Pupil Premium

The Government introduced the Pupil Premium in April 2011 with the aim of increasing social mobility, reducing the attainment gap between the highest and lowest achieving pupils nationally and enabling more students from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend top universities.

Free School Meals

In support of of this initiative we would encourage those families who are eligible to apply for Free School Meals. Information about eligibility and how to apply can be obtained by following this link.

Pupil Premium Strategy Statement

This statement details our school’s use of Pupil Premium funding (and recovery premium for the 2021 to 2022 academic year) 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.

Careful thought has been given as to the way in which the school has used this funding to ensure the maximum impact on pupil attainment. The school has been guided by research evidence gathered by The Sutton Trust / Education Endowment Foundation on the most effective strategies to improve learning, particularly for less advantaged pupils.

To download our detailed report and plan for 2021 to 2024, please follow this link.

Pupil Premium Support Strategy

Three members of support staff has been appointed with a specific brief to support Pupil Premium pupils. Support provided included individual one-to-one mentoring, assisted revision sessions and catch up classes following any incidents of absence.

Staff training and development has focussed on the most effective ways of providing pupils with feedback on their class/homework assignments and assessment tests. This training was delivered to all teaching staff through our Continuing Professional Development Programme. All staff received over two hours of training during the academic year.

Homework club – the school has allocated some of the Pupil Premium funding to the provision of a Homework Club running after school Monday to Thursday. This is an after school provision run by support staff to enable pupils who are experiencing problems with their knowledge and understanding of topics and/or have difficulty completing homework in their home environment.

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) – as a significant number of the most vulnerable and deprived pupils are also on the Inclusions Profile (SEND register), some of the funding has been used to ensure that staff received awareness and specific training on the different needs of the SEND pupils they are teaching. SEND pupils are supported to aspire to a place in university, a higher education college or a work placement. The school attributes resources to the provision of mentors to support these pupils on a one-to-one basis.

Last academic year the Pupil Premium funding was used to support pupils in the following ways:

Providing fully-resourced learning packs
Rewarding high attendance
Subsidising educational trips
Access to university summer schools
Provision of one-to-one tuition
Homework support
Easter revision classes – collaborative learning
Learning support – development of metacognition and thinking skills
Provision of uniform items and school equipment
Wellbeing – behaviour support and intervention – supporting pupils – supporting parents
Wellbeing – social and emotional learning
Digital technology

Measurable Impact of Pupil Premium Support

The impact has been most significant on the targeted groups of pupils – from ensuring they are not excluded from attending or getting involved in a wide range of activities within school, to supporting them both academically and emotionally. Measurable performance indicators informing us of the targeted groups’ achievements include the following:

The Progress 8 score for disadvantaged overall was +0.07 (+1.06 in 2021) - comprising of +0.14 for English (0.72 in 2021,) +0.48 for Mathematics (+0.67 in 2021,) +0.27 for the English Baccalaureate measure (+1.48 in 2021) and +0.27 for the open element (+1.13 in 2021.)
The Attainment 8 score for disadvantaged was 64.70 (63.08 in 2021.)
66.67% 9 - 5 grades in the core subjects of English and Mathematics.
No exclusions during the year.

Positive feedback from pupils, parents and teachers following intervention support and after-school clubs reveals that pupils feel more confident in their own abilities and have increased self-esteem. This has a positive effect on their performance in class and in their homework assignments.

Pupil Premium 2020/21

During the academic year 2020/21 Highsted Grammar School received funding for 70 pupils in Years 7–11 at £955 per pupil, with an additional eight pupils funded at £310 per pupil, totalling £69,330. The school remains focused on our commitment to diminish any differences in the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.