19). Although all children have had their education disrupted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, it is likely that disadvantaged and vulnerable groups will have been hardest hit. For this reason, the Department for Education has given a one-off grant to schools based on the number of vulnerable students on roll. This has become known as Catch Up funding. They have advised that schools should use this funding for specific activities to support their pupils to catch up for lost teaching over the previous months and that schools have the flexibility to spend their funding in the best way for their cohort and circumstances.
St James School has noted the research from the Education Endowment Fund and the Department of Education about the approaches that research has shown to be most effective in narrowing the gap between disadvantaged students and their peers. This is summarised in the EEF’s guide ‘Supporting School School Planning’ for planning a response to the C19 pandemic and which recommends a tiered approach. This tiered approach considers Teaching which as the most significant element should account for approximately 50% of the strategy. Then, Targeted Academic Support such as 1 to 1 or small group work is a further 25% of the strategy. And finally, Wider Strategies make up the final 25%, targeting pastoral elements such as parental engagement; social, emotional and mental health support; behaviour; and elements of wider care such as Breakfast Club.
St James School believes that this approach is likely to be most effective in narrowing the gap and providing the best possible provision and support for all. It is the approach already being used in our Pupil Premium Strategy and we believe it is important that Catch Up dovetails into our wider strategy in order to derive the most impact from it. |
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Aim |
Action |
Target students |
Timescale |
Impact |
Lead |
Allocated Spend |
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To identify and effectively address gaps in learning |
Students have undertaken reading speed tests Students have taken mid-Cycle assessments
Additional referrals to the Educational Psychologist due to backlog of referrals and additional needs emerging |
All students |
Autumn term onwards |
To identify learning gaps for targeting |
HoDs |
Additional EP time £3,787 for 7 additional sessions |
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To effectively address gaps in learning which have been identified |
Recruitment and deployment of 2 Teach First teachers (along with the 2 tutors already recruited as part of the PP Strategy) Recruitment of an additional Teaching Assistant |
All targeted students – Years 7 and 11 to take priority |
From the spring term onwards |
To intensively address learning gaps |
EJH |
c.£16,000 for Teach First on costs c.£16,000 for a B grade TA |
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Create online provision for both catch up/revision and isolating pupils to minimise any further widening of the gap between vulnerable students and their peers |
The school has taken out a subscription to Google Classrooms
Microphones to improve sound quality of live lessons
Staff will be paid to make additional resources and to supervise online learning, such as tracking attendance, work completion and facilitating access
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Students who are unable to attend school |
All year |
To minimise learning gaps created by non-attendance |
RJM |
Google Classroom costs £2,500
Microphones £1,200
Additional staffing c. £15,000 |
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To ensure high levels of attendance at school as this is fundamental to accessing academic support |
We are buying in external Education Welfare Support and will need to back-fill some admin time to allow for more Attendance Officer time
Provision of additional SL T time to oversee support and parental engagement
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Students who have poor attendance |
All year |
To maximise attendance |
MZB |
EWO costs £2,730 for 10 additional sessions £8,000 for ½ grade B post
SLT time cost £2,000
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To target literacy support at those students whose literacy levels are lowest so that they can make rapid progress |
We have bought into Lexia as a literacy catch-up program and this is supported by a literacy specialist teaching assistant |
Students identified by Lexia testing |
All year |
To close the learning gap |
TMB/LJN |
Lexia costs £4,158 |
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Additional support for disengaged students as these are likely to end up in Refocus/Reset |
Creation of an Inclusion Manager of Refocus/Reset |
Students who are sent to Refocus/Reset |
From late Autumn term |
To reengage students in their learning |
MZB |
c.£2,000 for promotion of an internal member of staff |
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To ensure that students and their families are offered support to address the mental health aspects of the pandemic |
All families were asked to complete a survey about their mental health and wellbeing before the summer holidays Referrals for mental health and wellbeing support are being triaged by an Allocation Team within the school which includes CAMHS staff Identified students are being targeted by specially trained staff |
All students initially then those identified as needing additional support |
All year |
To support the mental health and wellbeing of students |
MZB/TMB |
Staff time not costed |
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To ensure that students and their families are offered support to address the mental health aspects of the pandemic |
Key staff have received intensive training in Early Help for Mental Health from CAMHS |
All students |
All year |
To support the mental health and wellbeing of students |
MZB |
Staff time which has not been costed |
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Total |
£73,375 |
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