Detail

Data

School name

Walton Leigh

Number of pupils in school

88

Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils

24%

Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers (3 year plans are recommended)

2022/2023 to

2024/2025

Date this statement was published

October 2022

Date on which it will be reviewed

July 2023

Statement authorised by

Mark Bryant

Executive Headteacher

Pupil premium lead

Annie Paget

Governor / Trustee lead

Lisa Kent

Detail

Amount

Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year

£18,050

Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable)

£0

Total budget for this academic year

If your school is an academy in a trust that pools this funding, state the amount available to your school this academic year

£18,050

Our aim is to use pupil premium funding to help us achieve and sustain positive outcomes for our most disadvantaged pupils. Considering their SEND, socio-economic disadvantage is not always the primary challenge our pupils face, however in our experience socio-economic can often impact on our pupils wider outcomes when compared to their peers particularly in terms of:

• Progress in the four key areas of Communication, language and literacy, cognition, social and emotional and physical and sensory
• Emotional wellbeing and mental health
• Social opportunities

At the heart of our approach is to provide high-quality individualised support focused on the priority areas above. The areas that our most disadvantaged pupils require it most.  Individualised targeted support is based on robust diagnostic assessment of need in these priority areas, and the aim of supporting pupils to make progress from identified starting points.

Although our strategy is focused on the needs of our most disadvantaged pupils, it will benefit all pupils in our school where funding is spent on whole-school approaches. Implicit in the intended outcomes detailed below, is the intention that outcomes for non-disadvantaged pupils will improve alongside progress for their disadvantaged peers.

Our strategy is integral to wider school plans for supporting pupil progress in the four key areas of their EHCP including communication skills development as well as their social and emotional health and wellbeing. Our Pupil Premium strategy is also a key part of our general Covid recovery response focused as it is on pupil progress, social and emotional health and opportunities to engage and learn in the local community.

Our strategy is driven by the needs and strengths of our most disadvantaged pupils, and is based on both formal and informal initial assessments, not assumptions or labels. This will help us to ensure that we offer them the relevant individual support to enable them to make progress in key areas of focus.

Challenge number

Detail of challenge

1

Our assessments, observations and discussions with pupils show that disadvantaged pupils are likely to have emotional and mental health issues that often prove a significant barrier to engagement, learning and wellbeing

2

Through observations and conversations with pupils and their families, we find that disadvantaged pupils often require significant support to develop personal and social skills and generally have fewer opportunities to engage and experience in social opportunities

3

Our assessments, observations and discussions with pupils and families demonstrate that the education, wellbeing and wider development of many of our disadvantaged pupils have been impacted by the pandemic to a greater extent than for mainstream pupils. These findings are backed up by several national studies (https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/disadvantaged-children-and-those-with-send-lost-most-learning-in-first-lockdown-research-shows)

  Intended outcome

  Success criteria

Pupils are happy and engaged in all aspects of the school day in a calm and positive manner

Through achievement of improved progress, as demonstrated by social and emotional targets in ILPs and our end of year assessments and at the end of our strategy in 2024/25.

Through observations and discussions with staff, pupils and their families.

Pupils benefit from positive engagement in social opportunities

Through observations and discussions with staff, pupils and their families (and social care staff as appropriate)

Improved progress for pupils in the four key areas of:

• Communication, language and literacy
• Cognition
• Personal, social and emotional
• Physical and sensory

Through achievement of improved progress, as demonstrated by ILPs and our end of year assessments.

Positive responses from staff, pupils and parents in relation to pupils individual progress

Activity

Budgeted cost: £4,050

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

Additional two days of Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) input

Total cost: £7,059

We have observed through our work with students and their families that many of them, because of their SEND and individual circumstances have significant emotional issues, stress, anxiety and poor mental health. This often creates significant barriers to engagement, learning and positive wellbeing. The deployment of additional ELSA support will enable us to help more of our students to improve their emotional wellbeing, engage and learn.

1,3

Activity

Budgeted cost: £10,000

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

One day of music therapy

Total cost: £14,325

Many of our pupils have sensory needs which impacts on their auditory processing and other sensory-motor, perceptual/ motor, gross and fine motor skills.  All of these can be enhanced through music therapy and support the students to  develop communication and physical skills and support positive emotional wellbeing

1,2,3

Activity

Budgeted cost: £2,000

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

Additional social activities and opportunities to support development of social skills, self-esteem, confidence  and independence  

We have observed that compared to their mainstream peers, many of our pupils have restricted social opportunities.  Very often, this negatively affects their social skill development, independence, confidence, self-esteem and emotional health.  By offering a programme of social activities, we will support students to develop socially and emotionally.

1,2,3

Activity

Budgeted cost: £2,000

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

After school social club once a month to support development of social skills with peers, give students social opportunities outside of school to support development of social skills, self-esteem, confidence  and independence  

We have observed that compared to their mainstream peers, many of our pupils have restricted social opportunities.  Very often, this negatively affects their social skill development, independence, confidence, self-esteem and emotional health.  By offering a monthly after-school social club, we will support students to develop friendships, socialise outside of school with these friends and promote their social and emotional development.

1,2,3

Walton Leigh School Pupil Premium 2021-2022

Money allocated £22,790

This money was spent on:

• Additional 2 days of ELSA input - £7,737
• Additional day of Music Therapy - £13,455
• Additional social activities promoting engagement, increased confidence and self-esteem - £1,598

Additional 2 days of ELSA input

More students have been able to access sessions with our Emotional Literacy Support Assistant.  Students were given time and space to engage with their thoughts and feels with individual support from an ELSA trained member of staff.  Supporting our student’s emotional wellbeing has helped then to be happy and engaged in school and their learning and feel safe to talk.

See case study

Additional day of Music Therapy

We funded an additional day of music therapy to enable more students access to music therapy and the benefits it provides  Music therapy has enhance auditory processing, created a safe space for communication and expression and supported emotional engagement and wellbeing of our students. 

See case study.

Additional social activities promoting engagement, increased confidence and self-esteem

Students with severe learning difficulties find it hard to access social activities in the community.  Providing a variety of different activities for the students to experience and engage in has promoted enjoyment, engagement with peers, confidence and communication.  Examples of activities the students have taken part in – Zoo Lab, Visiting Farm, Magician Show, Electric Umbrella music show and Music in Hospitals.

See case study

Measure

Details

How did you spend your £310 service pupil premium allocation last academic year?

We supported the significant emotional needs for our eligible student by scheduling daily individual sessions with a member of staff where the pupil was able to process their day and discuss their emotional state and plan for any challenges coming up.  We allocated their service funds to purchase art materials that provided an enjoyable art activity to focus on during the sessions

What was the impact of that spending on service pupil premium eligible pupils?

This provided support for managing the emotional needs of the student and over time during the year, they became more aware of their own emotional state, calmer and more able to stay in class for longer periods and then the whole day.

Measure

Details

How did you spend your £1,200 LAC pupil premium allocation last academic year?

Last year 2 pupils received LAC pupil premium additional support.  Items were purchased to support pupils interested, sensory needs and to help support their ILP targets as well as funding towards a Home School Liaison Worker.

Pupil A:   Sensory equipment and sensory products

Pupil B:  Sporting equipment

What was the impact of that spending on service pupil premium eligible pupils?

Pupil A:   Sensory Products - the pupil needs a high level of sensory input, so items purchased were biodegradable items that can be used inside and outside for the student to interact with and explore e.g. sand, bark chipping, foam, rice, cornflakes, lentils, flour.  All these items can only be used once, so a high quantity is needed.   Sensory equipment like light up toys and musical items were also purchased for the student to interact with and use as turn taking with an adult as part of their ILP targets. 

Pupil B:  Sporting equipment – this pupil needs a high level of TA support and lots of movement breaks to work for a shorter period of time and then do some sporting activity.  This equipment helped the student break for sports and then re-engage with his work.  The pupil has found concentrating in the afternoons particularly difficult, so working on ILP targets through the medium of sport has help engagement with adults and learning. It also supported with ILP targets of working with a variety of staff and interacting appropriately – turn taking and requesting was used when playing different sports.