Pupil Premium Strategy 2016-17

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The Four Dwellings Primary Academy is a 2 form entry school serving the community of Quinton in South-West Birmingham.  The school is organised into 4 distinct phases; Foundation Stage for our 3-5 year olds, Key Stage 1 for children aged 5-7 years, Lower Key Stage 2 for 7-9 years and Upper Key Stage 3 for 9-11 years.

We have high aspirations and ambitions for our children and we believe that no child should be left behind.  We strongly believe that it is not about where you come from but your passion and thirst for knowledge, and your dedication and commitment to learning that make the difference between success and failure, and we are determined to ensure that our children are given every chance to realise their full potential.  Pupil Premium funding represents a significant proportion of our budget and we are committed to ensuring it is spent to maximum effect.  We believe that one of the biggest barriers for children can be poverty of expectation and so are determined to create a climate that does not limit a child’s potential in any way.

Our school motto “Dream, Drive, Duty, Dazzle” reflects our high expectations of the whole school community and we aim to be an optimistic school in every respect.

Our allocation:

Our population (as of September 2016):

A summary of the main barriers to educational achievement faced by eligible pupils of the school:

The school is located in an area of high social deprivation and has a high percentage of children who are eligible for FSM, which brings some complex challenges.  However, staff are committed to ensuring that these challenges are mitigated so that all pupils can reach their full potential. We believe there is no “one size fits all” so it is essential that we identify individual barriers in order to provide personalised targeted support so that our children can flourish.

When making decisions about using Pupil Premium funding it is important to consider the context of the school and the subsequent challenges faced. Common barriers for disadvantaged children can be less support at home, weak language and communication skills, lack of confidence, more frequent behaviour difficulties, attendance and punctuality issues.  There may also be complex family situations that prevent children from flourishing.  The challenges are varied.  Our key objective in using Pupil Premium funding is to narrow the attainment gap against the national comparator.

Through targeted interventions we are working to eliminate barriers to learning and progress. For children who start school with low attainment on entry, our aim is to ensure that they make accelerated progress in order to reach at least the age related expectations and as they move through the school.

How the school will measure the impact and effect of its expenditure of the pupil premium allocation

The school’s evaluation of its own performance is rigorous. Tracking of progress over time for each pupil is thorough, so we can quickly identify any dips and develop sensible strategies and interventions to promote improvements.  The impact of interventions is analysed regularly, with impact reports produced to enable us to evaluate value-for-money and appropriateness of the interventions chosen.

In 2017 we will use a range of data to analyse impact of spending:

Data

• EYFS data – GLD and % at expected level in Reading, Writing and Number

• Year 1 Phonics outcomes

• Year 2 Phonics outcomes

• Key Stage 1 data

• Key Stage 2 data

Plus:

Outcomes of observations, work scrutinies, learning walks

Views of children, families, staff and governors

Intervention analysis

Attendance and exclusion data

Analysis of behaviour logs

Analysis of lunchtime detention log

The school’s next review of its pupil premium strategy is planned for Summer 2017