Pupil Premium and Recovery Funding Strategy Statement

Detail

Data

School name

Wheatley Park School

Number of pupils in school 

1146

Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils (Y7-11)

17.6% as of 20 Dec 2023: 

Y11 - 32

Y10 - 41

Y9 - 35

Y8 - 31

Y7 - 26

Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers (3 year plans are recommended)

2021-22

2022-23

2023-24

Date this statement was published

First published December 2021

Updated in December 2022

Updated December 2023 - these updates highlighted in yellow

Date on which it will be reviewed

October 2024

Statement authorised by

Tim Martin (Headteacher)

Pupil premium lead

Tim Martin (Headteacher) 

Governor / Trustee lead

Caroline Williams/Richard Cave

Detail

Amount

Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year

£159K (anticipated) 

Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years

£0K

Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year

£42K

Recovery premium funding carried forward from previous years

£0K

Total budget for this academic year

£201K

Vision for Pupil Premium Provision at Wheatley Park School

• We fundamentally believe that a student’s background should not define their educational outcomes.

• Every student should have the right to achieve their potential whatever their background or circumstances.

• We aim to narrow and ultimately close the gap in performance, by knocking down barriers and breaking the link between deprivation and low attainment.

Principles

1. Every disadvantaged student is known well and is listened to

2. Proactively identify the greatest challenges to success

3. Use evidence-based, innovative strategies to provide high quality teaching and learning

4. Key decisions are made to benefit disadvantaged students

5. Support all disadvantaged students to have, and achieve, high aspirations

Rationale behind our principles

1. Every disadvantaged student is known well and is listened to

• We recognise that some young people experience disadvantage which may mean that they are at risk of achieving low levels of attainment and also making slower progress than their peers.

• We also recognise that good learning takes place in the context of excellent relationships

• In order to have a significant impact on the educational outcomes of these young people, teachers must know who the disadvantaged students are in the classes that they teach.

• Knowledge of our students who are eligible for Pupil Premium and building positive, effective relationships with these students will enable teachers to plan high quality lessons that are suited to the needs of the individuals in the class and have a significant impact on the learning of disadvantaged students. 

• By listening to our disadvantaged students and their families, we will be able to use the Pupil Premium funding effectively to support them in closing the attainment and progress  gap.  

2. Proactively identify the greatest challenges to success

• We aim to narrow and ultimately close the gap in performance, breaking the link between deprivation and low attainment.

• By knowing our disadvantaged students well, we can use our conversations and communication with families to identify specific challenges to success and put in place effective solutions to overcome these challenges.

3. Use evidence-based, innovative strategies to provide high quality teaching and learning

• It has been widely recognised by leading research that the biggest impact on disadvantaged students is high quality teaching and learning.

• Every teacher is expected to plan lessons using our agreed framework for effective teaching (The Seven Habits of Effective Learning) which has been produced to promote strategies that are known to have the most impact on disadvantaged students. 

• Through our broad and balanced curriculum, we aim to provide a knowledge rich environment where we encourage learning to flourish.

• We also develop students’ cultural capital through our teaching including their vocabulary through a clear focus on literacy including tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary.

• Over the past years we have worked hard on elements of learning that we know will have an impact on all learners but most significantly on disadvantaged students; these include memory, cognitive load, purposeful practice and modelling.  These have become embedded into our practice and can be observed being used across the curriculum.

4. Key decisions are made to benefit disadvantaged students

• Our strategic planning and identification of areas for development focuses on improving pupil outcomes with specific reference to vulnerable students, low prior attainers and students with special educational needs.

• We will look at wider strategies outside of the classroom that we can look to develop and improve to help the progress of these students.  These areas include attendance and social, emotional support.

5. Support all disadvantaged students to have, and achieve, high aspirations

• A student’s background and socio-econmic status should not impact on their educational achievements, or limit their aspirations for what they can achieve.

• We have the same, high expectations for all our students despite their background.

• We aim to support our students with their beliefs and aspirations in two ways - 

  • Helping them access wider school opportunities such as extra-curricular activities, academic interventions where needed, access to learning resources and materials.

  • Supporting students with their learning journey through Wheatley Park and beyond.  This includes extensive careers advice for Post-16 support and mentoring in the sixth form to support moving to further education or employment. 

Challenge number

Detail of challenge 

1

Challenge

Disadvantaged students enter Wheatley Park with weaker English skills than their peers, which negatively impacts on their attainment and progress across the curriculum. 

Evidence

Students from the class of 2026 receiving free school meals scored an average of 97.0 in their nationally standardised English progress tests in September 2021 compared to their non-disadvantaged peers who scored an average of 106.5. This gap was replicated for older year groups on entry. 

This trend continued for the class of 2027 where disadvantaged students scored an average of 95.9 in their nationally standardised English progress tests in September 2022 compared to an average score of 102.9 for all students. 

The class of 2028 appears to buck this trend, with disadvantaged students scoring an average of 100.2 in their nationally standardised English progress tests in September 2023 compared to an average score of 102.4 for all students. This is to be celebrated, but does not detract from the argument that disadvantaged students will benefit from maximum progress in this core subject. 

English staff used these tests to identify the following areas of relative weakness for all students and particularly disadvantaged students in the class of 2026:

• Capitalising proper nouns

• Making inferences about a fiction text

• Identifying basic authorial techniques

• Spelling a range of tier 2 vocabulary

• Using a range of punctuation accurately

• Using paragraphs accurately to structure their work

• Identifying subject / verb agreement

• Identifying synonyms in a narrative text

• Identifying the structure of a plot in a narrative

2

Challenge

Disadvantaged students enter Wheatley Park with weaker maths skills than their peers, which negatively impacts on their attainment and progress in subjects with numeracy-based content. 

Evidence

Students from the class of 2026 receiving free school meals scored an average of 93.9 in their nationally standardised maths progress tests in September 2021 compared to their non-disadvantaged peers who scored an average of 104.9

This trend continued for the class of 2027 where disadvantaged students scored an average of 94.9 in their nationally standardised English progress tests in September 2022 compared to an average score of 101.7 for all students. 

As with English, the class of 2028 appears to buck this trend, with disadvantaged students scoring an average of 101.9 in their nationally standardised maths progress tests in September 2023 compared to an average score of 101.2 for all students. The fact that disadvantaged students have outperformed all students here is again to be celebrated, but does not detract from the argument that disadvantaged students will benefit from maximum progress in this core subject. 

Maths staff used these tests and the school’s own ‘gateway assessment’ to identify the following areas of relative weakness for all students and particularly disadvantaged students in the class of 2026:

• Commutativity multiplication

• Order of operations - using brackets

• Rounding on a numberline

• Problem solving subtraction

• Multiples of 5

• Multiplying 3 digit and 2 digit

• Reading Conversion Graphs

• Drawing shapes with specific area on a grid

• Coordinates

• Comparing Fractions

• Mean of a set of numbers

• Angles around a point

• Worded Problem Multiplication

• Drawing Conversion Graphs

• Equivalent Fractions of Amounts and Percentages of Amounts

• Unit conversion problem solving (cubic cm and l)

• Reflecting in an axis

• Subtraction of fractions - diff denominators

3

Challenge

Disadvantaged students at Wheatley Park have a significantly greater rate of persistent absence and lower overall rates of attendance at Wheatley Park, which inevitably compromises their attainment and progress in all areas.

Evidence

Over the last three years, the proportion of disadvantaged students who have been persistently absent has been at least 10% higher than for their non-disadvantaged peers. For the first term of 2021-22, 26.9% of disadvantaged students were persistently absent (i.e. with absence below 90%) compared to 14.3% for their non-disadvantaged peers. 

By the end of 2021-22, 45.1% of disadvantaged students were persistently absent compared to 18.3% for their non-disadvantaged peers. 

By the end of 2022-23, disadvantaged students had an attendance rate of 75.5% compared to 90.7 for non-disadvantaged students, and a persistent absence rate of 61.7% compared to 21.6% for their non-disadvantaged peers. 

4

Challenge

Disadvantaged students at Wheatley Park are more likely to suffer from mental health issues such as anxiety, low self-esteem and low mood, which impact negatively on their overall attainment and progress in all areas. 

Evidence

Although disadvantaged students represent 17% of our student population, they make up 33% of students accessing our SEMH interventions of Emotional Literacy Support, Drawing and Talking and Tailored provision (30% in 2021-22), and 28% of our recent referrals for in-school counselling (23% in 2021-22). 

5

Challenge

Disadvantaged students at Wheatley Park are more likely to struggle with key academic transition points such as Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 and post-16 transition. Some disadvantaged students lack the aspiration or informed guidance about available options to maximise their potential.

Evidence

In 2021-22, 26% of disadvantaged students in Year 11 were entered for the EBacc compared to 48% of non-disadvantaged students. Disadvantaged students were under-represented in our Sixth Form, making up only 9% of Year 12 and 6% of Year 13 compared to 21% of Years 7 to 11. 

In 2022-23, 21% of disadvantaged students in Year 11 were eligible for the EBacc compared to 45% of non-disadvantaged students. 

In 2023-24, 22% of disadvantaged students in Year 11 are eligible for the EBacc compared to 43% of non-disadvantaged students. 

Internal pastoral and behaviour data suggests that disadvantaged students are more likely to struggle with the transition from primary to secondary school and more likely to need support with social, emotional, behavioural or attendance issues. 

Intended outcome

Success criteria

1. Disadvantaged students demonstrate improved progress and attainment in English.

By the end of 2023-24, non-disadvantaged students in KS3 have maintained or improved their scores in the nationally standardised English tests and the gap to non-disadvantaged students on entry has been eliminated by the end of Year 9. 

At Key Stage 4, disadvantaged students make above average progress in English and the gap to non-disadvantaged students for P8 and A8 demonstrates a reducing trend. 

2. Disadvantaged students demonstrate improved progress and attainment in maths. 

By the end of 2023-24, non-disadvantaged students in KS3 have maintained or improved their scores in the nationally standardised maths tests and the gap to non-disadvantaged students on entry has been eliminated by the end of Year 9. 

At Key Stage 4, disadvantaged students make positive progress in maths and the gap to non-disadvantaged students for P8 and A8 demonstrates a reducing trend. 

3. To achieve and sustain reduced persistent absence and increased overall attendance for disadvantaged students.

By the end of 2023-24, the proportion of students who are persistently absent has fallen clearly below national averages, and the gap between persistently absent disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students has fallen from in excess of 10% to below 5%.

4. To achieve and sustain improved mental health for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged.

By the end of 2023-24, sustained high levels of wellbeing are demonstrated by:

• Qualitative data from student voice, student and parent surveys and teacher observations.

5. Similar proportions of disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students meet specific milestones at key transition points

By the end of 2023-24:

• Ebacc entry and success rates place us in the top quartile of similar schools for all students, and the rate of entry and success for disadvantaged students matches the rate for non-disadvantaged students

• The percentage of disadvantaged students in our Sixth Form is comparable to the percentages found lower down the school

• The percentage of disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students gaining university places is comparable

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

Leadership and delivery of a multi-stranded plan to strengthen whole-school reading culture as outlined here, including the purchase of: 

• Accelerated Reader

• Bedrock Learning

• Fresh Start Phonics (by Read Write Inc)

In 2023-24, Sparx Reader and Seneca Learning replaced Accelerated Reader and Bedrock Learning

Acquiring disciplinary literacy is key for students as they learn new, more complex concepts in each subject:

Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools

Reading comprehension, vocabulary and other literacy skills are heavily linked with attainment in maths and English:

word-gap.pdf (oup.com.cn)

1

Investment in the development of a mastery approach in our maths department  including release time for the Head of Maths to train as a mastery specialist with the local Maths Hub.

EFF research finds the mastery approach to have positive effects, particularly in maths, when implemented well. 

2

Investment in chromebooks and IT infrastructure to ensure every disadvantaged pupil has access to their own personal chromebook

Impact on outcomes of disadvantaged students in 2019 at Wheatley Park School.

1 and 2

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

Investment in the DfE School Led Tutoring scheme (from a separate funding stream) with a tight focus on addressing the areas of weakness identified in Challenges 1 and 2 for disadvantaged students most affected by the pandemic in Years 7 and 8 through small group tuition. 

In 2023-24 we did not progress with this programme as there was insufficient evidence of positive impact for the spending and time taken to administer as well as recruitment challenges. 

However, a Student Learning Mentor was appointed with the remit of providing targeted academic support to Year 11 students including disadvantaged students. 

Tuition targeted at specific needs and knowledge gaps can be an effective method to support low attaining pupils or those falling behind, both one-to-one:

One to one tuition | EEF (education endowment foundation.org.uk)

And in small groups:

Small group tuition | Toolkit Strand | Education Endowment Foundation | EEF

1 and 2

Employment of additional English teacher to free up capacity for additional Year 11 English intervention lessons targeting disadvantaged students.

In 2023-24, maths staffing capacity was also increased. 

Additional intervention lessons with a specialist teacher allow more time to implement the curriculum effectively using The Wheatley Park Seven Habits of Effective Learning which are grounded in respected research such as Professor Robert Coe’s ‘What Makes Great Teaching?’.

1 and 2

Investment in staffing capacity to allow the Literacy Hub interventions mentioned in the whole-school reading plan (above) and parallel Numeracy Hub to run, which disproportionately support disadvantaged students. 

Interventions are run by trained Progress Coaches (Teaching Assistants and Higher Level Teaching Assistants). EFF research finds that “targeted deployment, where teaching assistants are trained to deliver an intervention to small groups or individuals has a higher impact.”

1 and 2

Investment in staffing capacity to allow for small KS3/KS4 English and maths teaching groups (STAR groups) taught by expert teachers, which disproportionately support disadvantaged students. 

The EEF finds that ‘access to high quality teaching is the most important lever schools have to improve outcomes for their pupils.’ STARs groups are taught by some of our most expert teachers including our Head of Maths and Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Teaching and Learning. 

1 and 2

Investment in online learning platforms such as Hegarty Maths and SAM Learning that support progress in English and maths for all students including disadvantaged students. 

Sparx Maths when on to replace Hegarty Maths after an internal evaluation. 

The school’s GCSE outcomes over time show a correlation between the adoption of these platforms and increased progress and attainment. 

1 and 2

Year 11 ‘Extra Revision’ after school sessions made possible by investment in all areas of the school that promote good staff wellbeing and encourage discretionary effort. 

The school’s GCSE outcomes over time show a correlation between a strong ER programme and increased progress and attainment. 

1 and 2

Investment in whole-staff CPDL sessions on alternate Friday afternoons throughout 2022-23 themed around our ‘Seven Habits of Everyone Learning’. 

This programme continues in 2023-24.

In 2011, the Sutton Trust reported, ‘The effects of high-quality teaching are especially significant for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds: over a school year, these pupils gain 1.5 years’ worth of learning with very effective teachers, compared with 0.5 years with poorly performing teachers. In other words, for poor pupils the difference between a good teacher and a bad teacher is a whole year’s learning.’

1 and 2

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

Investment in a school Attendance Officer to work with key pastoral leaders and outside agencies to improve the attendance of all students and especially disadvantaged students. 

Internal attendance data demonstrates improvements in overall attendance and a reduction in persistent absence for all students and disadvantaged students since our Attendance Officer had the capacity to issue attendance notifications and fines in liaise with Oxfordshire County Council attendance. 

3

Investment in SOL Attendance software to enable more impactful attendance tracking and intervention of all students and especially disadvantaged students. 

Internal attendance data demonstrates improvements in overall attendance and a reduction in persistent absence for all students and disadvantaged students since the introduction of SOL attendance in 2018-19.

3

Subsidising a Breakfast Club to encourage attendance and improve the welfare of all students and especially disadvantaged students. 

December 2022 update - this initiative is continuing but under review

Subsidising a lunch club in our SEMH club to allow vulnerable students, many of whom are disadvantaged, to socialise in a safe and supportive environment.

Little firm evidence appears to exist at secondary level. However, the most recent and revised EFF research findings indicate a positive effect at primary level: “The model of pre-school breakfast clubs the EEF trialled – free and universal – appears to have clear benefits to pupils. In addition to the positive attainment impact found for pupils in Year 2, the independent evaluation also found both improved attendance and behaviour in schools. Most importantly, breakfast clubs help ensure that no child has to learn when they’re hungry.”

3 and 4

Investment in the employment and training of non-teaching Assistant Heads of Year who play a key role in supporting the attendance and wellbeing of all students and especially disadvantaged students. 

In 2023-24, we have temporarily employed two additional Assistant Heads of Year - one with a specific attendance focus and one to provide extra support in the Sixth Form

Outcomes for disadvantaged WPS students at KS4 increased significantly in 2019, correlating with the introduction of the non-teaching Assistant Head of Year roles from 2017-18 onwards. 

3 and 4

Investment in staffing and training for our SEMH support Hub (‘Space2Be’) which provides key mental health interventions and wellbeing support for all students and especially disadvantaged students.

In 2023-24, salary uplifts are in-place to reflect additional responsibility taken on by staff in this area, all of which will impact positively on disadvantaged students. 

Qualitative feedback from students who have accessed our SEMH Hub testify to its effectiveness in supporting mental health and wellbeing. In 2021, the work of this team was recognised by the Attachment Research Community when WPS won the national Alex Timpson award for the secondary school award with the best trauma-informed practice. 

4

Investment in additional capacity from our in-school counselling team to the mental health and emotional wellbeing of all students and especially disadvantaged students. 

Research published in The Lancet: Child and Adolescent Health found that “school-based humanistic counselling led to significant reductions in pupils’ psychological distress over the long-term, compared to pupils who only received pastoral care.”

4

Investment in increasing the capacity of our Safeguarding team who play a key role in keeping students including disadvantaged students safe from all types of harm.

Numerous serious case reviews demonstrate the potentially awful consequences of underinvesting in safeguarding capacity and expertise.

4

Providing extra financial support for disadvantaged individuals based on an objective assessment of need for expenses such as uniform, trips and extra-curricular activities. 

Individual case studies from within our school provide evidence of the positive effect this kind of support can have. For example, in 2021 a WPS student from a highly disadvantaged background gained entry to The University of Oxford to read law after her transport to school had been subsided alongside many other support strategies. 

3 and 4

Contingency funding set aside for a Summer School in August 2022 to support the effective transition from primary to secondary school for all students and especially disadvantaged students if dedicated government funding is not made available again. 

December 2022 update - the decision was made to cancel Summer School in August 2022 and concentrate instead on a more extensive and  intensive induction experience for all students as a key way to clarify expectations and strengthen culture. 

EEF research finds a positive academic impact and parent and staff feedback from our 2021 Summer School indicated that it had a positive impact on pastoral transition. 

5

Investment in extra careers administration capacity to support the work of our careers leader in providing high quality careers education, information and guidance to all students and especially disadvantaged students. This also frees up capacity for our librarian (who has formerly doubled up as a careers administrator) to better support the whole-school reading plan detailed above. 

EEF research indicates that “Careers education can be crucial in developing the knowledge, confidence and skills young people need to make well informed, relevant choices and plans for their future. This is especially true of students from poorer backgrounds, who

are less likely to have family or friends with the insight and expertise to offer advice. High quality careers education can

help them progress smoothly into further learning and work.”

5

Contingency fund for acute issues.

Based on our experiences and those of similar schools to ours, we have identified a need to set a small amount of funding aside to respond quickly to needs that have not yet been identified.

All

Investment in internal and external alternative provision as a last resort for students who we are unsuccessful in supporting in a mainstream classroom setting. 

Several internal case studies demonstrate how high quality internal and external alternative provision can support children to achieve positive academic academic and social outcomes where there is a high risk of permanent suspension or school refusal. 

All 

Pay uplifts for our cover supervisor team to support recruitment and retention

Internal data suggests lessons are more orderly and productive when covered by our own cover supervisors than by external supply staff, leading to a higher quality learning experience for all students and disadvantaged students when regular teaching staff are unavoidably absent. 

All

Two temporary whole-school leadership positions (Behaviour and Deputy SENCO) were created to free up greater capacity for the Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral) and Assistant Headteacher (DSL) to focus on improving attendance for all students and particularly disadvantaged students. 

Reduced leadership capacity for attendance in 2022-23 contributed to worsening attendance for disadvantaged students (see 2022-23 impact statement below). 

3

Please refer to this document for the impact statement on our pupil premium activity in 2020-21. 

Please refer to this document for the impact statement on our pupil premium activity in 2021-22.

Please refer to this document for the impact statement on our pupil premium activity in 2022-23

Programme

Provider

Sparx Reader

Sparx

Sparx Maths

Sparx

Fresh Start Phonics

Read Write Inc.

SAMLearning

SAMLearning

Linguascope

Linguascope

Additional activity

In 2021-22, our pupil premium strategy sat within a wider School Improvement Plan which had the overarching goal of “making up for lost learning and impaired social and emotional wellbeing for all students and especially the most disadvantaged.” 

Although many priorities that served this overarching goal were not directly funded by the Pupil Premium or Recovery Funding, we expected them to have a disproportionately positive impact on the educational experience of our disadvantaged students. These priorities included but were not limited to:

• Improving the ‘7 Habits of Everyone Learning’

• Improving the effectiveness of CPDL at department level

• Reviewing the Key Stage 3 curriculum

• Improving staff and student skill to restore and repair relationships (with a focus on restorative practice and effective reintegration after sanctions)

• Improving coherence, understanding and integration of our Personal Development education offer

• Improving and sustaining our ‘Magnificent 7 Standards’ (high standards in crucial areas for all students)

• Improving take up of extra-curricular opportunities (especially amongst disadvantaged)

A review of the 2021-22 school improvement plan is included in the Pupil Premium Impact Statement for 2021-22.

In 2022-23, our pupil premium strategy once again sits within the wider context of our School Improvement Plan which has two core strands: 

• Every student attending well, behaving impeccably and working exceptionally hard at all times.

• Every student is taught exceptionally well at all times.

The leadership team has been consistently explicit with all staff that while we tend to achieve these aims for the majority of students, we are less successful with disadvantaged students and therefore should be targeting our efforts to improve these areas disproportionately in their favour. 

A review of the 2022-23 school improvement plan is included in the Pupil Premium Impact Statement for 2022-23. 

In 2023-24, our pupil premium strategy is further embedded within our School Improvement Plan which further narrows down our improvement focuses to: 

• Everyone Belonging: improving the attendance of priority students

• Everyone Understood: improving adaptive  teaching for priority students

Priority students are defined as students with additional barriers to success that are beyond their control, very much including disadvantaged backgrounds, who are not making good progress. Around 20% of each cohort has been identified as priority students.