Abbeyfields  is located in a diverse area of Morpeth as children that attend come from a wide range of economically diverse backgrounds. This includes a number of children who come from low income families, generational unemployment and social services involvement. We also have children from more affluent backgrounds.

Our challenge is to provide a ‘level playing field’ for our pupils to ensure we deliver equality of opportunity for all. We do this by ensuring children from low starting points are provided with the best possible support and experiences to enable them to succeed, whilst also providing for pupils who come to school more socially and academically ready. Whatever their background, we want the children to have the best experience we can give them.

We acknowledge that for some children long periods of diminished social opportunities brought upon us by Covid-19 has affected their social and personal development. We remain committed to supporting these children in school and seeking external advice and support to meet their needs. We have a number of children from Ukraine. We remain focussed on the needs of all our disadvantaged children in line with our overall policies of minimising the effects of a disrupted education for all children.

Our strategy builds on and enhances the effective strategies adopted and adapted over the last 3 or 4 years and reflects the Abbeyfields belief “Where every child is special”.  

Aims for pupil premium spend 2022-23

At Abbeyfields First School our intention is that all pupils, irrespective of their background, environment or the challenges they face, make good progress and achieve well across all subjects areas. All members of staff and Academy Councillors have high expectations and are committed to raising achievement for all children, diminishing the gap between children who are eligible for the Pupil Premium, the Service Pupil Premium grant and their peers. 

Our principles for pupil premium funding 

At Abbeyfields, we are committed to ensuring that all of our children, within all pupil groups, (boys, girls, those with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language, those from different ethnic backgrounds), regardless of their background or disadvantage, achieve and exceed their potential. We recognise that not all children who may be eligible for free school meals (FSM) are disadvantaged and equally recognise those who are not eligible for FSM may also have significant barriers to learning. 

As a school:

• Our curriculum aims to provide a variety of experiences and opportunities to develop our children who are in receipt of Pupil Premium into confident, independent, successful learners who will thrive in later life and make a positive contribution to society. 
• Leaders ensure that the funding is used to create opportunities for children to develop resilience, perseverance, self-esteem through quality, targeted pastoral care in our Thrive approach for children and families. 
• We believe that high quality teaching is at the heart of our whole school approach, focusing on areas that disadvantaged pupils require the most support. 
• We are committed to meeting the pastoral, social and academic needs of all children within a caring and nurturing environment. This is an essential, integral part of the spiritual development of the whole school community. 
• We believe a love of reading must be high profile for all our children and reading for pleasure will form part of all pupil premium discussions.
• Increased outdoor learning opportunities are provided as part of our universal offer to ensure all children have experiences to enhance in-class learning. 
• The children will benefit from opportunities to engage in additional teaching and learning opportunities and targeted support where necessary, aiming to support the learning of disadvantaged pupils, removing barriers and accessing the wider curriculum on offer.
•  Our priorities during each academic year are cohort driven and actions identified will support our disadvantaged children, within the whole class setting. 

Monitoring our pupil premium children 

We will ensure our approaches are effective by checking all disadvantaged pupils are challenged in the work they are given and that effective and appropriate intervention is given at the point it is identified and needed. Our approach is embedded in our whole school practice where all staff have responsibility for disadvantaged pupils and work to raise expectations and achievements. The designated Academy Councillor will liaise regularly with the Pupil Premium Lead and the Headteacher to verify that the Pupil Premium policy and strategy is being implemented effectively. The designated Academy Councillor will conduct termly Pupil Premium monitoring visits with the Pupil Premium Lead. The Headteacher will ensure that the needs of socially disadvantaged pupils are adequately assessed and actions addressed through termly progress meetings, their academic progress tracked, barriers to learning identified and targets and next steps set. 

• Whole school profile will identify which children fall into multiple vulnerable groups. 
• Staff have identified which children fall into lowest 20% attainment for reading.
• Staff are aware of all children in one or more than one vulnerable groups and provide appropriate support for their academic or social/emotional needs.
• Year 1 Staff have identified which children did not achieve a GLD for reading, writing and maths in Reception – all staff in year 1 are aware and support/challenge these children in lessons.
• Year 1 staff have identified which children did not achieve a GLD in Prime areas and are supporting/challenging these children in all lessons and transition times.
• PHSE session will explicitly teach expectations for behaviour, routines which will have a positive impact on learning.
• Consistent scripts are agreed and in place to support staff and children at all times.
• Ready, Respectful, Safe is used across school in lessons, assemblies, outdoor, during transition times as a teaching tool, children can articulate the significance and meaning of the words.
• Zones of regulation are used across school in lessons, assemblies, outdoor, during transition times to support children in understanding, naming and explaining their emotions and behaviours.
• The Thrive approach is embedded across school to help pupils and staff express and understand feelings and behaviours.
• Whole school Thrive profiling is used successfully to identify children who need support with their emotional development, specific action plans are in place to support children in addressing any interruptions in development.
• Where children in receipt of the SPP (Service Pupil Premium) are identified as needing additional pastoral support, this will be discussed with parents and appropriate provision will be made.
• Elements of safeguarding are embedded across the curriculum and explored, referred to regularly to consolidate understanding.

• Pupil voice sessions will demonstrate that the children feel happy and safe at school
• Quality of education observations will capture engagement in lessons for disadvantaged pupils
• Children in receipt of the PP and SPP will access wider school activities such as visits, clubs, PE/yoga and residential (Y4)
• Additional ‘Fun Foodies’ club for children in receipt of PP and SPP funding will support children in food preparation and hygiene, healthy lifestyle and the eatwell plate, life skills and vocabulary
• Increased forest school and outdoor learning will provide children in receipt of PP and SPP funding with essential life skills, social skills and vocabulary

• Pupil Premium children will achieve in line with their peers on the phonics check, meeting national expectations.
• The % of pupil premium children achieving reading standard at the end of Reception is in line with their non-disadvantaged peers.
• Regular whole school assessments for RWI will group children according to their ability for specific teaching of reading.
• Targeted interventions will address gaps in reading attainment for the lowest 20% readers across the school.
• Children who are within the lowest 20% readers will read with PP lead in addition to classroom staff and RWI teachers, they will be able to talk about their reading experiences, sharing their achievements and improvement points. 
• Children who are involved in targeted reading interventions show a marked improvement in engagement and success in lessons.
• Reception children will be assessed using the Nuffield Early Language programme and any gaps identified and addressed. Baseline to end of programme outcomes will be strong.

• Observations will show that all children use specific mathematical vocabulary across the maths curriculum.
• Mastery number sessions across school will show increased success in children’s understanding, knowledge, speed and fluency. 
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve and improve in line with their non-disadvantaged peers.
• Children who are involved in pre-teach sessions to support them with key objectives and associated vocabulary show a marked improvement in engagement and success in lessons.
• KS2 children who are involved in Dynamo Maths and times table rockstars will show improvement in fluency and speed having a positive impact in lessons.

• Pupil premium voice will demonstrate that the disadvantaged children can identify their strengths and areas for improvement (in themselves) and articulate future career aspirations.
• Year group pastoral plans take into account the needs of disadvantaged children and have a positive impact on their achievements and aspirations.

 1. Thrive – embed our whole school approach.

2. Outdoor Learning – enhance character education, personal development and enrich the curriculum offer

3. SEND provision – high quality golden thread that runs throughout our universal offer

Education Endowment Foundation (EEF):

Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools

Thrive:

The benefits of Thrive

1. Experience the personal and professional rewards of helping children and young people to regulate their own behaviour and learn about their emotions.
2. Reduce exclusions and improve attendance and achievement levels by helping children and young people to engage with education.
3. Strengthen links with parents and carers by offering Family Thrive courses to ensure a joined-up approach to supporting children and young people’s emotional and social needs.
4. Create a positive ethos and a consistent way to be with our children and each other

Ordinarily available provision: 

SEND : Ordinarily Available Provision | Northumberland Education 

Nasen:

North region | Nasen 

DFE behaviour guidance for Head Teachers:

Behaviour in schools guidance 

Strengthening staff subject knowledge and teaching/assessment of phonics through RWI as a result of the English Hub Review.

Strengthening the teaching and acquisition of vocabulary across all subject areas, so that all children can access the ambitious school curriculum. 

This is supported by the EEF document, ‘The Attainment Gap’ (2017), which states that the ‘Quality of teaching is the biggest driver of pupil attainment, particularly for those from a disadvantaged background’ and goes on to discuss research to support this.

Good teaching is the most important lever schools have to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Using the Pupil Premium to improve teaching quality benefits all students and has a particularly positive effect on children eligible for the Pupil Premium.’ 

EEF:   Preparing for Literacy 

We will fund teacher release time to embed key elements of guidance in school and to access Maths Hub  (GNMH) resources. Focused training on mathematical fluency and multiplication. 

Maths_guidance_KS_1_and_2.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk) 

EEF:

Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and Key Stage 1

Improving Mathematics in Key Stages 2 and 3

SEND processes and procedures have been reviewed to provide structured targeted support impacting groups and individuals.

Whole class profiling has led to detailed action planning for groups and individuals, addressing interruptions in development, supporting positive behaviour through activities such as social stories, co-regulation and lending your thinking brain. Provision is being adapted where necessary and appropriate, meeting the needs of all learners.

Thrive – impact base on evidence

Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools

We are still finding that a number of children across the school, particularly our disadvantaged pupils, need quite a structured approach to support their social and emotional needs. In some cases, whole year group and whole class referrals to inclusion and behaviour support and short term interventions have had to be implemented to support the children. Alongside this, we ensure that they have full access to their curriculum entitlement..

Strengthen and embed whole school teaching of phonics, a non negotiable focus on phonics, with rigorous assessment, tracking and teaching 

Focus upon closing the gap for the lowest 20% readers 

Embed the reading programme ‘Reading Plus’ for Year 3 pupils 

Embed reciprocal reading for Year 4 Pupils

Introduce spellzone across KS2 to support gaps in learning

EEF – ‘There is very extensive

evidence to support the use of a systematic phonics

programme with pupils in Key Stage 1. The goal is

to improve the fluency (speed) as well as accuracy of

pupils’ decoding to the point that it becomes automatic

and does not require conscious effort.’

EEF – ‘Support pupils to develop fluent reading capabilities’

Fluent readers can read quickly, accurately, and with appropriate stress and intonation.

Fluent reading supports comprehension because pupils’ cognitive resources are freed from focusing on word recognition and can be redirected towards comprehending the text.

This can be developed through:

• guided oral reading instruction — teachers model fluent reading of a text, then pupils read the same text aloud with appropriate feedback; and
• repeated reading — pupils reread a short and meaningful passage a set number of times or until they reach a suitable level of fluency.
• It is important to understand pupils’ current capabilities and teach accordingly. Most pupils will need an emphasis on developing reading fluency, but some pupils may need a focus on more basic skills, such as decoding and phonological awareness.

EEF:

Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1  

Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2

To support this we will:

Introduce fun foodie sessions to focus upon life skills, hygiene, health and safety, eatwell plate,etc.

Provide yoga sessions to develop a positive mindset, mental health, fitness and breathing.

Introduce debating club providing children with opportunities to meet peers/staff and academy councillors to discuss topical issues, supporting and extending their knowledge of the wonder world.

Introduce art club to allow children opportunities to express themselves and their feelings through a variety of media.

Introduce sports club to strengthen importance of health and fitness, success beyond academic categories, mental health, being part of a team, resilience and determination. 

Re-introduction of Year 4 residential trip (cancelled in last 3 years due to Covid-19).

Participating in sports and physical activity is also likely to have wider health and social benefits. Further evidence taken from the EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit supports that collaborative learning through such experiences have a consistently positive impact on pupils.

These actions will therefore support with addressing the barriers to learning that are linked to poor fine and gross motor skills, poor fitness and diet and children’s low self-efficacy attributes

Detailed planned assemblies which provide children with opportunities to broaden and enhance their curriculum experiences, support their personal development and acceptance and understanding of the wider world. They will learn more about British values and develop their own opinions.

Development and enhancement of outdoor learning through the effective use of the outdoor education centre, providing essential life skills beyond the classroom

Planned collaborative work with a school from the Trust,which provides children with opportunities to experience life beyond their class and school, preparing them for future experiences 

Behaviour in Schools   – Advice for Headteachers and School Staff 2022

Our behaviour policy has been re-written to reflect this guidance.

A whole school approach to teaching behaviour (Tom Bennett “Running the Room”), and in addition, restorative practice and recognition (Paul Dix “When the Adults Change..”) also form part of our research base in shaping behaviour practice in school.

As a school a greater emphasis has been placed on the teaching and assessment of phonics. Staff refresher training has begun and will be rolled out throughout the next academic year. An audit of resources has been carried out and our focus will be on addressing the gaps. SHARE meetings across the year have informed parents on the importance of phonics and the home school link has been enhanced as a result, with parents having a greater understanding of how to support, encourage and challenge children appropriately at home.

Reading for pleasure

Our ‘Reading for Pleasure’ lead provided advice and guidance for staff regarding book choice and teaching texts. ‘Must reads’ have been added to our whole school English planning; these are progressive and provide a balance within year groups and across the school. They have been selected to meet our curriculum drivers and have had a very positive impact across the school, particularly on storytimes. The children and staff are enjoying this renewed, rigorous focus. Reading Plus and reciprocal reading are in place in Key Stage 2 and have undoubtedly enhanced the provision for the children by developing their fluency and comprehension. 

SHARE meetings across the year have informed parents on the importance of reading for pleasure and the home school link has been enhanced as a result, with parents having a greater understanding of how to support, encourage and challenge children at home. We have had a greater emphasis upon reading outdoors and while this needs to be continued it is already having a positive impact. 

Maths mastery

We have continued to take part in the mastery programme through Great North Maths Hub for the past 3 years and we are about to enter the fourth year. The children, particularly disadvantaged and SEND groups, are finding this approach of great benefit to their understanding, fluency and problem solving skills in maths. As a result, we are now really seeing the benefits of the mastery approach; the children love maths, can talk about it with knowledge and understanding, and they can apply what they have learned. This is reflected in very strong outcomes for the children.

In Early Years staff are more knowledgeable about the small steps of learning that are involved within each objective and we are seeing that understanding transferred through teaching, activities and resources for children. We have also seen an increased level of staff subject knowledge, particularly in breaking down small steps and consolidating essential learning and understanding. We have also begun to develop fluency in multiplication skills which we will be continuing in the next academic year.

Thrive

We have two members of staff successfully trained as Thrive Practitioners. They have continued to disseminate CPD (professional development/training) to the staff team and the whole school approach to embedding Thrive is ongoing. This brought significant benefits to the children, particularly in supporting their well-being and self-regulation during times of huge disruption. Our adoption of the Zones of Regulation also supports this approach and when combined with Thrive, we find  this to be a powerful resource to support the children (and staff). The Thrive Lead within school has carried out some work introducing ‘Brain Science’ into our curriculum, making links with science and PHSE for children. This has had a positive effect on helping children to understand their brains, their bodies and the links with behaviour and emotions.

Subject Leadership

Curriculum development has enhanced the universal offer we have and although we accept that we will always seek to improve and adapt to need; leaders have produced a curriculum that provides a level playing field for all learners. Within each curriculum subject we have a focus on progression. We are also focusing on vocabulary and starting each unit of learning with prior learning, what the children know and remember, using a Flashback 4 activity to recall learning from previous sessions; all of these strategies are having an impact and while we acknowledge that they need consolidating they are supporting us in closing the gap for our disadvantaged pupils.      

Small group and 1-1 interventions

Obviously numbers of pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, varied in school during the periods of lockdown. Once school opened more widely, small group and 1:1 interventions became more viable and we are continuing to focus on this. Focus was given to gaps in phonics, stamina for writing and pre-teaching in maths and this has been very successful. We have continued to address the needs of all children through quality first teaching. The Covid-19 recovery budget was spent on the tutoring programme, helping to close the gap for disadvantaged children. We have also benefited from using programs and schemes which are helping us address gaps in learning, (for example, Times Tables Rock Stars).

Health and well-being for pupils and staff

Thrive and Zones of Regulation massively supported the children during lockdown and we are continuing to see the positive impact. Staff and children are now using the vocabulary of ‘I wonder, I notice, I imagine’ giving reassurance to the children who felt that their concerns and actions were being understood. We reviewed marking and feedback once again, removing the need for any written feedback, much preferring ‘in the moment’ and instant feedback. Much more effective and manageable. The Abbeyfields Well-Being Plan continued to support both pupil and staff well-being through a variety of actions such as a reduction of staff meeting times and re introduction of fun days, visitors in school, theme weeks, trips and visits, including our residential trip in Year 4 after a 3 year break due to Covid-19..  

Attendance/punctuality

Needless to say, parents are still apprehensive about illness as a result of Covid-19 and are therefore sometimes overly cautious about keeping children at home if they show any small signs of being unwell. We did see a rise in leave of absence requests due to ‘life returning to normal’ and families making the most of meeting family and visiting overseas once again.

Our pupil premium strategy this academic year will be supplemented by additional activity that is not being funded by pupil premium or recovery premium. 

This will include:

• RWI whole school training for all staff including 1-1 tutoring and lowest 20% readers
• reading for pleasure focus across school and a review of teaching texts in line with our curriculum drivers
• access to the schools library service to supplement and enhance the books we have on offer across the curriculum
• engagement with mastering number programme with Great North Maths Hub. Our PTA, Friends of Abbeyfields, have donated additional funds for maths equipment
• joint, focussed CPD project with another Trust first school to support subject leaders and curriculum development
• development of pastoral plans across the school to ensure all pupils, including disadvantaged and SEND, benefit from wider opportunities to complement and enhance their core learning 
• Thrive and Brain Science
• maximise the use of our new Outdoor Education Centre to include curriculum delivery in subjects such as science, geography field skills and design technology
• PP pupil voice session carried out in the autumn term to allow pupils the opportunity to discuss their ‘Fun Foodies’ experiences (PP lead and academy councillor)
• to support subject leaders and PP lead – we will continue to carry out termly teacher assessment of PP premium pupils in their well being, also in core subjects (years 1-4) and Prime Areas, literacy and maths (EYS)
• PP lead hearing children read – focus on those who are in receipt of the PP funding and are also in the lowest 20% readers