Pupil Premium Vision

Our ambition is that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, receives an excellent education, develops strong foundations for lifelong learning, and feels safe, valued and successful in school.

We recognise that disadvantage is often complex and cumulative. Many pupils face barriers including low attendance, speech and language delay, limited early learning experiences, social and emotional challenges, adverse childhood experiences, and financial hardship. Therefore, our strategy is built upon the principle that the most effective way to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils is through exceptional provision for all, complemented by carefully targeted support where needed.

Our approach aligns with evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation and reflects our commitment to creating a school culture where high expectations, consistency, strong relationships and inclusion underpin every decision.

Key Principles

1. High-Quality Teaching is the Priority

The greatest lever for improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils is high-quality teaching.

Pupil Premium funding will primarily support:

• Consistently strong classroom practice across the school.
• A well-sequenced, knowledge-rich CUSP curriculum.
• Effective adaptive teaching.
• High-quality assessment.
• Strong behaviour and learning routines.
• Staff professional development.
• High expectations for every pupil.

We reject the notion that disadvantaged pupils require a different curriculum. Instead, they require excellent teaching, delivered consistently, with appropriate scaffolds and support to enable success.

Every classroom should provide:

• Clear routines.
• Explicit instruction.
• High-quality modelling.
• Regular retrieval practice.
• Vocabulary-rich texts and environments.
• Opportunities for talk and discussion.
• Consistent behaviour expectations.
• High levels of challenge with appropriate support.

2. Provision for All Before Intervention for Some

Interventions cannot compensate for weak universal provision.

Before additional intervention is considered, leaders will ensure that:

• Classroom teaching is effective.
• Learning barriers have been accurately identified.
• Attendance concerns have been addressed.
• Families are engaged.
• Appropriate classroom adaptations have been implemented.

Targeted interventions will supplement, not replace, quality first teaching.

3. Relationships Drive Improvement

Many families within our community have experienced disadvantage, trauma, exclusion or negative experiences of education.

Strong, respectful and empathetic relationships are therefore central to school improvement.

We will:

• Build trust with families.
• Maintain regular communication.
• Adopt a strengths-based approach.
• Reduce barriers to engagement.
• Celebrate success frequently.
• Ensure families feel welcomed and respected.

Children learn best when they feel known, understood and valued.

4. The Whole Child Matters

Attendance, behaviour and achievement cannot be viewed separately from children’s emotional wellbeing.

Pupils must feel:

• Safe
• Regulated
• Connected
• Supported
• Successful

We recognise that emotional safety is a prerequisite for academic success.

Funding will support approaches that:

• Promote emotional wellbeing
• Strengthen pastoral provision
• Develop resilience
• Support mental health
• Improve self-regulation
• Create positive experiences of school

When pupils feel emotionally secure and experience success, attendance improves and engagement in learning increases.

Strategic Priorities

Priority 1: Improve attendance through belonging, safety and family partnership

Rationale

Persistent absence disproportionately affects disadvantaged pupils and significantly reduces educational outcomes.

Evidence within our context indicates that attendance improves when pupils:

• Feel safe in school.
• Have trusted adults.
• Experience success.
• Develop positive peer relationships.
• Belong to a supportive school community.

Actions

• Establish a culture where every day in school matters.
• Develop strong relationships between families and school staff.
• Use early identification of attendance concerns.
• Provide pastoral support for vulnerable pupils.
• Implement attendance mentoring.
• Celebrate improved attendance.
• Reduce practical barriers where possible.
• Ensure transitions are carefully managed.

Intended Outcomes

• Improved overall attendance.
• Reduced persistent absence.
• Increased engagement in learning.
• Improved parental engagement.

Priority 2: Strengthen High-Quality Teaching Across the School

Rationale

Research consistently demonstrates that high-quality teaching has the greatest impact on pupil outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged learners.

Actions

• Invest in evidence-informed professional development.
• Develop instructional coaching.
• Improve curriculum implementation.
• Embed explicit teaching approaches.
• Strengthen formative assessment.
• Ensure consistency in routines and expectations.
• Improve subject knowledge and pedagogy.

Intended Outcomes

• Improved teaching quality.
• Greater consistency between classes.
• Improved attainment across all subjects.
• Reduced attainment gaps.

Priority 3: Develop Consistency Across the School

Rationale

Children experiencing disadvantage often benefit most from predictable environments, clear expectations and consistent adult responses.

Consistency reduces cognitive load, increases feelings of safety and allows pupils to focus on learning.

Actions

• Establish consistent classroom routines.
• Implement a shared behaviour approach.
• Use common language for learning.
• Embed whole-school expectations.
• Develop consistent approaches to feedback and assessment.
• Ensure expectations remain high for all pupils.

Intended Outcomes

• Improved behaviour for learning.
• Increased pupil confidence.
• Improved engagement and attendance.
• Greater staff effectiveness.

Priority 4: Strengthen Foundational Skills

Rationale

Many disadvantaged pupils enter school with lower levels of literacy, communication and early mathematical understanding.

Strong foundations are essential for future success.

Actions

Reading

• Prioritise early reading.
• Deliver high-quality phonics.
• Provide regular reading practice.
• Develop reading fluency.
• Increase access to books.

Writing

• Explicitly teach vocabulary and language structures.
• Strengthen sentence construction.
• Develop oral rehearsal before writing.

Mathematics

• Secure number sense.
• Develop fluency.
• Use concrete and pictorial representations.
• Address misconceptions promptly.

Intended Outcomes

• Improved phonics outcomes.
• Improved reading fluency.
• Stronger writing outcomes.
• Increased mathematical confidence and attainment.

Priority 5: Prioritise Speech and Language Development in EYFS

Rationale

Speech, language and communication underpin learning across the curriculum.

In areas of significant deprivation, many children enter Reception with language skills below age-related expectations.

Language development is therefore one of the most important investments the school can make.

Actions

• Create language-rich environments.
• Prioritise high-quality adult-child interactions.
• Explicitly teach vocabulary.
• Develop opportunities for sustained shared thinking.
• Implement evidence-based speech and language interventions where appropriate.
• Strengthen partnership with speech and language services.
• Support parents in developing communication at home.
• Use stories, songs, rhyme and structured talk throughout the day.

Intended Outcomes

• Improved oral language skills.
• Increased vocabulary acquisition.
• Improved listening and attention.
• Better readiness for Key Stage 1.
• Improved literacy outcomes over time.

Priority 6: Deliver Effective Targeted Interventions

Rationale

Targeted interventions can be effective when they are carefully selected, precisely delivered and linked to identified needs.

Interventions should:

• Address specific barriers.
• Be evidence-informed.
• Be time-limited.
• Include entry and exit assessments.
• Complement classroom learning.

Areas of Focus

• Reading fluency.
• Phonics.
• Oral language.
• Numeracy.
• Social and emotional development.
• Attendance support.

Intended Outcomes

• Accelerated progress for identified pupils.
• Improved confidence and engagement.
• Reduction in learning gaps.

Learning Environment

Rationale

The environment communicates expectations.

A calm, purposeful and welcoming environment supports learning, behaviour and wellbeing.

We Will Ensure

• Classrooms are orderly and purposeful.
• Learning resources are accessible.
• Vocabulary is visible and celebrated.
• Reading is promoted throughout the school.
• Displays support learning rather than distract from it.
• Shared spaces reflect pride and aspiration.

Intended Outcomes

• Increased pupil engagement.
• Improved behaviour.
• Greater sense of belonging.
• Enhanced learning culture.

Success Measures

By the end of the strategy period we aim to see:

Attendance

• Sustained improvement in overall attendance.
• Reduction in persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils.

Personal Development

• Improved pupil wellbeing indicators.
• Increased pupil sense of belonging and safety.
• Improved behaviour and engagement.

EYFS

• Increased proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving expected levels in communication and language.
• Improved early literacy and numeracy outcomes.

Reading, Writing and Mathematics

• Improved attainment and progress.
• Narrowing of gaps between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.
• Increased proportions of pupils achieving age-related expectations.

Teaching and Learning

• Consistently strong teaching across the school.
• Effective implementation of curriculum and assessment.
• Embedded whole-school consistency in routines and expectations.

Conclusion

This strategy recognises that improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils is not achieved through isolated interventions alone. Sustainable improvement comes from exceptional teaching, strong relationships, high expectations, consistent practice, effective early intervention and a deep commitment to understanding the whole child.

By ensuring pupils feel safe, valued and successful, strengthening foundational skills from the earliest years, and working in genuine partnership with families, we will create the conditions in which all children can attend, achieve and thrive.

PE and Sports Premium

At St Margaret Mary Catholic Primary School we recognise the value of sports and physical activity in ensuring that children lead active, healthy and happy lives. 

PE and Sport provide our children with opportunities to develop the important qualities of self-control, determination, communication, team work and commitment. This should lead to improved concentration, attitude and achievement in all aspects of their personal development.

We have welcomed the Government’s additional funding to improve provision of PE and Sport in primary schools. We are committed to using this funding to enhance our provision of high quality PE, both within and beyond the curriculum and to add to our existing resources.