Research School Network: The Key Components of an Effective Pupil Premium Strategy An effective Pupil Premium strategy has a clear narrative running through it, with clear components
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The Key Components of an Effective Pupil Premium Strategy
An effective Pupil Premium strategy has a clear narrative running through it, with clear components
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by Unity Research School
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Marc Rowland, Unity Research School Director
An effective Pupil Premium strategy has a clear narrative running through it, with the following components:
1. The intent statement should set out the schools’ ambitions for disadvantaged pupils, and how they will be achieved. It should not be written for Ofsted. It should reflect the schools’ ambitions for its community.
2. The challenges should be rooted in assessment and observation, with rigorous thought and time given to give a rich picture of how disadvantage impacts on learning, and where provision needs to be even better. The challenges should be written in neutral, non judgemental language.
3. The intended outcomes should link closely to the challenges, and include a range of short, medium and long-term outcomes, using qualitative and quantitative measures. Avoid conflating activity with impact. Be precise about the intended outcomes, don’t leave them vague.
4. The activity in the plan should be evidence rich – and the evidence that underpins the activity should be given detailed consideration. Evidence should be used to inform decision making, not justify it. It supplements professional judgement and knowledge of community. The activity should address issues identified in the challenges section.
5. The evaluation model should be carried out in a dispassionate way. Evaluation is to improve the experiences of pupils in the classroom. Not all strategies will be as effective as we might like. Evaluation is key to ongoing improvement.
Strategy into practice…
6. Joining the dots between inclusive teaching and the impact of disadvantage on learners is key to success. Involving practitioners in the development of strategy at the point of design supports effective implementation. Practitioners can mitigate or compound disadvantage based on small variations in practice in the classroom. A reference group that can support effective implementation.
7. Disadvantage pupils thrive when expert leaders spent lots of time in classrooms, with a view supporting practitioners and pupils to achieve personal excellence. When there is a clear understanding of the link between inclusive teaching and learning and disadvantage. Disadvantaged pupils thrive when practitioners are thriving.
8. A Pupil Premium strategy should be something that is enacted precisely, not a vague wish list of things that might happen. Doing more stuff rarely helps.
9. Addressing disadvantage is only possible with clear routines, consistent boundaries and stability of experience. This is far more important than trying to backfill. Enrichment or intervention cannot compensate for disrupted learning. They only work if they are additional. A stable, consistent learning experience enables relationships to thrive and leaders to meet need. It provides the conditions for pupils to develop and thrive in every sense of the word. The impact of disadvantage on pupils’ learning is less prominent when the quality of education is strong.
10. Building a collective understanding and collective responsibility takes time – and doesn’t happen just because we want it to.
