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Pupil Premium Strategy
Pupil Premium Strategy Statement
This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium funding to help improve the attainment of our disadvantaged students.
It outlines our pupil premium strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the outcomes for disadvantaged pupils last academic year.
Please find the school and funding overview linked below.
Part A: Pupil Premium Strategy Plan
Statement of Intent
At Oxted School, our intention is that all students, irrespective of their background or the challenges they face, make good progress and achieve high attainment across the curriculum. We aim for our disadvantaged students to make significant progress in line with, or exceed, those who are not disadvantaged; this includes those who are disadvantaged high attainers. Our goal is for our disadvantaged students to be offered a wide range of stimulating and enriching experiences and have the same opportunities for progression to the next stage of their education, employment and training as every other child in our school. Through our dedication to our disadvantaged students, we expect our students to achieve better at Oxted School than if they attended another school in the area.
The primary focus of our pupil premium strategy is to make the biggest difference to our students in the classroom. High-quality teaching with a relentless focus on inclusive practise is at the heart of our approach. This is proven to have the greatest impact on closing the disadvantage attainment gap and at the same time will benefit the non-disadvantaged students in our school. We have an ambitious curriculum and expect our teachers to plan and deliver high quality, challenging lessons and respond to the academic needs of our students.
The professional development of all our staff is essential in continuing to improve both the effectiveness of teaching and learning and the pastoral care at our school. Our professional development is directly linked to our whole school priorities, which are always aimed at advantaging the disadvantaged and to improve the learning of all students. Furthermore, we recognise the fundamental importance of building positive relationships with disadvantaged students and their families and achieving a school where all stakeholders are proud to belong.
Our approach to narrowing the attainment gap will be responsive to common challenges and individual needs, rooted in robust diagnostic assessment, not assumptions about the impact of disadvantage. The approaches we have adopted act to provide an appropriate balance between academic and pastoral support to help students achieve their best. To ensure they are effective we will:
- Diagnose the challenges faced by disadvantaged students in regular reviews and act early to intervene when needs are identified with appropriate interventions.
- Guarantee that staff receive appropriate CPD, so they are well-informed on how to best support disadvantaged students and take responsibility for their progress.
- Promote a whole-school ethos of inclusivity, encompassing disadvantaged students and their families.
- Take a ‘longer-term’ approach to our intervention rather than a series of ‘short fixes’.
Our strategy is designed to meet the needs of all our vulnerable students in the current climate and considers the loss of learning due to the pandemic. The approaches outlined in this strategy support all our vulnerable students, disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged.
Challenges
| Challenge Number | Detail of challenge | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Outcomes
The overall attainment and progress of disadvantaged students is lower than that of their peers at the end of Key Stage 4. 2023/24 outcomes:
The pandemic has hindered the progress of many students but has had a significant impact on disadvantaged students resulting in a widening of the attainment gap. |
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| 2 | Literacy levels
Vocabulary and reading – disadvantaged students have, on average, lower reading scores and vocabulary than non-disadvantaged peers. This impacts progress in all subjects. |
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| 3 | Study Skills
Some pupils have low self-esteem, lack of adequate parental support and therefore lack resilience, motivation and learning skills. These students also score lower on attitude to learning on academic reports. |
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| 4 | Wellbeing
Our assessments, observations and discussions with students and families have identified social and emotional issues for many students, such as anxiety and low self-esteem. These challenges particularly affect disadvantaged students, including their attainment. |
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| 5 | Attendance
Our attendance data indicates that attendance among disadvantaged students is lower than for non-disadvantaged students. Our assessments and observations indicate that ‘persistently absent’ and ‘absenteeism’ is negatively impacting disadvantaged students’ progress. |
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| 6 | Behaviour Incidents
Disadvantage students are disproportionately over represented in incidents of Fixed Term Exclusions, Permanent Exclusions as well as incidents of internal isolation and the receipt of negative behaviour points. |
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| 7 | Resources and Equipment
Our observations show, due to financial constraints, some students and their families have difficulty in providing the basic equipment and uniform needed at school. Access to resources can hinder progress in lessons. Parents/carers can struggle to replace uniform and lost equipment which can lead to behavioural issues with students which are beyond their control. |
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| 8 | Extra-Curricular Engagement
Disadvantaged students are poorly represented in our extracurricular clubs, trips and student leadership programmes narrowing their range of wider experience and as a results have poorer engagement with school. |
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| 9 | Low Parental Engagement
Our observations and data collected from attendance to Parent Evenings and School events show that disadvantaged students do not have the same amount of parental support and engagement with school in comparison to their non-disadvantaged peers. |
Intended Outcomes
This explains the outcomes we are aiming for by the end of our current strategy plan, and how we will measure whether they have been achieved.
Intended Outcome: Improved outcomes among disadvantaged students across the curriculum at the end of KS4, particularly in those securing English and Maths.
Success Criteria: KS4 performance measures in 2026/27 demonstrate that disadvantaged students achieve at least Attainment 8 score in line with the national average.
Intended Outcome: Improved reading comprehension among disadvantaged students across KS3.
Success Criteria: Reading comprehension tests demonstrate an improvement in comprehension skills among disadvantaged students and a smaller disparity between the scores of disadvantaged students and their non-disadvantaged peers. Teachers should also have recognised this improvement through engagement in lessons and book scrutiny.
Intended Outcome: Improved study and resilience skills across the curriculum.
Success Criteria: Teacher reports and class observations suggest disadvantaged students are more able to monitor and regulate their own learning. This finding is supported by improved homework completion rates across all classes and subjects.
Students have the equipment that they need to access lessons and learning, and therefore are able to make better progress.
Intended Outcome: Improved wellbeing and school experience for all students, including those who are disadvantaged.
Success Criteria: Sustained high levels of wellbeing by 2026/27 demonstrated by:
- Qualitative data from student voice, student and parent surveys and teacher observations.
- A significant increase in participation in enrichment activities, particularly among disadvantaged students.
Intended Outcome: Improved attendance for all students, particularly our disadvantaged students.
Success Criteria: Sustained high attendance by 2026/27 demonstrated by:
- Whole school attendance above 95%.
- Attendance of disadvantaged students above 95%.
- Persistent Absence below national figure each half-term.
- Barriers to learning and attending school are removed.
Intended Outcome:Improved parent/carer engagement.
Success Criteria: Attendance registers implemented and monitored showing an increase in engagement over time
Improved attendance at school information and Parent Review Evening events evidenced by keeping attendance registers over time.
Intended Outcome: Lower behaviour incidents.
Success Criteria: Disadvantaged students show a gradual decline in the number of recorded behaviour-based sanctions, particularly suspensions and PEX.
Activity in this Academic Year
This details how we intend to spend our pupil premium funding this academic year to address the challenges listed above.
Teaching (for example, CPD, recruitment and retention)
Budgeted cost: £143,588
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| CPD on high quality, and adaptive teaching | The EEF Pupil Premium guide indicates that investing in high quality teaching should be a top priority. This investment in professional development will help develop this. | 1,2,5 |
| Improving literacy in all subject areas in line with recommendations in the EEF Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools guidance | Acquiring disciplinary literacy is key for students as they learn new, more complex concepts in each subject: Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools
Reading comprehension, vocabulary and other literacy skills are heavily linked with attainment in Maths and English: word-gap.pdf (oup.com.cn) |
1,2,5,6 |
| Enhancement of our maths teaching and curriculum planning in line with DfE KS3 and EEF guidance | The DfE non-statutory KS3 guidance has been produced in conjunction with the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, drawing on evidence-based approaches:
The EEF Guide to Pupil Premium To teach maths well, teachers need to assess pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding effectively, employ manipulatives and representations, teach problem solving strategies, and help pupils to develop more complex mental models: |
1,5,6 |
| Developing metacognitive and self-regulation skills in all students.
This will involve ongoing teacher training and support and release time. It will first be rolled out in maths and science followed by other subjects |
Teaching metacognitive strategies to pupils can be an inexpensive method to help pupils become more independent learners. There is particularly strong evidence that it can have a positive impact on maths attainment:
Metacognition and self-regulation | Teaching and Learning Toolkit | EEF |
1,4,5,6 |
| Participation in SAFE Disadvantaged collaboration | Allows Oxted School to collaborate with other schools across Surrey on reducing the attainment gap for disadvantaged students. | All |
| Embedding formative assessment | Embedding formative assessment practices practices help teachers understand student learning, identify areas for improvement, and adapt teaching strategies to individual needs, thereby enhancing pupil attainment.
Embedding Formative Assessment | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) |
All |
| Improve marking and feedback to positively impact learning | Feedback studies tend to show high effects on learning. However, there are a wide range of effects and some studies show that feedback can have negative effects and make things worse.
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/feedback |
All |
Targeted Academic Support
For example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions.
Budgeted cost: £71,794
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| One to one and small group tuition for pupils in need of additional support, delivered in addition to, and linked with, normal lessons.
Tutoring will be implemented with the help of DfE’s guide: |
Tuition targeted at specific needs and knowledge gaps can be an effective method to support low attaining pupils or those falling behind: | 1,4,5,6 |
| Small group and 1-1 mentoring (including Year 11 PIXL mentoring) | Targeted disadvantaged Yr11 students to have a mentor in school. All disadvantaged students to be part of PiXL mentoring. | 1,4,5,6 |
| Year 11 disciplinary small group after school period 6s and holiday teaching | Increase opportunities for more learning days for students particularly disadvantaged students to gain more input from teachers. | 1,4,5,6 |
| Tutor time intervention – enhancement of our curriculum planning, funding teacher release time | Tuition targeted at specific needs and knowledge gaps can be an effective method to support low attaining pupils or those falling behind, both one-to-one:
One to one tuition | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) And in small groups: Small group tuition | Toolkit Strand | Education Endowment Foundation | EEF |
1,4,5,6 |
| Accelerated reader running for identified students in Key Stage 3 | The EEF Toolkit indicates that explicitly teaching reading comprehension strategies can have the effect of 7 months’ worth of additional progress | 1,2,4,5,6 |
Wider Strategies
For example, related to attendance, behaviour, wellbeing.
Budgeted cost: £71,793
Total budgeted cost: £287,175
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| Uniform and equipment provision | Based on our experiences and those of similar schools to ours, we have identified a need to set a small amount of funding aside to respond quickly to needs that have not yet been identified. Including resources for KS5 students. | All |
| Improving attendance across the school but particularly for disadvantaged students | Attendance project – Embedding principles of good practice set out in DfE’s Working together to improve school attendance
The DfE guidance has been informed by engagement with schools that have significantly reduced persistent absence levels. |
All |
| Wellbeing support and developing Oxted School’s universal offer | A child’s emotional health and wellbeing influences their cognitive development and learning as well as their physical and social health and their mental wellbeing in adulthood.
Promoting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing (publishing.service.gov.uk) |
All |
| Homework clubs | Homework can improve the outcomes significantly for students, however, not all students have a quiet place to complete homework. | All |
| Improving the cultural capital of our students – enrichment | Cultural capital is vital knowledge for our students to have to navigate the world. | All |
Part B: Review of Outcomes in the Previous Academic Year
Outcomes for Disadvantaged Students
This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on students in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.
Disappointingly, our internal assessments and public exam results continue to show that the performance of disadvantaged students is lower than those of non-disadvantaged students.
Our assessment of the reasons for these outcomes points primarily to the impact of the pandemic, which disrupted all of our subject areas to varying degrees. As evidenced in schools across the country, partial closure was most detrimental to our disadvantaged students, and they were not able to benefit from our pupil premium funded improvements to teaching and targeted interventions to the degree that we intended. The impact was mitigated by our resolution to maintain a high quality curriculum, including during periods of partial closure, which was aided by use of online resources as well as provision of laptops and internet access to all disadvantaged students who needed it.
Attendance in 23/24 remained lower than we had expected, like in 22/23, but was broadly in line with national average. However, attendance of disadvantaged students is still an issue.
Quality-First Teaching using THINK! Strategies have been effectively embedded and this will continue to be a focus. Day to day management including coordination of funding requests and organisation of initiatives was effective in ensuring that students had access to equipment needed and some students were able to be involved in small-scale projects. In 23/24 we experienced a significant increase in requests from parents and carers to support with the purchase of uniform. There was regular reporting and monitoring of the outcomes of disadvantaged students and curriculum and timetable planning ensured that best practice was used for allocating disadvantaged students.
Impact of our interventions was positive. Our literacy interventions, including Accelerated reader, resulted in our KS3 students closing the gaps in their reading ages since joining the school in Year 7. The Boosting Reading Programme, a 1:1 reading intervention, resulted in some students increasing their reading age by over 2 years or more. Qualitative data from student voice, student and parent surveys shows that academic mentoring is valued by students and those around them and has helped in building positive relationships of the students mentored with their teachers, as well as provided academic support in revision – 23/24 was the last year of this provision. Barrier screening has reduced the barriers for students attending school, such as providing laptops, uniform and equipment. In terms of wellbeing support, the increase in capacity in the wellbeing team has meant that more students have received the support needed.
Further Information
Additional Activity
Our pupil premium strategy will be supplemented by additional activity that is not being funded by pupil premium. That will include:
- Embedding more effective practice around feedback. EEF evidence on feedback demonstrates significant benefits, particularly for disadvantaged students
- Utilising support from our local Mental Health Support Team and local behaviour hub, to support pupils with mild to moderate mental health and wellbeing issues, many of whom are disadvantaged
- Offering a range of high-quality enrichment activities to boost wellbeing, behaviour, attendance, and aspiration. activities (e.g., The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award), will focus on life skills such as confidence, resilience, and socialising. Disadvantaged students will be encouraged and supported to participate
- Onsite alternative curriculum – Thrive Provision. This provision focuses on enriching our KS3 students and given targeted intervention with Maths, English and regulation strategies. This is particularly aimed at KS3 students who struggle to engage in Oxted School life and extends to some KS4 students. These students usually are disadvantaged
Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation
In reviewing our current pupil premium strategy, we evaluated why activity undertaken in the previous year had not had the degree of impact that we had expected.
We triangulated evidence from multiple sources of data including exams and assessments, engagement in class book scrutiny, and conversations with parents, students and teachers, to identify the challenges faced by disadvantaged students.
We looked at several reports and studies about effective use of pupil premium, the impact of disadvantage on education outcomes and how to address challenges to learning presented by socio-economic disadvantage.
We used the EEF’s implementation guidance to help us develop our strategy and will continue to use it through the implementation of our activities.
We have implemented a robust evaluation framework for the duration of our three-year strategy and will adjust our plan over time to secure better outcomes for students.