: Empowering Every Teacher Crafting a Pupil Premium Strategy for All Staff

In the UK, the Pupil Premium is a valuable funding resource provided to schools to help close the achievement gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) offers an essential tool for school leaders: the EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium. This guide serves as a framework for planning, implementing, and evaluating pupil premium strategies, ensuring that resources are used effectively to support the educational attainment of disadvantaged students.

At Front Lawn Primary we believe that an effective pupil premium strategy should involve all staff members, from senior leadership to classroom teachers and support staff. Collaboration is key to ensuring that resources are used effectively and that all students benefit from the interventions put in place. In this blog, we’ll explore how schools can plan an effective pupil premium strategy using the EEF guide and how involving staff at every level can make a significant impact.

Identify and Understand the Needs of Your Pupils
The first step in creating a pupil premium strategy is to assess and understand the academic performance, attendance, behaviour, and wellbeing of your children. The EEF encourages schools to use a range of data sources and here we make sure we include all members of staff.

• Collaboration with Teachers and Support Staff: Teachers should be actively involved in identifying the needs of disadvantaged pupils through classroom observations, formative assessments and feedback. They can contribute to discussions in staff meetings where pupil progress is reviewed and share insights about individual students’ strengths and barriers
• Consulting with Pastoral and Support Staff: Involve pastoral staff, SENCOs, and teaching assistants in the process of gathering data on students’ academic performance, attendance, and well-being. Their input is essential in providing a holistic understanding of the barriers disadvantaged pupils may face, such as social, emotional or behavioural challenges
• Surveys and Feedback from Students: Teachers and support staff can collaborate on creating surveys for students to gather feedback on their learning experiences, challenges, and aspirations. This student voice is invaluable in shaping targeted strategies

Implement a Whole-School Approach
The EEF recommends that the pupil premium strategy should not be seen as a collection of isolated interventions. Instead, it should be part of a broader, whole-school approach. All staff must be involved in supporting disadvantaged pupils, from classroom teachers to support staff, to office staff to senior leaders. Here are some of the strategies we use:

• Whole-School Strategy Meetings: Hold regular strategy meetings where staff from all areas — teaching, leadership, pastoral care, and support — discuss the overarching pupil premium strategy and its implementation. These meetings can help to ensure that everyone understands their role in supporting disadvantaged pupils
• Creating Pupil Premium Champions: Appoint staff members from different departments or year groups as ​‘Pupil Premium Champions.’ These individuals can advocate for and lead the charge in ensuring pupil premium strategies are implemented consistently across the school
• Inclusive Staff Briefings: Ensure all staff members, including non-teaching staff (e.g., admin, caretakers), are informed about the pupil premium cohort and its significance. This builds a sense of shared responsibility in supporting these students

Evaluate and Adapt Your Strategy
An essential component of the EEF’s guide is the need for schools to evaluate the effectiveness of their pupil premium strategy. Schools should use regular data to assess the impact of their interventions, ask questions like:

• Are pupils making academic progress in line with targets?
• Are behavioural issues improving?
• Is there a noticeable improvement in attendance and engagement?

The evaluation process allows schools to adapt their strategies and ensure that funds are being used effectively. If certain interventions aren’t working, schools should be willing to pivot and explore different approaches. Effective evaluation involves:

• Data Sharing and Reflection: Ensure that staff regularly engage in discussions about data. Teachers can attend regular meetings to analyse the academic progress, attendance, and behaviour of pupil premium students. Sharing data transparently allows all staff to reflect on the strategy’s effectiveness and identify areas for improvement
• Feedback from Teachers and Support Staff: Teachers and support staff should be encouraged to provide feedback on the interventions they are involved in. For example, TAs who are working with small groups can share their observations about what methods are effective and where adjustments might be necessary
• Collaborative Reflection: Organise feedback sessions where staff members from various departments share their experiences with interventions and suggest adaptations. This allows the school to adjust its approach as needed, ensuring that pupil premium strategies remain flexible and responsive to the needs of the pupils

Ensure Sustainability
For long-term success, your pupil premium strategy should not only address immediate challenges but also create sustainable improvements. This includes investing in strategies that will continue to benefit disadvantaged pupils beyond the current academic year. Staff development, the embedding of good practices, and a consistent focus on quality teaching are all essential for long-term impact.

Planning a successful pupil premium strategy requires careful thought, a commitment to evidence-based interventions, and a whole-school approach. The EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium offers an invaluable framework for schools, helping leaders design and implement strategies that can make a real difference in the lives of disadvantaged pupils.

By including all staff, focusing on high-quality teaching, targeted interventions, and ongoing evaluation, schools can use pupil premium funding in a way that maximises its impact, ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to succeed.