Closing the Attainment Gap for Disadvantaged Pupils
HSLC is committed to providing the best possible education for all pupils, based on equality of opportunity, fairness and an inclusive ethos. In pursuit of this, and with regard to the education of pupils identified as Disadvantaged Pupils, HSLC is committed to working to overcome socio-economic factors – or any other external factor – which may hinder pupil progress and attainment, and ultimately affect life chances.
What is the Pupil Premium Grant (PPG)?
The Pupil Premium Grant began in 2011 for children eligible for free school meals, children whose parents serve in the armed forces and looked after children; its purpose was to close the attainment gap between these groups and their peers. In 2013 the DfE introduced Pupil Premium Plus for looked after and previously looked after children. In doing this, the DfE acknowledged the enduring impact of trauma and loss in children's lives and the key role of schools in supporting children who have had a difficult start in life.
Allocation of Funding
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. The Pupil Premium Grant is not allocated on the basis of a being a personal budget for individual children. It is the responsibility of the school to manage the Pupil Premium allocation for the benefit of this group. As such, there is scope for Pupil Premium funding to be utilised in a variety of different ways in terms of individual, group and school wide initiatives. Some funding will be allocated from the overall Pupil Premium budget for the provision of additional staff who will provide additional services in school. This funding will also support a universal entitlement to these services. All funding allocated in this way will be calculated on a pro-rata basis amongst all of the pupils in receipt of the Pupil Premium Grant
HSLC's Use of the Pupil Premium Grant
Further information on the range of ways HSLC uses the PPG can be found in these policies:
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.