Pupil Premium Champion
Mr D Beveridge

Pupil Premium at Birchwood Junior School

The Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) is additional funding provided by the government to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. It is allocated to schools based on the number of children who are:

• Currently eligible for Free School Meals (FSM), or who have been eligible within the last six years.

• Adopted from care or looked after by the Local Authority.

Each year, Birchwood Junior School receives funding for eligible pupils. For example, the current grant is £1,300 per child eligible for Free School Meals and £1,900 per Looked After Child.

Although the government does not prescribe how the grant should be spent, schools are required to ensure the funding is used effectively to narrow the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.

Our Commitment

At Birchwood Junior School, we are committed to ensuring that all of our children make the best possible progress and achieve highly across all areas of the curriculum. Our use of the Pupil Premium Grant is guided by strong evidence and a clear strategy designed to remove barriers and raise aspirations.

Our school vision states:

“We Nurture Aspirations and DREAM BIG.”

We believe that every child should have equality of access to resources, experiences, and opportunities. No child should be disadvantaged because of their background, gender, or family circumstances.

Our Strategy

We use a tiered approach to make the best use of the Pupil Premium Grant:

1. High-Quality Teaching

Our greatest investment is in excellent teaching. Research shows that high-quality teaching has the most significant impact on closing the attainment gap while also benefitting non-disadvantaged pupils.

2. Targeted Academic Support

Some pupils receive tailored academic support, often delivered in small groups or one-to-one sessions. These evidence-based interventions are planned to meet specific needs and help children make rapid progress.

3. Wider Approaches

We also provide support to remove non-academic barriers to success, such as access to enrichment activities, emotional well-being support, and extra-curricular opportunities that enhance learning and aspiration.

Our Aims

To ensure our approach is effective, we are committed to:

• Challenging disadvantaged pupils through high-quality teaching and learning.

• Intervening early when needs are identified.

• Raising expectations of what disadvantaged pupils can achieve.

• Ensuring access to extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities.

• Monitoring progress carefully to measure impact and adapt provision.

Accountability and Impact

Each year, we carefully review how our Pupil Premium funding has been spent and assess its impact on pupils’ learning, progress, and wider development. A detailed report is published annually and made available on our website.

If you have any questions about the Pupil Premium Grant or our strategy at Birchwood Junior School, please do not hesitate to contact us.