Pupil premium strategy statement for St Mary's Catholic Primary School 2024-2025

This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium funding to help improve the attainment of our disadvantaged pupils.

It outlines our pupil premium strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the effect that last year’s spending of pupil premium had within our school.

School overview

Details	Data
St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Number of pupils in school	210
Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils	5.71%
Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers	2024/2025
Date this statement was published	September 2024
Date on which it will be reviewed	July 2025
Statement authorised by	Philomena Egan Head Teacher
Pupil premium lead	Philomena Egan
Governor lead	Tim King

Funding overview

Detail	Amount
Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year	£13,320
Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year	£0
Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years	£0
Total budget for this academic year If your school is an academy in a trust that pools this funding, state the amount available to your school this academic year	£13,320

Statement of intent

At St Mary’s, the focus of our pupil premium strategy intention is that for all children regardless of their needs have access to outstanding quality teaching and learning tailored to their needs. This has proven to have the greatest impact on closing the disadvantage attainment gap and at the same time will benefit the non-disadvantaged pupils in our school. Pupil Premium funding will be allocated following a needs analysis which will identify priority classes, groups or individuals. The grant is aimed at accelerating progress by moving children to at least age related expectations. We aim for all pupils to make good progress and achieve high attainment across all subject areas.

These pupils may require additional support, so we will use all the resources available to help them reach their full potential including the pupil premium grant. Staff are committed to meet pupils’ needs, including their pastoral, social and academic needs within a caring and nurturing environment. It is important for disadvantaged children to benefit from the same opportunities as pupils from less deprived families.

In making provision for socially disadvantaged pupils, we recognise that not all pupils who receive free school meals will be socially disadvantaged. We also recognise that not all pupils who are socially disadvantaged are registered or qualify for free school meals. We reserve the right to allocate the Pupil Premium funding to support any pupil or groups of pupils the school has legitimately identified as being socially disadvantaged. Limited funding and resources means that not all children receiving funding will be in receipt of pupil premium interventions at one time.

Challenges and Barriers

Barriers for learning are identified for each child in our school, with a specific focus on our disadvantaged children. Barriers to learning and individual data is used to identify the specific needs of each pupil. Barriers to learning are identified for all of our children, including our disadvantaged pupils. Barriers to learning are identified from rigorous data analysis (as well as an understanding of our school’s context) and are addressed as priorities in both our development plan and ‘Pupil Premium’ action plan. All staff are made aware of ‘barriers for learning’ for individual pupils. The key barriers to learning that have been identified are:

Challenge number	Detail of challenge
1	Attainment of PP children in Maths, English and Writing.
2	Social, emotional ad mental health needs of children.
3	Financial challenges faced by families due to cost of living increase.
4	Challenging home life.

Intended outcomes

This explains the outcomes we are aiming for by the end of our current strategy plan, and how we will measure whether they have been achieved.

Intended outcome	Success criteria
To raise achievements for disadvantaged pupils in all subjects by ensuring all children have access to quality first teaching. Closing the gap in attainment between FSM and non-FSM.	All children will make progress regardless of their background or vulnerabilities. The gap between FSM and non-FSM will get smaller. Pupil Premium lead will monitor the results of Pupil Premium children.
Continue to provide activities to learn outside of the classroom and encourage wider capital.	Children will be increasingly engaged in their learning through access of different workshops and visitors which reflects the broad and balanced curriculum.
Provide pastoral support to children and their mental health. This ensures that no learning is lost and experiencing difficult personal circumstances.	Children will feel safe, secure and build up their resilience. Children will be able to overcome mental health or wellbeing struggles to work towards mental wellness. Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society is used for support with counselling. The use of 'Zones of Regulations' to support self regulation of feelings. Mental Health Support Team to provide sessions for parents and children.
Improve enrichment of all pupils.	The foundation subjects within the curriculum is improved with a greater range of vocabulary, which is being used and understood by the children. Children have knowledge organisers with key vocabulary for these subjects. History and Geography curriculum is improved by following the Kapow scheme. Subject leaders are aware of the need to promote PP attendance at extra-curricular opportunities and clubs. Places are available on trips for Pupil Premium children to ensure fair access on external trips and enrichment activities in school. Music lessons are offered to Pupil Premium children. Specalised Sports Coach to teach PE lessons.
All Pupil Premium pupils are provided with enrichment opportunities for their personal development.	Subject leaders are aware of the need to promote PP attendance at extra-curricular opportunities and clubs. Places are available on trips for Pupil Premium children to ensure fair access on external trips and enrichment activities in school. Music lessons are offered to Pupil Premium children.
Continue to further, improve pupils’ interaction with their peers and to work towards self-management and regulation of their emotions.	Children will be able to self regulate their own emotions. Problem solve when friendship issue arises. Children will be able to take resposnsibilty for their feelings and emotions and become emotionally literate in sharing their needs with others. Using Zones of Regulations to support this for children.
To best support families of low income as they are faced with the rising cost of living.	Where applicable to support families of low income such as paying towards music lessons, school trips etc.

Activity in this academic year
This details how we intend to spend our pupil premium (and recovery premium funding) this academic year to address the challenges listed above.

Teaching (for example, CPD, recruitment and retention)

Budgeted cost: £3000

Activity	Evidence that supports this approach	Challenge number(s) addressed
Ensure writing lessons develop writing skills (vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, handwriting) across sequences of lessons and from year-to-year: -Implement specific planning for ideas in fiction and non-fiction writing (EdShed) -Implementation of Spelling Shed -Implementing Talk for Writing in EYFS and KS1	Promote fluent written transcription skills by encouraging extensive and effective practice and explicitly teaching spelling - EEF	1,3
Develop a culture for love for reading: - Introduce diverse authors to promote British Values across the school. - Every class to have a well-resources book corner promoting love for readinf for pleasure and purpose. - Children to change books regularly ensuring all children have had exposure to a vast variety of books and genre. This will in return increase their quest for books. -World Book Day, author visits, visits to local libraries and Poetry Day celebrated across the school to provide enriching experiences to all children irrespective of their background. -Little Wandles Phonics Scheme used across the school to ensure fidelity to scheme as required by the Early Reading Framework.	There is a growing body of evidence that illustrates the importance of reading for pleasure for both educational purposes as well as personal development. Evidence suggests that there is a positive relationship between reading frequency, reading enjoyment and attainment. - EEF	1,3
To raise attainment in Maths -White Rose Maths -To ensure that the needs of ALL learners in maths lessons are met. -Increase staff confidence in mathematical subject knowledge. -Using MyMaths to support with new learning and retaining previous learning.	The school follows White Rose Maths scheme that is in line to National Curriculum and provides in dept exposure to maths mastery. The school has worked closely with North East London Maths Hub and introduced Mastering Number programme in EYFS and KS1. This has enabled teachers to provide strong number sense in foundation stage which is paramount. Embedding stage of Mastery Maths programme implemented across school to implement the mastery maths programme to challenge our pupils ensuring they are number literate and number confident.	1,3
Designated Pastoral Lead –RSE/PSHE Lead who can support teachers in delivering resources and lessons to support children’s mental health.	Member staff trained as a senior mental health lead. The programme was funded by DfE. Working closely with local Mental Health Support Team funded by NHS to implement and improve our mental health provision both for all stake holders – children, parents and staff. Effective social and emotional learning (SEL) can increase positive pupil behaviour, mental health and well-being, and academic performance. -EEF	2, 4
-School pays towards funding for school initiatives including, online homework, trips, lunches and school uniform.	Widening wealth inequality and the cost-of-living crisis will only make this harder, given the incredibly strong relationship between family income and education attainment. As school energy and food costs increase, it is vital that school leaders are not forced to direct resources away from the things which the evidence shows are likely to make the biggest difference to the attainment gap. - EEF	3, 4

Targeted academic support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)

Budgeted cost:
TA Support: £16,700
Curriculum Supplies: £2,500
S&LT: £1,000
Online Teacher Resources: £2,200
Capital Culture: £1,200

Activity	Evidence that supports this approach	Challenge number(s) addressed
Targeted Interventions -Reading -Maths -Writing -Phonics	HLTAs and TAs have made a positive impact on the learner outcome. Deployment of TAs/HLTAs have been deployed based on the children’s needs. -EEF Class Teachers have identified strategies to provide inventions for Reading, Maths and Writing. For example: Additional Maths homework have been sent home to consolidate learning, termly assessments and progress meetings with senior management and pupil premium lead. MyMaths to support learning online. Timestable Rockstar for timestable. Nessy programme implemented to improve spellings with children with additional needs such Dyslexia.	1
Educational Experiences -Visitors -Workshops -Trips	Unengaged students in particular experience events and engage socially in new and positive ways by learning things outside of a classroom environment. Different workshops, visitors and trips have helped to re-engage and motivate children and to improve their social and emotional development.	1,2
Speech and Language Therapist	Communication and language approaches emphasise the importance of spoken language and verbal interaction for young children. They also include approaches more directly aimed at developing thinking and understanding through language. Approaches usually involve a teaching assistant, who has been trained in the approach, working with a small group of children or individually to develop spoken language skills. -EEF	ALL
BCCS Counselling	Children who need extra support or who have been/going through a hard time with their well-being have had access to counselling to help manage their emotions and well-being.
Well-Being Intervention Groups and Zones of Regulations	KS1 classes have had small group intervention to support strategies to best cope with their emotions and feelings. Whole school initiative of using Zones of Regulations.	ALL
Curriculum Supplies including ICT	Chrome Books and I pads have supported our new ICT curriculum, which allows all students to access. Times Tables Rockstars, Spelling Shed and Maths Whizz are available to all children for homework and further practice of their maths skills. Laptops have been provided to those who do not have access to one. Apps such as borrow box has been useful to allow children to download free books online to read.	ALL

Wider strategies (for example, related to attendance, behaviour, wellbeing)

Budgeted cost:
Training: £1200
BCCS: £4,000
School Uniform:School Fund
Contingency Funds: School Fund

Activity	Evidence that supports this approach	Challenge number(s) addressed
Whole staff training on development of Maths Whizz and Spelling Shed.	We provide a broad and balanced curriculum. We ensure staff have a good knowledge of the curriculum and develop their skills to teach the curriculum. Having good understanding of the progression of skills that children will obtain will help us to identify gaps and prior misconceptions of children’s’ learning.	1, 2
School uniform for children.	We have supported many families in funding their child’s school uniform; this affects the wellbeing of the child as they feel part of the school community.	2, 3, 4
Referral to outside support services for further assessments, support and advice. -BCCS Counselling	Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society has shown that children benefit from this service, building up self-esteem and emotional development at home and within the school life. Qualified and dedicated counsellors care for the children and they intervene as soon as a problem arises and work together with children and their families. -BCCS	2, 3, 4
Contingency fund for acute issues.	We have identified a need to set a small amount of funding aside to respond quickly to the needs that have not yet been identified.	All

Part B: Review of outcomes in the previous academic year

Pupil premium strategy outcomes

This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on pupils in the 2023 to 2023 academic year.

In Reception, 100% of Pupil Premium children met the expected early learning goals in all 7 assessed areas.
High quality teaching has enabled 100% of our Pupil Premium children to achieve the expected standard in phonics in year 1.
In Year 4 100 % of Pupil Premium children passed the Multiplication Times Table Check.
In KS2 teachers were able to plan and group children for interventions to support pupil premium children in areas of learning where needed. From these planned interventions, 80 % Pupil Premium children in KS2 achieved the expected level in reading, writing and maths.
Pupil Premium children across the school have benefited from additional social and emotional support if needed.
We also have access to a counsellor from BCCS who are able to support the wellbeing of these pupils.
The introduction of Zones of Regulation and working closely Mental Health Support Team as enabled pupils to self-identify and self-regulate themselves.

Externally provided programmes

Programme	Provider
Little Wandle	Little Wandle
Times Table Rockstars	Maths Circle LTD
My Maths	Oxford University Press
White Rose Maths	White Rose Maths
Spelling Shed	Ed Shed
Developing Experts	Developing Experts
Kapow	Kapow
Nessy	British Dyslexia Society
Deeping Understanding	Planpanion

Next review date September 2025