Research School Network: IN PERSON TRAINING EVENT: Bridging the Gap Day One: Creating a Pupil Premium Strategy

This course equips school leaders with the knowledge, tools, and strategic clarity to use Pupil Premium funding purposefully and effectively. Rooted in evidence and guided by the DfE strategy template and EEF’s tiered approach, the course helps leaders design coherent, measurable plans that respond to real barriers faced by pupils in their communities.

As part of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to join or build a local Pupil Premium network to support ongoing collaboration beyond the sessions. You’ll gain access to practical timelines, audit tools, and strategy templates to guide your planning process. Throughout the course, you’ll receive structured support to begin refining or building your Pupil Premium strategy. You’ll leave equipped with the tools, frameworks, and evidence needed to develop a fully mapped implementation plan that is achievable, research-informed, and aligned with national expectations.

> Understanding disadvantage in your context – using local data and diagnostic tools to identify real needs
> Challenging deficit narratives – adopting language, culture, and expectations that reflect the assets of pupils and families
> Mastering the DfE strategy template – aligning funding, strategy, and outcomes in a way that is transparent and impactfulUsing diagnostic assessment meaningfully – surfacing actual, not assumed, barriers to progress
> Evidence-informed classroom strategies – using resources from Marc Rowland and the EEF to support teaching that closes gapsCase studies from local and national practice – highlighting effective implementation and common pitfalls
> Building effective implementation plans – guided by the EEF’s implementation framework
> Creating measurable outcomes – supporting robust delivery, evaluation and impact review
> Access to high-quality video content, curated research, and practical tools for immediate use.