Year 7 Literacy and numeracy catch-up premium
Introduction
The literacy and numeracy catch-up premium provides schools with an additional £500 for each
year 7 student who did not achieve at least level 4 in reading and/or maths at the end of Key
Stage 2.
It is provided to all state-funded schools with a year 7 cohort, including special schools,
alternative provision (AP) settings and pupil referral units (PRUs).
OFSTED 2014
“From very low starting points all students achieve well. In the last two years students have achieved
average standards in mathematics and well-above average attainment in English”.
“The emphasis the academy puts on reading is exemplary. All students in Years 7 to 10 read daily for
up to 35 minutes in tutorial time. This is driving up standards of literacy”.
“Students achieve especially well in English where standards are above average. Standards have
been lower in mathematics and achievement not as strong but, in the short time that the academy has
existed, real progress has been made so that students are on track to reach above average standards
in mathematics this year. Students’ rates of progress in English are well above expectations. Progress
in mathematics has been slower but is rapidly catching up. Overall, across all subjects, the progress
of students in 2012/13 put them in the top 30% of schools”.
“Year 7 catch-up funding is being used to provide smaller teaching groups in English and
mathematics so that students are given a more secure foundation for their later learning”.
“Students who speak English as an additional language benefit from the focus on literacy and reading
so that their progress is at least as good as that of other students. Students who come from minority
ethnic backgrounds make the same good progress as other students”.
“The profile of reading has been raised very successfully so that students say that they now often read
for pleasure. Students comment that better literacy skills have helped them to improve work in other
subjects. All students know their precise reading age and the response to daily reading practice is
good”.
Summary
In 2013-14, Haywood Academy received £28500. The funding was used to support initiatives in
both English and Maths.
In English students who entered the school at lower than a level 4 were placed into a teaching
group who completed the Fresh Start Phonics programme. This involves age appropriate
teaching of phonics combining both reading and writing skills. It enables students to make rapid
progress in terms of their literacy skills meaning that they can access all areas of the curriculum.
The premium supports the resourcing of this strategy.
Year 7 Literacy and numeracy catch-up premium
They also had an extra 4 lessons of English on their timetable (12 rather than 8). During these
lessons students had the opportunity to read a complete text which was ability appropriate and
complete tasks on the text as preparation for returning to the conventional English curriculum at
the end of the Fresh Start programme. The premium contributes to staffing of this increased
curriculum time.
Other students who but did not require phonics teaching received 2 hours of intervention per
fortnight. This involved them being withdrawn to work in small groups with a learning mentor
who is an English specialist. They received a programme tailored to their particular needs as the
mentor liaises with their English teacher and looks at diagnostic elements of the Accelerated
Reader test to determine their areas of weakness. Progress was reviewed at the end of each term
and a decision was made about whether the intervention needs to continue. The premium
contributes to the staffing of this withdrawal.
In Maths students who entered the school at lower than a level 4 were placed into a teaching
group who completed the Connecting Mathematics programme. This programme is designed to
ensure that all the 'basic' maths skills required to access the curriculum are fully understood.
Every qualifying student also had 1 hour of additional intervention every week. This was a
withdrawal strategy in groups of 4 delivered by a Maths Mentor. They followed a programme
aimed at securing level 4. Progress was reviewed at the end of each term and a decision was
made about whether the intervention needs to continue. The premium contributes to the staffing
of this withdrawal intervention.
Monitoring takes the form of data entry and analysis. Data is collected from staff every half
term. Relevant Heads of Department analyse the data, tracking the progress of all students
(including those qualifying for this premium). Rigorous SLT line management and review
ensures that this analysis is both accurate and informs further relevant information.
“The academy rigorously uses data to check whether it is getting value for money in how the
funding is spent and to ensure that the gap in attainment with their peers is narrowing”.
(OFSTED, 2014)
In 2014-15, Haywood Academy will receive £22000. This money will continue to provide the
strategies as outlined above.