Pupil Premium
At St Mary's, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to achieve their very best. We are committed to creating an environment where all pupils feel valued, included and supported to flourish, whatever their background, circumstances or starting point.
Pupil Premium funding helps us turn this commitment into action. It enables us to identify and address barriers to learning, provide additional opportunities and ensure that every child can participate fully in school life.
Our approach is built around inclusion, strong relationships and the belief that every child can succeed.
Understanding Pupil Premium
Pupil Premium is additional government funding given to schools to help improve educational outcomes for children who may experience disadvantage.
Funding is allocated to support eligible pupils, including:
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Children who are currently eligible for Targeted Free School Meals
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Children who are looked after or have previously been looked after.
The funding helps schools provide the right opportunities, teaching and support to improve children's experiences and outcomes.
Our ambition is to ensure that disadvantage does not determine a child's future.
Our Approach
We believe that supporting disadvantaged pupils starts with knowing every child as an individual. We take time to understand children's interests, strengths, experiences and individual circumstances. This helps us build positive relationships, recognise potential and provide support that makes a genuine difference.
We do not want children to feel defined by their circumstances or by the funding they attract. Instead, we want every pupil to feel a valued part of our school community, with the confidence to participate, contribute and achieve.
Our approach is underpinned by three key principles:
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Belonging: Every child should feel safe and accepted.
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Opportunity: Every child should have access to the experiences and resources that help them develop and succeed.
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Aspiration: We maintain high expectations for all pupils, providing the encouragement and support needed to reach their potential.
Quality First Teaching
At St Mary's, we know that the greatest difference we can make to children's learning comes through excellent classroom teaching. Our priority is to ensure that all pupils, including those experiencing disadvantage, benefit from high-quality, inclusive and responsive teaching every day.
This means:
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Adapting learning to meet different needs and starting points.
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Identifying gaps in understanding and addressing them promptly.
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Providing clear explanations, appropriate challenge and meaningful feedback.
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Making sure every child can access and participate in classroom learning.
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Creating opportunities for children to develop independence, confidence and resilience.
We aim to make learning accessible from the outset, rather than relying on additional interventions to address challenges later.
Targeted Support When Needed
Alongside our strong universal offer, we recognise that some children may benefit from additional support at particular points in their school journey. Depending on individual needs, this may include:
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Short, focussed and targeted support within lessons.
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Pastoral care and emotional support.
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Support with developing confidence, friendships and positive relationships.
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Support informed by our wider inclusion, SEND and safeguarding processes.
We regularly review the support provided to ensure it is appropriate, effective and having a positive impact.
Nurturing Wellbeing And Emotional Literacy
Children learn best when they feel safe, happy and understood.
We recognise that personal circumstances can sometimes affect a child's emotional wellbeing, confidence or ability to engage with learning. We therefore place wellbeing at the heart of our approach.
We support children by providing:
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Trusted adults who know them well.
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A positive and supportive pastoral environment.
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Consistent routines and clear expectations.
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Opportunities to build friendships and develop social skills.
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Encouragement to recognise their strengths and celebrate achievements.
Enrichment And Experiences Beyond The Classroom
Every child should have the opportunity to discover new interests, develop talents and create positive memories.
We use Pupil Premium funding, where appropriate, to help remove financial barriers and widen access to experiences that enrich children's education.
These may include:
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Educational visits and memorable learning experiences.
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Clubs, activities and opportunities to develop new interests.
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Creative, sporting and social opportunities.
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Experiences which promote confidence and connection with peers.
Supporting Attendance
We recognise that being in school every day gives children the best opportunity to learn and feel connected to school life, and this is a key part of our Pupil Premium Strategy. For disadvantaged pupils, attendance is supported through:
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Building trusting relationships with families.
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Recognising attendance concerns at an early stage.
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Understanding the reasons behind absence.
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Offering appropriate pastoral support and early help guidance.
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Working together to overcome barriers and improve attendance.
Attendance is supported through a positive, child-centred and safeguarding-led approach, working closely with families to understand concerns, identify barriers early and ensure every child is safe, supported and able to attend school regularly.
Our Pupil Premium Strategy
We plan our Pupil Premium spending carefully to ensure that funding is directed towards the areas where it can have the greatest impact.
Our strategy is informed by our understanding of the needs of our pupils, evidence-informed approaches and our ongoing monitoring of impact.