Pupil Premium
‘There comes a point where we need to just stop pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out where they are falling in’ – Desmund Tutu.
‘Everything is Possible’ - At Callington Community College we believe that every child, regardless of their background, should be able to fulfil their academic potential and go on to thrive. We are committed to delivering a high-quality knowledge-rich curriculum with enrichment that expands across year groups and subjects, as we know that this is the most effective way to support deep, future-facing learning. Working within the wider vision of Westcountry Schools Trust (WeST), we will ensure that every child can read at or beyond age-related expectation so they can access an adaptive and responsive curriculum.
We take a multifaceted approach which aims to support students within a wider community context extending from the classroom, the playground, and the canteen to the home.
Our strategy is driven by diagnostics, careful implementation, and evidential research to ensure that impact is high and sustained. At Callington we believe that Everything is Possible when children are given the right conditions to thrive. Through our Pupil Premium strategy, we aim to be the difference that defies disadvantage.
What is The Pupil Premium?
The Pupil Premium is additional funding provided by the Department for Education to enhance the education of the most socio-economically deprived students. Allocation of funding is made according to the number of students entitled to free school meals within the last six years (known as Ever 6 FSM) and children in care (known as LAC) that attend the school in Years 7-11. There is also additional Pupil Premium funding (known as the Service Premium) for any student who has or has had within the last four years a parent in the armed forces (known as Ever 4 Service).
Do you think your child is eligible for free school meals? If so, click here.
Why do schools and colleges receive Pupil Premium funding?
Pupil premium is funding to improve education outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in schools in England. Evidence shows that disadvantaged children often do not perform as well as other pupils. This is because they can face additional challenges which can include poor language and communication skills, lack of confidence and issues with attendance and punctuality. The pupil premium is intended to benefit the children who are eligible, helping to narrow the gap between them and their classmates.
How should the Pupil Premium funding be used to benefit students?
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) recommends that schools particularly focus their pupil premium on supporting high-quality teaching. Using pupil premium funding to improve teaching quality is the most effective way to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. By doing so, we will inevitably benefit non-eligible pupils as well.
How is Pupil Premium Funding used at Callington Community College?
| Year Group | Number of students eligible for PP funding | % of cohort |
| 7 | 43 | 21 |
| 8 | 40 | 27 |
| 9 | 39 | 28 |
| 10 | 44 | 28 |
| 11 | 51 | 29 |
| College Total | 217 |
28 (excl. P16) |
As a College, we decide on which activity to spend pupil premium funding within a 'menu of approaches’ set out by the DfE.
We have based our College approach on evidence that suggests pupil premium spending is most effective when used across 3 areas:
- high-quality teaching, such as staff professional development
- targeted academic support, such as tutoring
- wider strategies to address non-academic barriers to success in schools, such as attendance, behaviour, social and emotional support, and extra-curricular enrichment opportunities
We use our pupil premium funding where we identify the greatest need. This includes individual funding to provide access to equipment, academic support, transport, or enrichment. We recognise that academically able students from disadvantaged backgrounds are most at risk from underperforming and we will ensure that these students receive just as much focus and intervention as less academically able students.
Please refer to our Pupil Premium Strategy documents for more detailed information on how we spend our Pupil Premium allocation (Our 2022-23 Strategy will be published on 31 December 2022).
How is the College held accountable for its use of Pupil Premium Funding?
The DfE states that schools and Colleges must 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. In addition, they have to publish details online, including how much money they have been allocated, how they intend to spend it, how they spent their previous year’s allocation and how it made a difference to the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.
There is no obligation for schools and colleges to consult parents and carers about how they use the money they claim for eligible pupils, although some schools may involve parents.
Is my child eligible for Pupil Premium funding?
All children who currently qualify for free school meals based on their family circumstances are entitled to pupil premium. This applies if you receive any of the following benefits:
- Universal credit (provided you have a net income of £7400 or less)
- Income support
- Income-based jobseekers’ 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
Children who are or have been in care, and children who have a parent who is or was in the armed forces, are also entitled to pupil premium.
In addition, pupils who have qualified for free school meals on the above grounds in the past, but are no longer eligible, continue to receive pupil premium for the next six years.
Schools are responsible for recording the children who are eligible for pupil premium in their annual school census - you don't have to do anything yourself, other than making sure you return any paperwork that relates to the benefits you receive or your child's entitlement to free school meals.