Use of the Pupil Premium in 2014/15 and plans for next academic year
Funds of £292k were received in the accounts of the Thomas Aveling School in respect to
pupil premium and LAC (ever 6) and forces (ever 4) students for the academic year 2014/2015
which was received in regular instalments during the year in addition to the main school
budget (the general annual grant). In addition to this £15k was received from Medway LA in
respect to additional targeted support for specific LAC students. These funds have been used
to provide a variety of strategies that have helped to improve attendance and raise
attainment during the year. Specifically funds were used during the year to support the
following activities;
KS4 Curriculum support: £43k
 Mid-term and Easter revision sessions were run for Year 11 and Year 10 students,
particular care was taken to invite pupil premium recipients. During the course of the
year further revision sessions were run on Saturday mornings in order to devote
attention to focus on supporting specific groups of students and catch up.
 Teaching Assistant resource was employed during the year in order to extend support
for students with learning difficulties in smaller groups. This incorporated one to one
focused activities and assessment and feedback.
 Revision guides and resources were made available in English, Maths and Science in
order to provide additional support for students to enhance revision opportunities.
 PiXL membership – best practice resources/training and development programmes.
This has included student visit to Oxbridge/Russell group conference to broaden and
extend student aspirations.
 Revision sessions were facilitated after school in the school library in order to provide
a quiet and dedicated arena in which students were able to focus on specific
knowledge gaps with on-hand support from staff.
 The school opened its doors as a revision space in the evening from 6.00-8.00pm in the
run up to exam to provide quiet and resourced revision space for students that
required this. This was heavily attended by Pupil premium students.
One to One Mentors & Peer Tuition: £10k
 The school employed One to One teacher and student mentors in KS4 with the
particular remit to target and overcome barriers to learning in order to help improve
engagement and raise attainment in vulnerable groups and under-performing students
with a specific focus in literacy and maths. This was employed in conjunction with
existing strategies by house group currently delivered by ADoLs.
 The use of 6th form students trained as reading mentors to support year 8 students to
help to improve literacy skills and raise attainment.
Careers advice and guidance for Y9, 10, 11: £20k
Careers advice is provided through connexions for 1 day per week to work with KS4 students
and pupil premium students. Additional consultations are made available to those children in
most need with their post-16 transition routes. Work is taking place with KS4 students in
particular with those students who are at risk of becoming NEETs with local work placements
available where appropriate. Workshops and presentations have been organised to help raise
aspirations of students supported by visits to Universities. These have included visits to local
Universities, Oxford and those within the Russell Group of Universities. Training and CPD has
been provided to staff to enable them to support the provision of work-based programmes
and other tailored workplace strategies. In addition to this the school provided a forum for
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engineering apprenticeships to be presented by a large national engineering and construction
company as a potential option to students. This provided students with an opportunity to
learn more about apprenticeship opportunities in industry and a number of places on
apprenticeship courses were offered and taken up by Thomas Aveling students looking for
potential career opportunities in engineering.
SEN: Alternative Curriculum group: £92k
The Thomas Aveling have developed a number of Alternative Curriculum strategies including
Horizon and CoPE in order to support the learning of a core group of children who hitherto
have experienced difficulties in mainstream lessons due to a variety of factors. The group
enabled those children to learn in a safe and stimulating environment more specifically
tailored to their needs. They are led by a senior member of teaching staff, supported by a
full-time teacher and teaching assistants and have access to the range of support which they
individually require which means that a variety of support services work in conjunction with
these groups to determine the best methods for each child, e.g. SENCO, Children’s Team,
Directors of Learning and assigned learning mentors.
In addition to internal strategies whereby the school manages and delivers timetabled lessons
covering a wide range of topics the school utilises external facilities such as the youth service
in order to help break down barriers to learning by engaging and supporting learning. In order
to vary the curriculum offer and engage the students and in addition some students have
taken part in an engagement programme run by fresh start. The aim of these programmes is
to ensure students stay in full time education and engage with their learning
The Horizon Project (incorporating a mainstream Teacher, two Teaching Assistants and youth
worker supported by staff from the Children’s Team) provides a higher level of more
dedicated support as well as some small group work supported by external agencies. The
School employs a project manager to provide differentiated support for students via work
placements and work related learning opportunities working closely with external agencies
including MEBP. The project manager provides linked support for careers guidance for
students and undertakes a guidance role in KS4 as well as facilitating additional alternative
curriculum programmes. £20k
The school employs the services of a School counsellor via Kent Community Health NHS Trust
(presently two days per week rising to three days per week post-Christmas in place for the
primary exam period) who is currently working with a number of pupils and has a considerable
number of students on the waiting list. She is an extremely valuable resource and is greatly
appreciated by the pupils. In addition to this the school employs services of and educational
psychologist to support students and help remove barriers to learning. £17k
KS3 Intervention plan: £19k
The school employs a number of strategies to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all
pupils and in particularly those who are disadvantaged. Head of Departments are responsible
for ensuring classroom setting and differentiation.
The school runs a Language and Literacy programme to focus on literacy needs of students
including students EAL and other needy and more vulnerable student groups and employs a
number of strategies to address needs and raise standards in these areas including Literacy
and Numeracy focus groups incorporating withdrawal groups where practicable.
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Speech and language therapy is presently limited to students with statements of educational
need, a programme has therefore been funded to support students with Speech and Language
difficulties who do not have statements such as those students who are on action or action
plus. The school has targeted and extended focus on literacy in year 7 in order to plan
targeted early intervention strategies based upon assessments using Lexia software
The school also runs an accelerated Reading Programme the scope of which has been widened
to include additional students. This is a catch up programme for pupils in year 7 to 8 as we
recognise they arrive from primary school with a reading age well below their chronological
age in many cases. This programme is delivered through English lessons. Pupils are assigned a
book appropriate to their reading age. Pupils are assessed online and then move on to the
next level. This programme also benefits more able readers as it moves them on quickly to
higher level texts.
The school has continued to develop an immediate feedback programme which is focused on
pupil premium students in Year 7 and Year 8 maths. This involves teaching assistants focusing
on different feedback strategies in maths subject content and behaviour and attitude to
learning feedback. The students were given considerable amount of immediate feedback in
lessons and other main the focus was to increase the frequency and speed of feedback related
to marking of books. This project is continuing to deliver considerable additional progress
with the students involved and further development opportunities will be sought for further
expansion in 2015.
Breakfast/Lunch and after school clubs: £21k
The School has continued to run a Breakfast club for targeted students during weekday
mornings through the Youth centre facility to provide a safe environment for vulnerable
students who would not otherwise have access to a healthy daily breakfast option. The club
encourages students to adopt healthy living options and endeavours to address student
nutritional needs to improve student focus in class room activities. The club is coordinated
and staffed by a teacher and a member of the Teaching Assistants staff.
The breakfast club initiative has been further extended to include free breakfast offer to all
students in the main hall and targeted in particular more vulnerable students who arrive early
on-site without a breakfast. It provides a safe environment for student who would not
otherwise have access to a breakfast meal and continues to develop. Student attendance has
continued to grow considerably since it was introduced at Easter and students are encouraged
to make toast and crumpets for themselves under the supervision of a member of staff. As
well as providing nourishment that they would not otherwise readily access it teaches
students key basic skills in looking after themselves and a safe environment in which to
socialise with other students and staff.
Identification of need and allocation of additional support: £62k
The school employs a Home School Support Worker to help support vulnerable students and
families both in the school and home environments. She provides counselling and guidance as
part of a wider student referral program. Within this programme is a vulnerable student tutor
group, additional support for EAL students, additional support via the appointment of
additional assistant Directors of Learning who conduct anger management, personal
awareness and confidence groups as well as one to one emotional intervention. It also
includes costs for support of young carers, visually impaired PP students & out of hours’ clubs.
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Impact on outcomes
Attainment;
The above strategies and support have made a large and measurable impact on the levels of
achievement and attainment of those students included in the Pupil Premium Grant. This can
be seen in the following graphs and in particular the progress the school has made in rapidly
closing the gap between pupil premium students and non-pupil premium students attainment
in the latest public examinations – 2015. The whole school figure for 5 A*-C (including English
and Maths) stands at 59%, non- pupil premium pupils were at 62% and PP pupils 48% a gap of
14 compared to 36% in 2014 against an increasing pass rate overall (up 6%). Similarly the gap
between non PP and PP students on the 5+ A*-C figure has decreased from 41% to 14% in the
same period, again against an increasing overall figure.
% of Pupils Gaining 5+ A*-C inc En and Ma
70
60
50
Whole School
40
Non PP
PP
30
20
10
0
2014
2015
Levels of Progress;
The school has ensured through intervention in the above projects and key subject areas
including English and Maths that the improvement in student progress has been significantly
improved during the year. In this regard, those making expected progress in En (or better)
stand at 88% non-pp students and 77% PP students, a gap of 11% compared to a gap of 24% the
previous year. Similarly in Maths the gap has decreased from 20% down to 9% in 2015
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% of pupils making at least expected progress in En
90
80
70
60
Non PP
50
PP
40
30
20
10
0
2014
2015
% of pupils making at least expected progress in Ma
70
60
50
Non PP
40
PP
30
20
10
0
2014
2015
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Impact on Attendance
The above interventions have helped to make a positive contribution to the year on year
improvement in 100% attendance amongst pupil premium students and this has additionally
helped to close the gap with non-pupil premium students.
% Pupils with 100% Attendance
7
6
5
4
PP %
3
Whole school %
2
Whole school %
1
0
PP %
2014-15
2015-16
Plans for next year 2016/17
The School has been Allocated initial funds in the current budget year equating to £275k
however these are subject to revision further to the January Census submission. The school
intends to use the money to support the following programmes.
Gifted and Talented
Our G&T co-ordinator will continue to ensure that the needs of our learners who are
recognised as gifted or talented are being met in order to challenge student to raise
achievement and broaden their horizon. Additional funds would allow us to provide further
enrichment activities such as visits to universities, interview skills courses and presentations
in school by motivational speakers from the public and private sector.
School counsellor
The School intends to continue to engage the services of a School counsellor to work with
pupils two days per week. This is an extremely valuable resource and continuing to provide a
second day of support with periodic extension will be warmly welcomed by our students. In
addition to this the school will continue to engage the services of an educational psychologist
as necessary in order to help remove potential barriers to learning.
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Literacy and Numeracy Focus/ Speech and Language course
The targeted focus on literacy using Lexia software has proven to be a useful tool in order to
plan targeted early intervention strategies in year 7 particularly for students with speech and
language difficulties who do not have statements such as those on school action or action plus
and the school will continue to develop the use of this software during 2015/16.
Children’s Team and Student Support services
The school plans to continue to provide support to vulnerable students and families via the
services of the Home School Support Worker who facilitates opportunities to provide key
intervention and support strategies and is a valuable interface with external support services.
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance
The School plans to engage the services of Medway Youth Trust for one day per week. This is
now on a paid basis since central funding for this service has been withdrawn. It is intended
that the School Project Manager will continue to liaise with members of the Medway Youth
Trust and to provide additional support in Careers advice and work with targeted students on
the Alternative Curriculum more creatively such as through focused group work, interview
preparation/ techniques and access to local placements to support work experience and work
placement strategies where appropriate.
Accelerated Reading programme
The Accelerated reading programme has proved very successful and we intend to continue
this programme as part of our KS3 literacy strategy.
SEN: Alternative curriculum Group and Horizon projects
The school intends to continue with its programme of additional support via its alternative
curriculum programme and Horizon project. In addition to this the school has developed a
programme to assist in the assessment of Dyslexic students and has allocated resource to
support and continue to develop this programme in addition to SULP, handwriting
intervention and social resilience development.
Learning Mentors: The school will continue to utilise learning mentors in KS4 with the
particular remit to target and overcome barriers to learning in order to help improve
engagement and raise attainment in vulnerable groups and under-performing students. This
strategy would be deployed in conjunction with existing strategies by house group currently
employed by ADoLs.
Peer Tuition: The use of 6 form students trained as reading mentors to support year 8
students to help to improve literacy skills and raise attainment and additionally as study
buddies to help students in all aspects of curriculum in specific subject areas.
Teaching Assistant support: Target support of teaching assistants to provide greater 1:1
tuition and increase the volume of work undertaken in small groups to provide a more focused
support to students.
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