What is Pupil Premium? 

 

Introduced in 2011, the pupil premium is a sum of money given to schools each year by the Government to:

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• raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the attainment gap with their peers

• support children and young people with parents in the regular armed forces

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At The Bridge Education Centre, we believe our mission is to build a safe, strong and respectful learning community enables students to develop learning and life skills, and transition successfully to future pathways. We aim to close the gaps for our vulnerable pupils to ensure they have the best life chances possible. 

 

What are some of the barriers our students have to overcome to achieve their potential? 

Pupils working below national expectations for their age range

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• Low self-esteem

• Poor self-regulation

• Low literacy levels

• Short concentration spans

• Difficulties in developing and sustaining successful peer relationships

• Lack of trust in adults

• In education and beyond

• Persistent poor attendance

• Underdeveloped social skills

• Low aspirations

• School phobia

• Severe anxiety

• Mental health issues

• Exposure to inappropriate relationships

• Risky behaviours

• Exposure to potentiality harmful environments

• Trauma

• Low resilience

• Fear of the future

• Deprivation

• Young carers

• Lack of resources

• Deprivation

• Living in unstable family environments

• Drug/alcohol misuse

• Frequent changes of foster placements

 

Is your child eligible? 

Free School meals and Ever 6. The pupil premium for 2021 to 2022 will include pupils recorded in the January 2022 school census who are known to have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) in any of the previous 6 years (e.g. since summer 2016), as well as those first known to be eligible at January 2022. 

 

Children in care /adopted from care or who have left care:

The pupil premium for 2021 to 2022 will include pupils recorded in the January 2021 school census and alternative provision census who were looked after by an English or Welsh local authority immediately before being adopted, or who left local authority care on a special guardianship order or child arrangements order (previously known as a residence order). 

 

Ever 6 Service Child

Children who have a parent/carer in the armed services or have been within the last six years or have a parent/carer currently in receipt of a service pension. 

 

How do schools access pupil premium money? 

Your child may be eligible for free school meals, and accordingly pupil premium, if you receive any of the following benefits: 

• Income support

• Income-based jobseeker's allowance

• Income-related employment and support allowance

• Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

• The guaranteed element of state pension credit

• Child tax credit, provided that you are not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of £16,190 or less

• Universal credit

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If you are unsure please contact the school office who will be able to tell you what you need to do to register your child as eligible. Please note, that payments are made to schools directly and not to families. 

 

How is the premium spent by schools? 

Schools can choose how to spend their pupil premium money, as they are best placed to identify what would be of most benefit to the children who are eligible, but its main aim is to support vulnerable learners. Some examples include:

 

• Strategies to improve attendance and reduce exclusions.

• Additional one-to-one or small-group support for students such as anger management of ELSA.

• Individualised intensive therapeutic support to every pupil and provide daily off site activities to improve the physical and mental health of pupils.

• Running support sessions after school, for example for children who need extra help with numeracy or literacy.

• Providing revision sessions for students who receive the pupil premium, for example in preparation for GCSEs.

• Help towards funding of uniform.

• Employing a Parent Support Worker to engage with families within the community and sign-post to other agencies who can offer support.

• Investing in resources that boost children's learning, such as stationery and revision guides.

• Staff mentoring

 

Can parents/carers influence how the pupil premium is used? 

There is no obligation for your school to consult you about how they use the money they claim for your child, although the Management Committee will oversee how the money is spent.

 

Schools do have to show that they are using their pupil premium fund appropriately.

This is measured through Ofsted inspections and annual performance tables showing the progress made by children who are eligible for pupil premium. 

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For dual role pupils, the Pupil Premium is retained by the mainstream school.

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The Headteacher of The Bridge Education Centre will review the pupil premium strategy and report directly to Management Committee, Senior Leadership Team and other members of the school community. 

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What could success look like? 

• Increased parent/carer participation

• Reduced exclusions

• Increased attendance

• Academic gaps narrowed between peers

• Improved student self-regulation, self-esteem and engagement with education

• Increased motivation to participate 

 

The Bridge Education Centre also: 

• Places students in small classes

• Monitors high quality teaching and learning through The Bridge Education Centre Performance  Standards

• Has high expectations of all students, to attend and achieve, whatever their additional needs

• Expects all staff to give effective feedback

• Continually reflects and works flexibly with all students and their families

• Gives all teachers the responsibility to know their PP students and to speak to them first every lesson

• Everyone in the school community shares a responsibility to PP students

• Works holistically

• Collects evidence of impact