This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium (and recovery premium for the 2021 to 2022 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
School name
Snowfields Academy
Number of pupils in school
85
Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils
39%
Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers (3 year plans are recommended)
2021-22
Date this statement was published
November 2021
Date on which it will be reviewed
July 2022
Statement authorised by
Dee Pickerill, Principal
Pupil premium lead
James Doddington, Vice Principal
Governor / Trustee lead
Simon Weedon
Funding Overview
Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year
£18,145
Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year
£10,560 TBC
Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable)
£0
Total budget for this academic year
£28,705 TBC
Statement of intent
All of our students at Snowfields Academy have a diagnosis of Autism and an EHCP with autism as their primary need. As such, all of our students are disadvantaged, not just those in receipt of pupil premium.
Due to the complex nature of their needs, autism and any related issues such as ADHD, sensory needs, epilepsy etc. may present as the biggest barrier to our disadvantaged students’ learning, not just their socio-economic disadvantage. Students who are not in receipt of pupil premium funding will benefit from the use of this fund, alongside their peers who are.
Our students have complex needs; they require highly structured and personalised approaches to their learning, personal development and emotional well being. Some of our students are Emotionally Based School Avoiders (EBSAs), and need a highly personalised approach to school attendance and engagement. Many of our students have high levels of anxiety which further impact their learning and well being. Due to their needs, all of our students have social communication difficulties which are supported by our Head of Therapy/SALT and our class teams.
Our pupil premium funding will be used to support students, in receipt of pupil premium funding and others, to reduce their barriers to learning, close any achievement gaps and support with their personal development and well being.
Challenges
This details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified among our disadvantaged pupils
Challenge 1
Academic achievement
Challenge 2
Cultural capital
Challenge 3
Behaviour
Challenge 4
Well being
Challenge 5
Personal development
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
Close any gaps in attainment for pupils in receipt of PP across all subjects
No significant gaps between those in receipt of PPG and others
Offer opportunities for trips and other cultural enrichment through part funding for those in receipt of PP, include funding for Duke of Edinburgh
All students take part in a curriculum which is rich in cultural capital leading with years 7, 8 and 9 taking part in an offsite course of activities. We will develop the Duke of Edinburgh offer during this academic year for Key Stage 4 from September 2022.
To improve behaviour in order to reduce barriers to learning for those in receipt of PP and others.
No significant disparity between those in receipt of PP and others although individuals may present with challenges in line with their ASD diagnosis which are not due to their socio-economic background.
All students, and especially those in receipt of PP to be supported to develop and maintain good levels of wellbeing and emotional resilience
Head of Therapy will have developed a more formalised approach to meeting emotional and well being needs using a universal/targeted/specialist approach. Train an additional 1 or 2 ELSAs. Fund upkeep for Willow, Snowfields’ wellbeing dog.
Provide funding to support our Unicef Rights Respecting application which would promote and recognise that our students are “respected, their talents are nurtured and they are able to thrive”.
Emily Stone will have led Snowfields Academy to be awarded Unicef’s Rights Respecting Silver award. Funds available will purchase any resources required to support this.
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 (for example, CPD, recruitment and retention)
Budgeted cost: £10,000.00
Attainment: enhance the skill set of all staff to deliver and support highly effective teaching and learning through a highly effective CPD offer to include external providers
Evidence that supports this approach
No significant gaps between PP and others
Challenge number(s) addressed
1
Cultural Capital: Part-fund trips for those in receipt of PP. Funding towards resources to support the delivery of DoE
Evidence that supports this approach
All students can access trips and events as part of the wider academy curriculum
Challenge number(s) addressed
2
Behaviour: Part-fund a Student Support Manager
Evidence that supports this approach
SSM will support with the delivery of behaviour strategies and will work under the direction of the behaviour lead teacher and senior leaders
Challenge number(s) addressed
3
Wellbeing and emotional development: Train a teacher as a student mental health first aider. Funds towards the upkeep of Willow, academy wellbeing dog.
Evidence that supports this approach
Trained teacher in place who supports students with their mental health needs working alongside the Head of Therapy who leads on this area.
Challenge number(s) addressed
4
Personal Development: funding to provide any required cover for the leadership of Rights Respecting and provide an allowance for any required resources or events to facilitate and promote the successful award at silver level.
Evidence that supports this approach
Successful award at Silver level
Challenge number(s) addressed
5
Targeted academic support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)
Budgeted cost: £16,705 towards costs
Student Support Manager will work with students to deliver their learning out of class when the are unable to access learning alongside their peers, and support with reducing barriers to learning which will see an increase of time in class
Evidence that supports this approach
Where students’ behaviour support plans indicate they should learn outside of the class for the rest of the lesson due to the impact on the learning of others this will be facilitated by the SSM in order for Tas to continue to support learning in class.
Challenge number(s) addressed
1 and 3
Wider strategies (for example, related to attendance, behaviour, wellbeing)
Budgeted cost: £2,000 towards costs
School wellbeing dog
Evidence that supports this approach
Students will be greeted by Willow to ease difficult transitions into school at the beginning of the day. Students will also have the opportunity to work for allocated time with Willow as an incentive/reward.
Challenge number(s) addressed
4
Total budgeted cost: £28,705
Part B: Review of outcomes in the previous academic year
Pupil premium strategy outcomes
This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on pupils in the 2020 to 2021 academic year.
Outcome 1: There were no externally validated outcomes for 2020/21.
Teacher assessments show that students in receipt of PPG performed in line with other students across core subjects.
Outcome 2: All students took part in activities within the local community. Dof E was not introduced as the Member of Staff who was trained to lead the programme moved on. As a very small cohort of teachers there was nobody suitable to cover this vacancy
Outcome 3: Analysis showed that students in receipt of PP had slightly higher behaviour incidents than their peers The behaviour needs are attributed to their individual needs in line with their diagnosis and not attributed to their social deprivation. Our Behaviour Lead Teacher worked closely with students, families and staff to develop a culture of reviewing all behaviour incidents and addressing individual needs.
Outcome 4: A tiered approach which identifies universal needs, targeted needs and specialist needs for mental health and wellbeing has been developed with appropriate interventions and support which recognises this. Challenge Partners, May 2021, recognised our provision for the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young People with ASD as an Area of Excellence. 2 x additional ELSAs were trained.
Outcome 5: Not achieved. The planned opening of Cranbrook College, an additional campus which will extend and double the offer at Snowfields Bearsted necessitated a delay in our application as the offer would need to be embedded across both colleges, Bearsted and Cranbrook.