Coronovirus Catch Up Premium
The Department for Education announced a one off fund for 2020-21 which they wanted schools to use for specific activities/resources to support pupils to catch up for lost teaching over the previous months, in line with the curriculum expectations for the following academic year.
Rainford Brook Lodge received approximately £16,000 in total over the academic year which was given to us in three separate payments. We spent this on the following:
1. New assessment material which has the capacity to carry out online ‘question level analysis’ enabling teachers to identify gaps to plug in their planning and teaching. This is running alongside our changes to planning and feedback procedures which are looking to ensure staff are able to ‘know and cater for every child’s needs, every day’ a priority in our school development plan this year. This already lead to identified weaknesses and some progress was made in addressing these gaps. This is ongoing.
2. We purchased a piece of software that enables results from the assessments mentioned above to be tracked seamlessly against individual and class targets set to ensure progress is taking place. This software also enable some foundation subjects’ progress and achievement to be tracked too.
3. We purchased online resources to enhance our capacity when setting work for individuals or groups who need to isolate. All children will have better access to online resources when necessary.
4. Extra reading books were purchased to ensure that given the gap in time some children may have had in their exposure to reading, they will be exposed to a greater range of texts at their level to fully consolidate their skills. Reading skills to be back in line with pre-covid standards.
5. Additional resources in practical subjects such as Art and DT were also purchased as children couldn’t necessarily share due to hygiene restictions and this ensured children could have a chance to catch up in the more practical sessions too. Art and DT to be maintained throughout any further changes to provision in terms of limiting the sharing of resources.
6. Access to high quality online professional development was purchased via the National College which helped to give all our staff the skills to both keep children safe and to help them reach their full potential.
7. Funding has contributed towards improved technology for both staff and pupils which will help in both day to day teaching and in the result of any further lockdowns; bubbles or individuals needing to isolate; or children being absent for other reasons sanctioned by the school to enabling remote education
Funding for 2021/22 (£2610) was used for the purchase of a new spelling scheme in Key Stage 1 and 2; access to further resources to develop physical development in EYFS and to cover supply costs for the monitoring and moderation of writing as assessment has shown this has proved to be the area of the curriculum most adversely affected by the lockdowns as well as to support funding of materials for Standardised tests. As a result, targeted gaps from pre-Covid were found to be closing and physical development in EYFS improved from the previous year.
Money allocated from the National Tutoring fund was used for School Led tutoring where support was targeted particularly at children in Year 2 where gaps had been identified. Tutoring was focussed primarily on Maths. Of 9 children targeted, 6 moved from ‘Working Towards’ to ‘Expected’ in the SATs and one child moved from ‘Expected’ to ‘Greater Depth’. Some work was done to support reading for a number of children with results from the class improving from 57% to 64% at expected and 13% ‘Greater Depth’ to 29% from 13% in spring. 60% of disadvantaged children reached the expected standards in Reading, Writing and Maths: this equated to five children where one of the five was not entered. This is above the national average.
Funding for 2022-23 will be targeted once assessments from the end of Autumn term are analysed.