Research School Network: Pupil Premium Strategy Statement, Where to start? As we move our attention to next year, it is a prudent time to start to think about our Pupil Premium Strategy Statement

As we start to move our attention to the next academic year, it is a prudent time to start to think about our Pupil Premium Strategy Statements and how we identify challenges and activity. As always it makes the most sense to begin with how we accurately identify the challenges for the disadvantaged learners that we serve in our contexts. Some useful questions to think about regarding this are outlined below:

• Are the challenges rooted in recent assessments and observations?
• Are they drawing on a range of sources?
• Are they reflective of teacher experiences?
• Do they include academic, personal development and pastoral issues?
• Are issues such as quality of teaching and consistency of leadership acknowledged?
• Are challenges underlying causes or symptoms?

This section requires a fine tooth comb of diagnostic assessments and observations. To use the famous Marc Rowland quote ​‘assessment over assumption’. This is the time at which we need to assess the needs of the children that we serve and not make assumptions about the impact socio-economic factors are having on our disadvantaged learners.

Following this accurate diagnosis we can then move our thinking on to the activity section of the statement. We must first of all think about how we are addressing the aforementioned challenges. Alongside this we need to think about the below questions:

• Is the activity informed by research evidence?
• Does it promote social inclusion?
• Is the amount of activity manageable? Is there too much?
• Do we have a plan to ensure the approaches are implemented well?

I have been fortunate enough to listen to Marc speak about tackling educational disadvantage, He suggests that in order to effectively address disadvantage we need:

• To understand how low family income impacts on pupils’ learning, wellbeing and personal development.
• To be committed to helping pupils and adults thrive.
• Develop a strength based discourse around our community.
• Focus on what is in the school’s gift.
• Focus on doing things well.

To exemplify this further please see an example that Marc and I use when supporting schools with tackling educational disadvantage. Wilbury Primary School understands their context extremely well and highlight the nuance of how the previously mentioned questions might look in both the challenge and activity sections of the statement. Their full strategy statement is available here.