Pupil Premium
Pupil Premium Strategy Statement 2025/26
This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium for the 2025 to 2026 academic year 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 | Westcroft School |
| Pupils in school | 210 |
| Proportion of disadvantaged pupils | 67% |
| Pupil premium allocation this academic year | £143,080 |
| Academic year or years covered by statement | 2025-2026 |
| Publish date | 18/12/2025 |
| Review date | 01/12/2026 |
| Statement authorised by | H Andrioli |
| Pupil premium lead | H Andrioli |
| Governor lead | J Wilson and C Murphy |
Funding overview
| Detail | Amount |
| Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year | £143,080 |
| 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 | £143,080 |
Part A: Pupil premium strategy plan
Statement of intent
| Our aim is to use pupil premium funding to help us achieve and sustain positive outcomes for our disadvantaged pupils. The number of pupils eligible for Pupil Premium has risen significantly over the last few years from 59% to 67%. Whilst socio-economic disadvantage is not always the primary challenge our pupils face, we do see that all pupils have additional needs or multiple needs as detailed within their Education Health and Care Plans such as: Communication and Interaction needsNumber of pupils with a diagnosis of Autism or Autistic traitsNumber of pupils requiring additional Speech and Language InterventionNumber of pupils requiring sensory or physical interventionNumber of pupils requiring care support for toileting and medical needs At the heart of our approach is high-quality teaching focussed on areas that the pupils require it most, targeted support based on robust diagnostic assessment of need, and enabling pupils to access a broad and balanced curriculum. Although our strategy is focused on the needs of disadvantaged pupils, it will benefit all pupils in our school where funding is spent on whole-school approaches, such as high-quality communication strategies. Implicit in the intended outcomes detailed below, is the intention that outcomes for non-disadvantaged pupils will be improved alongside progress for their disadvantaged peers. Our strategy is integral to wider school plans, notably through the engagement of various interventions in school to provide additional support for pupils who do not make expected progress in comparison to their peers in mainstream schools and who struggle to access the full national curriculum. Our strategy will be driven by the needs and strengths of each young person, based on formal and informal assessments, not assumptions or labels. This will help us to ensure that we offer them the relevant skills and experience they require to be prepared for adulthood. |
Challenges
This details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified among our disadvantaged pupils.
| Challenge number | Detail of challenge |
| 1 | Our assessments show that disadvantaged pupils generally make less progress from their starting points when entering school. Whilst the types of barriers to learning and the difficulties disadvantaged pupils experience vary, their overall academic progress tends to be lower in most subjects. |
| 2 | Our assessments, observations and discussions with pupils show that disadvantaged pupils are generally more likely to have language comprehension difficulties compared to non-disadvantaged pupils in our school. |
| 3 | Our assessments, observations and discussions with pupils show that disadvantaged pupils generally have greater challenges around communicating and expressing their needs than their peers, including non-verbal, limited language and social interaction difficulties. |
| 4 | Through observations and conversations with pupils and their families, we find more pupils require support for their personal care needs. An increasing number of pupils are beginning school in nappies and are not toilet trained thus impacting significantly on their learning times in class. Staff being pulled away from class to support individuals for personal care has increased significantly. |
| 5 | Our assessments, observations and conversations with pupils indicate that pupils often require additional support to develop personal skills and manage their emotions appropriately. |
| 6 | Our assessments, observations and discussions with pupils and families demonstrate that the education, wellbeing and wider aspects of development of many of our disadvantaged pupils have been impacted. This also impacts on the number of children being persistently absent. |
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 |
| Improved attainment for disadvantaged pupils in all subjects, relative to their starting points as identified through baseline assessments. | Through achievement of improved performance, as demonstrated by our end of year assessments. Identify and provide additional support and interventions for pupils not making expected progress. |
| Improved language comprehension for disadvantaged pupils so that they can independently comprehend the curriculum content. | Designated staff team to provide additional support for individuals and groups of pupils result in improved communication. Progress demonstrated through end of year assessments. |
| Pupils can use a range of communication systems to aid their understanding and to develop expressive communication skills. | Through achievement of EHC plan termly outcomes. |
| Increase time spent in class through having additional care support when needed. | Classroom staff are able to remain in class. More pupils develop their self-care skills so that can manage independently. |
| Provide support for Health and Well being Improve attendance for pupils identified as being persistently absent for reasons other than sickness. | Identify pupils requiring mental health support through the internal referral system. Provide interventions through the mentoring programme. Provide behaviour management strategies to enable pupils to access learning for longer periods of time. Provide opportunities to develop social skills through outdoor education activities. Provide CPD for staff to enable them to further support pupils in class. |
| Provide additional Physical and Sensory support for physical development | Identify pupils requiring additional physical support Provide interventions as required Identify pupils requiring sensory interventions CPD for staff as required. |
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: £1000
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| CPD for staff to develop strategies for pupils requiring additional Sensory provisions. | Sensory interventions used more frequently and based around pupils’ needs as detailed in EHCP’s. | 3 |
| CPD for staff in Attention Autism | Due to increasing numbers of pupils being diagnosed, this approach enables pupils to receive focused learning daily. | 3 |
Targeted academic support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)
Budgeted cost: £125,000
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| Employment of 2 Health and Well Being Mentors and intervention programmes in place for pupils as required. | There is strong evidence both Nationally and Locally that children and young people suffering from mental health issues has significantly increased over the last 2-3 years. Local support remains mostly inappropriate for children and young people with learning disabilities and those services that are suitable are hugely oversubscribed with waiting times anywhere between 18 months and 24 months for initial screening appointments. Improve attendance by working with pupils and families who are persistently absent from school. | 1, 3, 5, 6 |
| Employment of Speech and Language Technicians (50% of the costs) to support the implementation of individual programmes but also Social Use of Language programmes and individual support with communication. | The number of individuals requiring Speech and Language Therapy has increased. The number of pupils being discharged from the SALT service has increased. The number of pupils requiring SCERTS, PECS and Makaton to assist with communication has increased. | 1, 2, 3, 6 |
| Employment of a Behaviour Mentor in school to support pupils struggling with Emotional Regulation. | Interventions and strategies targeted at specific pupils to reduce the number of incidents and effectively use proactive strategies. Pupils identified through analysis of behaviour monitoring data. | 1, 6 |
| Employment of a Physical and Sensory Mentor in school. Individual programmes in place as required. | The number of pupils requiring physical therapy and sensory regulation has increased. This is reflected in EHCP outcomes. | 1, 3, 5, 6 |
| Employment of 3 care support assistants | Dedicated staff to support the care needs of pupils ensures less disruption for other pupils and enables classroom staff to continue to support the remaining pupils. | 1, 4 |
Wider strategies
Budgeted cost: £17,080
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| Enhancing the sensory regulation equipment available for PP learners with enhanced sensory needs, including autism. We will also fund staff training. | We have observed that sensory equipment and resources such as sensory circuits and sensory “snacks” are beneficial for pupils. Lease of Cubbie to enable targeted emotional regulation sessions for individual pupils. | 1, 3, 5 |
| Developing Teaching and Learning by delivering CPD for staff to use a range of approaches and strategies such as SCERTS. | Recommended by the schools Educational Psychology team. | 1, 2, 3, 6 |
| Develop the pupils self-care skills by employing care support assistants | Classroom staff remain in class therefore disruption for other pupils is minimised. Care Assistants work with other Health Professionals to deliver programmes to support self-care skills. | 4 |
| Develop wider curriculum opportunities | Enable pupils to access other curriculum activities such as music and Outdoor Education. | 1,3,6 |
Total budgeted cost: £
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 2024 to 2025 academic year.
| Our internal assessments during 2024/25 indicated that disadvantaged pupils academic and wider development outcomes were marginally below what was anticipated from their individual starting points. The outcomes we aimed to achieve in our previous strategy by the end of 24/25 were therefore not fully realised for all curriculum areas, however, 82% of pupils did make expected progress in reading from their individual starting points. Our assessment of the reasons for these outcomes still points primarily to Covid-19 impact. This disrupted the learning and development for our youngest pupils prior to attending school and had a negative impact on their development to varying degrees, particularly in limiting opportunities to progress social and communication skills and independence. This is still applicable for this academic year as many pupils are still affected. Our assessments and observations suggested that for many pupils, their difficulties with communication impacts greatly on their ability to progress, hence we will continue to support Social Communication across the school for all pupils. More pupils in school experience sensory distress at times during the school day and therefore require more support to enable them to learn to regulate their own needs over time. More pupils struggle to regulate their own emotions and therefore we will continue to support each pupil in various ways which include 1:1 support, classroom support and access to wider curriculum opportunities such as Outdoor Education. Development of the curriculum model throughout the academic year 2025/26 will support all pupils to make expected progress in line with their starting points and primary area of need as detailed within their EHC Plans. |
Externally provided programmes
N/A as externally provided programmes such as PE and Sport projects are funded through different grants.
| Programme | Provider |
Further information (optional)
| Additional activity Our pupil premium strategy will be supplemented by additional activity that we are not funding using pupil premium. That will include: Working in partnership with local colleges and FE providers to provide opportunities such as taster courses, link programmes and mentoring to enable young people with SEN to familiarise themselves with the college environment and gain some experience of college life and study.Utilising the local area and community to enhance the curriculum through Educational Visits.Providing all pupils from Key Stage 2 upwards with subsidised opportunities for residential visits Developing communication and interaction skills through the local School Sports Partnership and opportunities for competitionEnabling further training for the School Councils representatives to become Digital Ambassadors (Wider Learning)Other professional colleagues visiting school to enhance the curriculum such as the Music Service Planning, implementation and evaluation In planning our new pupil premium strategy, we evaluated why activity undertaken in previous years had not had the degree of impact that we had expected. We looked at several reports, studies and research papers about effective use of Pupil Premium and the intersection between socio-economic disadvantage and SEND. We also looked at a number of studies about the impact of the pandemic on disadvantaged learners. The pandemic has also given us deeper insights into family life for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and we have been able to forge stronger relationships with parents/guardians as a result. We have also put a sharp focus on supporting teachers to develop their professional practice and train in specialist areas, allowing them to develop expertise and share them with other staff. |
This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium (and tutoring funding for the 2024 to 2025 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 | Westcroft School |
| Pupils in school | 193 |
| Proportion of disadvantaged pupils | 59.1% |
| Pupil premium allocation this academic year | £136,040 |
| Academic year or years covered by statement | 2024-2025 |
| Publish date | 18/12/2024 |
| Review date | 01/12/2025 |
| Statement authorised by | H Andrioli |
| Pupil premium lead | H Andrioli |
| Governor lead | J Wilson |
Funding overview
| Detail | Amount |
| Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year | £136,040 |
| 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 | £136,040 |
Part A: Pupil premium strategy plan
Statement of Intent
| Our aim is to use pupil premium funding to help us achieve and sustain positive outcomes for our disadvantaged pupils. The number of pupils eligible for Pupil Premium has risen significantly over the last few years from 44.7% to 59%.
Whilst socio-economic disadvantage is not always the primary challenge our pupils face, we do see that many pupils have additional needs or multiple needs as detailed within their Education Health and Care Plans such as: · Communication and Interaction needs · Number of pupils with a diagnosis of Autism or Autistic traits · Number of pupils requiring additional Speech and Language Intervention · Number of pupils requiring sensory or physical intervention · Number of pupils requiring care support for toileting and medical needs At the heart of our approach is high-quality teaching focussed on areas that the pupils require it most, targeted support based on robust diagnostic assessment of need, and enabling pupils to access a broad and balanced curriculum. Although our strategy is focused on the needs of disadvantaged pupils, it will benefit all pupils in our school where funding is spent on whole-school approaches, such as high-quality teaching. Implicit in the intended outcomes detailed below, is the intention that outcomes for non-disadvantaged pupils will be improved alongside progress for their disadvantaged peers. Our strategy is integral to wider school plans for recovery, notably through the engagement of various interventions in school to provide additional support for pupils who are not making expected progress and who struggle to access the curriculum. Our strategy will be driven by the needs and strengths of each young person, based on formal and informal assessments, not assumptions or labels. This will help us to ensure that we offer them the relevant skills and experience they require to be prepared for adulthood. |
Challenges
This details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified among our disadvantaged pupils.
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 |
| Improved attainment for disadvantaged pupils in all subjects, relative to their starting points as identified through baseline assessments. | Through achievement of improved performance, as demonstrated by our end of year assessments at the end of our strategy.
Improve the quality of reading materials throughout the school. Identify and provide additional support for pupils not making expected progress. |
| Improved language comprehension for disadvantaged pupils so that they can independently comprehend the curriculum content. | Assessment of pupils’ language comprehension shows a reduction in the disparity in outcomes between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in our school. The number of pupils receiving external Speech and Language therapy is being reduced by external services leaving a gap in provision and therefore, being provided by the school. |
| Pupils can use a range of communication systems to aid their understanding and to develop expressive communication skills. | Through achievement of EHC plan termly outcomes. |
| Increase time spent in class through having additional care support when needed. | Classroom staff are able to remain in class.
Pupils develop their self-care skills so that can manage independently. |
| Provide support for Health and Well being
Improve attendance for pupils identified as being persistently absent for reasons other than sickness. | Identify pupils requiring mental health support through the internal referral system.
Provide interventions through the mentoring programme. Provide behaviour management strategies to enable pupils to access learning for longer periods of time. Provide opportunities to develop social skills through outdoor education activities. Provide CPD for staff to enable them to further support pupils in class. |
| Provide additional Physical and Sensory support for physical development | Identify pupils requiring additional physical support
Provide interventions as required Identify pupils requiring sensory interventions CPD for staff as required. |
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: £0
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| CPD for staff to develop strategies for pupils requiring additional Sensory provisions. | Sensory interventions used more frequently and based around pupils’ needs as detailed in EHCP’s. | 3 |
Targeted academic support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)
Budgeted cost: £121,500
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| Employment of 2 Health and Well Being Mentors and intervention programmes in place for pupils as required. | There is strong evidence both Nationally and Locally that children and young people suffering from mental health issues has significantly increased over the last 2-3 years.
Local support remains mostly inappropriate for children and young people with learning disabilities and those services that are suitable are hugely oversubscribed with waiting times anywhere between 12 months and 18 months for initial screening appointments. | 1, 3, 5, 6 |
| Employment of Speech and Language Technicians (50% of the costs) to support the implementation of individual programmes but also Social Use of Language programmes and individual support with communication. | The number of individuals requiring Speech and Language Therapy has increased.
The number of pupils requiring SCERTS, PECS and Makaton to assist with communication has increased. | 1, 2, 3, 6 |
| Employment of a Behaviour Mentor in school to support pupils struggling with Emotional Regulation. | Interventions and strategies targeted at specific pupils to reduce the number of incidents and effectively use proactive strategies.
Pupils identified through analysis of behaviour monitoring data. | 1, 6 |
| Employment of a Physical and Sensory Mentor in school.
Individual programmes in place as required. | The number of pupils requiring physical therapy and sensory regulation has increased.
This is reflected in EHCP outcomes. | 1, 3, 5, 6 |
| Employment of 2 care support assistants | Dedicated staff to support the care needs of pupils ensures less disruption for other pupils and enables classroom staff to continue to support the remaining pupils. | 1, 4 |
Wider strategies
Budgeted cost: £14,550
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| Enhancing the sensory regulation equipment available for PP learners with enhanced sensory needs, including autism. We will also fund staff training. | We have observed that sensory equipment and resources such as sensory circuits and sensory “snacks” are beneficial for pupils.
Lease of Cubbie to enable targeted emotional regulation sessions for individual pupils. | 1, 3, 5 |
| Ensuring reading materials are age appropriate whilst sitting within an appropriate level for the pupils.
Phonics resources are also updated. | New materials have been sourced through Oxford University Press.
New resources developed in house for older pupils struggling to access phonics materials. | 1, 2, 3, 6 |
| Developing Teaching and Learning by delivering CPD for staff to use a range of approaches and strategies such as SCERTS. | Recommended by the schools Educational Psychology team. | 1, 2, 3, 6 |
| Develop the pupils self-care skills by employing care support assistants | Classroom staff remain in class therefore disruption for other pupils is minimised.
Care Assistants work with other Health Professionals to deliver programmes to support self-care skills. | 4 |
| Develop wider curriculum opportunities | Enable pupils to access other curriculum activities such as music and Outdoor Education. | 1,3,6 |
Total budgeted cost: £136,040
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 2023 to 2024 academic year.
| Our internal assessments during 2023/24 indicated that disadvantaged pupils academic and wider development outcomes were marginally below what was anticipated from their individual starting points. The outcomes we aimed to achieve in our previous strategy by the end of 23/24 were therefore not fully realised for all curriculum areas, however, 82% of pupils did make expected progress in reading from their individual starting points.
Our assessment of the reasons for these outcomes still points primarily to Covid-19 impact. This disrupted the learning and development for our youngest pupils prior to attending school and had a negative impact on their development to varying degrees, particularly in limiting opportunities to progress social and communication skills and independence. This is still applicable for this academic year as many pupils are still affected. Our assessments and observations suggested that for many pupils, their difficulties with communication impacts greatly on their ability to progress, hence we will continue to support Social Communication across the school for all pupils. More pupils in school experience sensory distress at times during the school day and therefore require more support to enable them to learn to regulate their own needs over time. More pupils struggle to regulate their own emotions and therefore we will continue to support each pupil in various ways which include 1:1 support, classroom support and access to wider curriculum opportunities such as Outdoor Education. Development of the curriculum model throughout the academic year 2024/25 will support all pupils to make expected progress in line with their starting points and primary area of need as detailed within their EHC Plans. |
Externally provided programmes
N/A as externally provided programmes such as PE and Sport projects are funded through different grants.
| Programme | Provider |
Further information (optional)
| Additional activity
Our pupil premium strategy will be supplemented by additional activity that we are not funding using pupil premium. That will include: · Working in partnership with local colleges and FE providers to provide opportunities such as taster courses, link programmes and mentoring to enable young people with SEN to familiarise themselves with the college environment and gain some experience of college life and study. · Utilising the local area and community to enhance the curriculum through Educational Visits. · Providing all pupils from Key Stage 2 upwards with subsidised opportunities for residential visits · Developing communication and interaction skills through the local School Sports Partnership and opportunities for competition · Enabling further training for the School Councils representatives to become Digital Ambassadors (Wider Learning) · Other professional colleagues visiting school to enhance the curriculum such as the Music Service Planning, implementation and evaluation In planning our new pupil premium strategy, we evaluated why activity undertaken in previous years had not had the degree of impact that we had expected. We looked at several reports, studies and research papers about effective use of Pupil Premium and the intersection between socio-economic disadvantage and SEND. We also looked at a number of studies about the impact of the pandemic on disadvantaged learners. The pandemic has also given us deeper insights into family life for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and we have been able to forge stronger relationships with parents/guardians as a result. We have also put a sharp focus on supporting teachers to develop their professional practice and train in specialist areas, allowing them to develop expertise and share them with other staff.
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