School Name

Frenchwood Community Primary School

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Pupil Premium

Please read the information below which gives details of our Pupil Premium Grant and how we allocate the funding.

This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium (and recovery premium for the 2023 to 2024 academic year) funding to help improve the attainment of our disadvantaged pupils.

It outlines our pupil premium strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the effect that last year’s spending of pupil premium had within our school.

School overview

Detail

Data

School name

Frenchwood Community Primary School

Number of pupils in school

343

Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils

25%

Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers (3 year plans are recommended)

2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25

Date this statement was published

29.09.2025

Date on which it will be reviewed

September 2025

Statement authorised by

Cathryn Antwis, Headteacher

Pupil premium lead

Susan Wilkinson, SENDCo

Governor / Trustee lead

Muhammad Isap, Pupil Premium Link Governor

Funding overview

Detail

Amount

Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year

£113,960

Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year

£5,691

Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable)

£0

Total budget for this academic year

If your school is an academy in a trust that pools this funding, state the amount available to your school this academic year

£119,651

Pupil premium strategy plan

Statement of intent

Context

Frenchwood Community Primary School is a larger than average primary school. Stability of 71% is low in comparison to the national figure of 80.1% (as at January 2023), due to movement in the local housing rental market, pupils new to the country, and pupils from the local women’s refuge.

The school serves an increasingly culturally diverse population. Approximately 25% of the school population identify as Indian, but a wide range of ethnicities are represented in school (16/17 possible ethnic groups), predominantly from west Asia, but increasingly from Africa and eastern European countries. Approximately 60% of the pupils speak English as an additional language (our families have 32 other languages between them), and many of these children are either new to English or at the earliest stages of English acquisition. In the latest census, the school location deprivation indicator was in quintile 4 (more deprived) of all schools and the pupil base also is in quintile 4 (more deprived) of all schools in terms of deprivation. The school serves almost the full range of socio-economic households from A (between 75% and 95% least deprived) to E* (the 5% most deprived).

Key Principles

At Frenchwood Community Primary School we aim for all our learners to achieve their full potential, irrespective of their background or the challenges they face.  We endeavour to understand the individual needs of each pupil, discover their talents and challenges, and put provision in place that will enable them to achieve success.

The Pupil Premium (PP) funding that is received by school annually is used in a variety of ways in order to improve pupil attainment and help overcome barriers to learning. In making provision for socially disadvantaged pupils, we recognise that not all our pupils who receive Free School meals (FSM) will be socially disadvantaged. We also recognise that not all pupils who are socially disadvantaged are registered or qualify for PP. We therefore allocate the PP funding to support any pupil or groups of pupils we have identified as being at social disadvantage.

Quality first teaching in every classroom is the primary driver for success in our school, alongside careful assessment of need.  Well trained staff and consistency in our approach to learning is integral to our strategy.  Our school is organised into four phases with staff teams working closely together to offer the best we can to all our learners by utilising the range of expertise within our team. This offers a flexible model that enables us to make adjustments when circumstances change. High priority is given to supporting good mental health, building resilience and developing positive learning behaviours.

Ultimate Objectives

  • Remove barriers to learning created by poverty, family circumstance and background
  • Narrow the attainment gaps between disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged counterparts both within school and nationally
  • Ensure all pupils are able to read fluently and with good understanding to enable them to access the breadth of the curriculum
  • Develop confidence in their ability to communicate effectively in a wide range of contexts
  • Enable pupils to look after their social and emotional wellbeing and to develop resilience.
  • Ensure pupils are prepared for the next stage in their education

Challenges

This details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified among our disadvantaged pupils.

Challenge number

Detail of challenge

1

Baseline assessments, observations and screening of expressive and receptive language skills show that the majority of pupils enter EYFS with communication skills significantly below age expected levels.

2

Assessments, observations and screening of expressive and receptive language skills show that the many pupils enter KS1 and KS2 with communication skills significantly below age expected levels.

3

Assessments show that the many pupils enter KS1 and KS2 with reading, writing and maths skills below age expected levels.

4

Phonic screening shows that significant numbers of pupils do not achieve the expected level in Year 1.

5

Many pupils arriving later than the usual starting point have limited experience of formal learning and often are new to English.

6

Few pupils achieve greater depth at the end of KS2

7

Many pupils arriving later than the usual starting point have experienced trauma and disruption.

8

Increased number of pupils unable to self-regulate and manage emotions in an age appropriate way.

9

Pupil attendance and punctuality has not returned to pre-pandemic levels

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

Success criteria

Pupils to be able to communicate confidently and be able to understand and articulate their thoughts and feelings in an age-appropriate manner.

Assessments and observations indicate significantly improved oral language among disadvantaged pupils. This is evident when triangulated with other sources of evidence, including engagement in lessons, pupil book study and ongoing formative assessment.

Pupils are ready for the next phase in their education as they are fluent and confident readers, writers and mathematicians. Their skills enable them to engage fully in a broad curriculum.

By the end of EYFS:

  • pupils with no additional learning needs will achieve a Good Level of Development;
  • pupils who are new to English will have achieved the expected level in those areas of the curriculum that are not dependent on English language competency;
  • pupils with additional learning needs will have specific support in place and be making good progress in relation to their personalised targets.

By the end of Year 1:

  • pupils with no additional needs will achieve the expected standard in the Phonic Check;

By the end of KS1:

  • pupils with no additional learning needs will achieve at least the expected standard for reading, writing, maths and science;
  • pupils who are new to English will have made accelerated progress towards expected outcomes;
  • pupils who are in the early acquisition stage of English will have made accelerated progress towards expected outcomes;
  • pupils with additional learning needs will have specific support in place and be making good progress in relation to their personalised targets.

By the end of KS2:

  • pupils with no additional learning needs will achieve at least the expected standard for reading, writing, maths and science;
  • year on year, an increasing number of pupils will achieve the higher standard in reading, writing and maths;
  • pupils who are new to English will have made accelerated progress towards expected outcomes;
  • pupils who are in the early acquisition stage of English will have made accelerated progress towards expected outcomes;
  • pupils with additional learning needs will have specific support in place and be making good progress in relation to their personalised targets.

Pupils are resilient and well organised learners who are emotionally literate and able to manage themselves in a variety of circumstances.

Across school there will be high levels of wellbeing / mental health demonstrated by :

  • qualitative data from pupil, parent and teacher questionnaires;
  • a reduction in the number of wellbeing /mental health concerns raised by parents and staff;
  • a reduction in poor behaviour incidents recorded during unstructured times;
  • age appropriate learning behaviours and the independent use of strategies for self-regulation are observed in all phases.

Pupils receive their full entitlement to education through good attendance and punctuality, giving them the best chance of success.

High levels of attendance across all phases and groups.

  • Attendance of 96%+
  • Attendance gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils reduces by 0.5 percentage points.

Activity in this academic year

This details how we intend to spend our pupil premium (and recovery premium funding) this academic year to address the challenges listed above.

Teaching

Budgeted cost: £72,000

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

1:10 adult to pupil ratio in EYFS & KS1 to enable increased communication modelling and dialogue in continuous provision

Our staff have been trained in the Hanen approach to communication and language. This emphasises the importance of spoken language and verbal interaction for young children. Research shows that children’s language development benefits from approaches that explicitly support communication through talking, verbal expression, modelling language and reasoning.

1

Additional TA3 employed to ensure consistency of staffing throughout the day and enable tutoring and focussed interventions to take place.  Classroom staff to cover lunchtime breaks.

Positive effects have been found in studies where teaching assistants deliver high-quality structured interventions which deliver short sessions, over a finite period, and link learning to classroom teaching. 

All classroom staff are fully trained in Emotion Coaching and are aware of individual circumstances as they change.

2,3,4,5,6,8

50% increase in SENDCo time.  This is to enable effective leadership of whole school approach to self-regulation, identification of needs and timely intervention.

Research by Bath Spa University and Nasen recommends increasing SENDCo protected time to take account of numbers of children in crisis.

1,2,5,7,8

Recruitment of Attendance Manager (Assistant DSL)to aid the work of our Learning Mentor

Increased need for school led support packages for families, DSL presence at multi-agency meetings.

Renewed focus on reducing persistent absenteeism.

7,8,9

Whole staff access to RWInc online video updates and termly visits from consultant trainer

 

Phonics lead in school to model phonics sessions, support new to school teachers to enable consistency and monitor teaching and assessment of phonics across EYFS and KS1.

Read Write Inc Phonics is a systematic synthetic phonics approach which, when used with fidelity, explicitly teaches pupils a comprehensive set of letter-sound relationships in a pre-planned sequence. There is extensive evidence that this benefits Key Stage 1 pupils’ learning, and also older pupils who struggle to decode.

3,4,5

Commitment to being a Voice 21 Oracy School.

Our two Oracy Champions will develop an action plan, become expert oracy practitioners who can model effective oracy in their teaching practice, delivering training in oracy to colleagues and provide follow-on support to empower teacher colleagues.

An online learning platform and research exchange including 40 hrs of e-learning for all staff

  • Our classroom staff will embed shared routines & practices which support high-quality talk for learning and build a positive and inclusive culture of oracy in their classrooms

The Education Endowment Foundation found that oral language interventions have a very high impact for low cost, based on extensive research.  In schools with a simililar intake to Frenchwood, it has been particularly successful in supporting pupils with EAL and those from socioeconomic backgrounds.

 

https://voice21.org/impacts/a-spotlight-on-st-james-church-of-england-primary-school/

 

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/oral-language-interventions?

 

 

Staff training and purchase of Red Rose Maths materials

Red Rose Maths is a mastery learning programme developed and extensively tested by maths subject leaders supported by specialist advisers.  EEF Maths Evidence Review shows strong evidence in favour of concrete manipulatives as an integral part of the programme enabling learners to engage with mathematical ideas.

The programme supports teachers making informed choices about which, and  how  many,  representations to  use  and when.

3,6

Termly whole staff Emotion Coaching training/update

A  mixed-method  study at  Bath  Spa  University demonstrated  that  emotion  coaching  can  be an  important  tool  in  improving  relationships  and  self-regulation  in  a  variety of  settings  – schools,  youth  and  children’s centres  (Gilbert  et  al,  forthcoming;  Rose et  al,  2012,  Rose  et  al, forthcoming). Emotion Coaching  offers  a  relational  model for  behavioural management  and provides  parents  and  practitioners  with strategies  to  help  children  to  self-regulate  their emotions  by triggering  a  calmer  response  through:

  • Empathetic  support  and  role  modelling
  • Assisting  young  children  to  self-sooth  by raising  their  awareness  of  their  own emotional  state,  helping  them  to  establish  good  vagal  tone
  • Using  emotional  moments  as  an  opportunity to  scaffold  the  young  children’s self-management  of  their  emotions  and  behaviour

5,7,8,9

 

Targeted academic support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)

Budgeted cost: £68,000

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

Wellcomm Early Years assessment used with all EYFS pupils to identify communication / language baselines, tailor intervention and to measure progress made.

Communication and language approaches emphasise the importance of spoken language and verbal interaction for young children. They are based on the idea that children’s language development benefits from approaches that explicitly support communication through talking, verbal expression, modelling language and reasoning.

1

Wellcomm Primary assessment used with all pupils in Y1 (or on arrival if later) to identify communication / language baselines, tailor intervention and to measure progress made

Oral language interventions with frequent sessions (3 times a week or more) over a sustained period appear to be most successful. Wellcome Primary includes structured activities for use 1:1 or in small groups to support progress.

2

Pupils with English as an additional language assessed for English language proficiency in Y3 (or on arrival if later) to identify language baseline, tailor intervention and to measure progress made.

EAL learners at all levels need to be given opportunities to grow their English vocabulary range. This could be done by taking advantage of their first language(s) through translation, the use of flashcards and images. It is important to remember to develop the learner’s academic language skills, for instance by focusing on the differences between formal and informal vocabulary.

5

Pupils with possible specific learning difficulty in reading screened in Y4 to identify barriers, tailor intervention and to measure progress made.

There is a strong and consistent body of evidence demonstrating the benefit of structured interventions for pupils who are struggling with their literacy. The first step should be to accurately diagnose capabilities and difficulties in order to match pupils to appropriate, evidence-informed interventions that target specific areas of difficulty.

3,4

1:1 and small group interventions delivered and measured using SMART plans:

  • RWInc 1:1
  • Wellcome
  • Colourful semantics
  • Precision teaching
  • Number Box
  • Paired Reading
  • Attention Autism
  • Articulation
  • Fine motor skills
  • Gross motor skills
  • Sensory Circuits
  • Socially Speaking
  • Lego Therapy

Investing in professional development for teaching assistants to deliver structured interventions can be a cost-effective approach to improving learner outcomes.  Our TAs are trained in specific interventions that they deliver and measure.  These interventions are monitored and reviewed by SENDCo and during pupil progress meetings.

3,4,6,7,8

Online support interventions that can be accessed independently:

  • Flash Academy
  • IDL English
  • IDL Maths

Flash Academy offers individualised language learning and vocabulary development with home languages

Lifting Barriers This study included around 1,200 students and confirmed that IDL produces significantly faster reading and spelling related improvements than non-specialist teaching methods – with an average 10 months improvement in reading and 11 months improvement in spelling after just 26 hours on the IDL programme.

IDL Maths Trial – positive results showing 94% of pupils made accelerated progress from individual starting points.

3,4,5

 

Wider strategies (for example, related to attendance, behaviour, wellbeing)

Budgeted cost: £ 65,000

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

Counsellor with specific qualification in treating childhood trauma available weekly to those pupils in most need.

Pupils who are known to have experienced significant trauma and/or present with very challenging behaviours are assessed using Boxall profile and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) prior to intervention so specific needs are identified.

7,8

Learning mentor trained as Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) offers personalised support packages and liaises with parents of pupils receiving ELSA interventions.

Shotton and Burton (2019) suggest that schools should recognise the need to plan additional support to address the emotional needs of students in the same way that support would be provided to enhance academic learning for children experiencing learning difficulties. ELSAs are trained to develop interventions in the areas of:

  • Emotional awareness
  • Anger management
  • Self-esteem
  • Social and communication skills
  • Friendship skills
  • Loss and bereavement

7,8

Free breakfast club for pupils who attract FSM funding.

After-school sports clubs offered daily.

Some pupils are invited to attend to support attendance or encourage engagement in physical activity.

7,8,9

Embedding principles of good practice set out in the DfE’s Improving School Attendance advice.

This will involve training and release time for staff to develop and implement new procedures and appointing attendance/support officers to improve attendance.

The DfE guidance has been informed by engagement with schools that have significantly reduced levels of absence and persistent absence.

9

Dual code all in-school signage and visual timetables using Widgit symbol software. Some learning materials may also be enhanced for those pupils with SEND or who are new to English.

Research shows that the benefits of using Symbol software can offer inclusivity for a mainstream school, where it can support pupils with EAL, those who have neurodevelopmental differences such as autism or dyslexia, and pupils who have experienced trauma.   

This strategy has been shown to provide a way to introduce students to a new language or new words. In mainstream primary schools, it has been found to reduce anxiety, cues pupils into daily events and aids general communication.

1,2,5,7,8

All staff to participate in Therapeutic Teaching Award.

Relational approaches and building supportive relationships through the school community including auxiliary staff, pupils and parents benefitted the students and led to teachers offering each other more peer support (Howell et al., 2019). TIP training which included more methods for responding to trauma reduced numbers of students being referred to special education and being categorised as troublesome students (Banks and Meyer, 2017; Pemberton and Edeburn, 2021). Practices which included non-verbal approaches to self-regulation and innovative teaching methods such as creative and outdoor materials supported students in building trust and reduction of trauma responses (Mulholland and O’Toole, 2021).

7,8

Nurture Spaces to be developed.

7,8

 

Total budgeted cost:

£ 210,000

PPG and Recovery funding allocation

£119,651

Additional allocation from school budget

£90,349

 

Review of outcomes in the previous academic year

Pupil premium strategy outcomes

Success criteria

Outcomes 2024

Pupils to be able to communicate confidently and be able to understand and articulate their thoughts and feelings in an age-appropriate manner.

Assessments and observations indicate significantly improved oral language among disadvantaged pupils. This is evident when triangulated with other sources of evidence, including engagement in lessons, pupil book study and ongoing formative assessment.

Classroom observations by Oracy Lead show consistency of approach that is beginning to have an impact on classroom discussions, particularly in UKS2.

Pupils are ready for the next phase in their education as they are fluent and confident readers, writers and mathematicians. Their skills enable them to engage fully in a broad curriculum.

By the end of EYFS:

  • pupils with no additional learning needs will achieve a Good Level of Development(GLD);
  • pupils who are new to English will have achieved the expected level in those areas of the curriculum that are not dependent on English language competency;
  • pupils with additional learning needs will have specific support in place and be making good progress in relation to their personalised targets.

By the end of Year 1:

  • pupils with no additional needs will achieve the expected standard in the Phonic Check;

By the end of KS1:

  • pupils with no additional learning needs will achieve at least the expected standard for reading, writing, maths and science;
  • pupils who are new to English will have made accelerated progress towards expected outcomes;
  • pupils who are in the early acquisition stage of English will have made accelerated progress towards expected outcomes;
  • pupils with additional learning needs will have specific support in place and be making good progress in relation to their personalised targets.

 

By the end of KS2:

  • pupils with no additional learning needs will achieve at least the expected standard for reading, writing, maths and science;
  • year on year, an increasing number of pupils will achieve the higher standard in reading, writing and maths;
  • pupils who are new to English will have made accelerated progress towards expected outcomes;
  • pupils who are in the early acquisition stage of English will have made accelerated progress towards expected outcomes;
  • pupils with additional learning needs will have specific support in place and be making good progress in relation to their personalised targets.

Early Years Profile:

  • 42% of all pupils achieved GLD
  • 37% pupils identified as having EAL achieved GLD

Year 1 Phonics check:

  • 52% of all pupils achieved the expected standard in the Phonic Check.
  • 57% of disadvantaged pupils achieved the expected standard in the Phonic Check.

All pupils meeting expected standards at the end of KS1:

  • Reading 32%
  • Writing 36%
  • Maths 27%
  • Combined 0%

Disadvantaged pupils:

  • Reading 23%
  • Writing 15%
  • Maths 23%
  • Combined 0%

KS1 pupils have been disproportionately impacted by the past years of disruption and will continue to receive additional interventions as required.

Key Stage 2 SATs results (All):

Expected +

Reading – 77% (104)

Writing – 56%

Maths – 73% (103)

GPS – 79% (107)

Greater Depth

Reading – 23%

Writing – 0%

Maths – 17%

GPS – 42%

Combined (Expected +) – 51%

 

Key Stage 2 SATs results (Disadvantaged):

Expected +

Reading – 75%

Writing – 44%

Maths – 56%

GPS – 69%

Greater Depth (awaiting confirmation)

Reading – 25%

Writing – 0%

Maths – 6%

GPS – 25%

Combined – 38%

 

Pupils are resilient and well organised learners who are emotionally literate and able to manage themselves in a variety of circumstances.

Across school there will be high levels of wellbeing / mental health demonstrated by :

  • qualitative data from pupil, parent and teacher questionnaires;
  • a reduction in the number of wellbeing /mental health concerns raised by parents and staff;
  • a reduction in poor behaviour incidents recorded during unstructured times;
  • age appropriate learning behaviours and the independent use of strategies for self-regulation are observed in all phases.
  • Pupils report that they are happy in school and know how they can ask for help.
  • Pupils are able to articulate their feelings and are using an increasing number of strategies to self-regulate when needed.

Pupils receive their full entitlement to education through good attendance and punctuality, giving them the best chance of success.

High levels of attendance across all phases and groups.

  • Attendance of 95%+
  • Attendance gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils reduces by 0.5 percentage points. (gap 6.5)

Attendance excludes non-compulsory age pupils

Whole school:

Attendance 92.9%

Disadvantaged pupils:

Attendance 91.3%

Not disadvantaged pupils:

Attendance 93.5%

 

Gap reduced by 3.1pp in 2022-23

Gap reduced by a further 2.2pp in 2023-24

 

 

 

 

 

Externally provided programmes

Programme

Provider

Wellcome Early Years

GL Assessment

Flash Academy

Language Labs

LASS 8-11

GL Assessment

IDL Literacy

IDL/Ascentis

IDL Maths

IDL/Ascentis

RWInc Phonics

Oxford University Press

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