The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, funding which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address current inequalities by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the students who need it most.
The Pupil Premium has already been allocated to schools. It has been for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.

Measures have been included in the performance tables that capture the achievement of those deprived pupils covered by the Pupil Premium. The Pupil Premium is primarily aimed at Reception to Year 11 pupils who are from low-income families and are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). The Pupil Premium is based on the number of FSM pupils, looked after children and children of service families. Funding is calculated based on the number of current eligible children (as per January census) plus any child who previously met the eligibility requirements anytime in the past six years.

In order to meet the above requirements, the Governing body and the Senior Leadership Team will ensure that provision is made which secures the teaching and learning opportunities that meet the needs of all pupils. Our priority at Whiston Willis Primary Academy, within each academic year, is to ‘diminish the difference’ for those pupils not on track to achieve National Expectations at the end of Key Stage 2.

In response to the COVID 19 pandemic, the government provided all schools with additional funding to support pupils to ‘catch up’ following the enforced periods of school closure. Schools were required to plan this expenditure and below is the plan developed for this. This plan is a flexible document and will be added to or amended as required.