Pupil premium

Ethos 

The Pupil Premium strategy at the Douay Martyrs Catholic Secondary School reflects the mission statement of our school – To create a Christ centred learning community where every individual is able to fulfil their true potential. As a staff body, we are committed to ensuring that we provide a supportive and nurturing environment which allows all our students, and especially the most vulnerable, to flourish. Our mission statement is woven into all aspects of school life, from the classroom, to policies, from the lunch hall to extra-curricular clubs.  

The Government provides academies and schools with additional funding to help reduce the inequalities and gaps in attainment between those students who are on free school meals (or have been in in the last 6 years) and their peers. This funding is called the Pupil Premium. 

Every academy and school can select how they chose to use their Pupil Premium allocation, as they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for students. Pupil Premium funding was first introduced in April 2011. It is allocated to pupils who are currently known to be eligible for free school meals or have received free school meals in the last six years, pupils who are looked after and pupils who are previously looked after (adopted from foster care) as well as Service Children. 

Please open the 'Pupil Premium strategy' attachment at the bottom of this page to see a breakdown of spending at The Douay Martyrs Catholic School.  

Eligibility for Free School Meals 

School meals are available to students in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:   

• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)  

• Income Support  

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance  

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance  

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

• The guarantee element of Pension Credit  

• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)  

• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit 

Applications to receive or check eligibility for free school meals is managed through London Grid For Learning (LGfL). The online application takes 5 minutes and, in most cases, can tell you straight away if your child can get free meals at school. Click here for further information. 

Use of the Pupil Premium Funding at The Douay Martyrs Catholic Secondary School

At The Douay Martyrs Catholic Secondary School, we are committed to going beyond narrowing the attainment gap between those who are economically advantaged and those who are not. As a school we pursue excellence for all students regardless of background or prior attainment to ensure that our young people have the qualifications, skills and attributes they need for prestigious universities, apprenticeships and jobs.  

Our Pupil Premium strategy targets teaching and learning, cultural capital and the dignity of the child; this involves working across pastoral, academic and wider school departments. We have a range of strategies which we use in accordance with these categories which support the individual needs of our students. To see more on our Pupil Premium policy, please open the attachment at the bottom of this page.

Some students, including Pupil Premium, have highly personalised challenges so it is important that we are flexible in our approaches to ensure we accommodate the needs of these students. Some examples of ways we support students in our school are listed below: 

• Regular attendance and tracking analysis 

• T&L policy which prioritises vulnerable learners  

• Pupil Premium staff working party 

• Pupil Premium surveys and case studies  

• Diagnostic and intervention for Literacy needs 

• Small group work 

• Mentoring 

• Homework support 

• Enrichment activities across the curriculum 

• Revision Sessions 

• Peer Mentors 

• Working with outside Agencies 

• Materials and equipment for students’ use in school 

• Text books 

• Revision materials 

• Support with educational trips 

• Careers Advice 

• Uniform 

• ICT needs 

• Instrumental lessons 

• Assistance in paying for school trips 

In order to maximise the effect of the additional funding, the school is utilising the best evidence that is available from The Sutton Trust and The Education Endowment Fund (who are the leaders in this field of research on how to maximise educational gain for Pupil Premium students). Parents or guardians interested in looking into the work of these two organisations may visit their web-sites at: 

www.suttontrust.com  

www.educationendownment.org.uk