"Leaders, including governors, carefully monitor the use of the pupil premium funding to ensure that it is being effectively used. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make strong progress which is at least in line with that of their peers and stronger than the national average."

(Ofsted, May 2019).

We have high aspirations and ambitions for our children and we believe that no child should be left behind. We strongly believe that it is not about where you come from but your passion and thirst for knowledge, and your dedication and commitment to learning that make the difference between success and failure, and we are determined to ensure that our children are given every chance to realise their full potential. Pupil premium funding helps us to overcome the main barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils, from attendance in school, to resources required to support access to the curriculum and participation in extra curricular activities.

Background to Pupil Premium funding

Pupil Premium is a grant given to schools for each child who claims free school meals currently or who has done so in the past six years. The government provides this grant so that schools can allocate additional support to ensure that the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils at least match or are rapidly approaching those of other pupils nationally and in the school.

The current Ofsted inspection framework states that a school should secure ‘substantial improvement in progress for disadvantaged pupils.’ St Dominic Savio is committed to ensuring all children achieve the highest academic standards and any disadvantage as a result of pupils’ home circumstances is redressed as quickly and effectively as possible. The school is proud of its success in this area.

Broadly, pupil premium funding is spent in three ways at St Dominic Savio. Significant funding is allocated to direct academic support to ensure all pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding have the necessary support to reach at least national standards of attainment in the core areas of reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave the school. Further pupil premium funds are used to ensure pupils are able to play a full part in the life of the school, removing any differences in opportunity that might occur as a result of financial constraints. Pupil premium funds are also directed to other, less-tangible forms of support to ensure some of our more vulnerable pupils are able to access the curriculum effectively. 

Ultimately all funds, both those derived from the pupil premium and those from the main school budget that supplement these, are used to ensure equity of experience and outcomes for the most disadvantaged children with their peers. Our Pupil Premium strategy is reviewed annually.