Pupil Premium Funding

Joseph Hood Primary School Pupil Premium (disadvantaged) strategy statement:

At Joseph Hood we have high aspirations and ambitions for our children, and we believe that no child should be left behind. We are determined to ensure that our children are given every chance to realise their full potential and aspire to be the ‘Be the Best You Can.

What is the Pupil Premium?

Pupil Premium funding is additional funding allocated to all schools to support disadvantaged pupils. School receives pupil premium for: children that are cared for or adopted from care; children whose parents are in the armed forces; and for every pupil who has received free school meals over the past 6 years.

How can I find out if my child is entitled to the Pupil Premium funding?

The process for applying is straightforward and confidential. You can check online using a ‘Free School Meals / Pupil Premium Service’ at www.fsm.lgfl.net. After entering essential details into the website, the online application process links to the Department for Education system for checking eligibility and gives an immediate ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, and will notify our school. Alternatively, you can speak to a member of the office staff by calling 020 8542 2471 (9.30am-4pm), who will be able to assist you through this process. All enquiries will be treated in confidence.

Children from Reception to Year 6 are currently automatically entitled to a free school lunch; however, registering your child for free meals will entitle them to additional support with the cost of school visits, PTA events and extra-curricular clubs, as well as raising additional funds for the school.

How is the funding used?

Joseph Hood seeks to ensure the effectiveness of its use of the Pupil Premium Funding. We recognise that barriers to achievement take a variety of forms and look for individual ways to support each child to achieve their very best. We do this by offering our children a wide range of opportunities and ensuring that these are accessible for everyone. We work with our families and colleagues to make sure everyone has high aspirations for all pupils. We ensure pupil premium children are well represented and have a voice on our school council. In addition, we make use of educational research such as The Education Endowment Fund (EEF) Teaching and Learning Toolkit, to guide us on how best to use the school’s resources to improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)

At Joseph Hood Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that every child makes the very best start to their education. The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) provides additional funding to support children in our Nursery and Reception classes who may be at risk of underachievement.

Our commitment

We are dedicated to providing an inclusive, nurturing and ambitious Early Years environment where every child can thrive. Through high-quality teaching, early intervention and strong partnerships with families, we ensure that all children—regardless of their starting point—are supported to reach their full potential.

What is EYPP?

The Early Years Pupil Premium is additional funding provided by the government to early years settings to improve the education and outcomes of disadvantaged children. It is intended to help narrow the gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers.

Our Context

At Joseph Hood Primary School, a number of our children enter Nursery and Reception with lower levels of development in communication and language. This is particularly evident among children eligible for EYPP. Developing strong language skills is therefore a key priority in our Early Years provision, as it underpins success across all areas of learning.

How we use EYPP funding

We use our EYPP funding strategically to provide high-quality provision and targeted support, including:

• Early language interventions, including programmes such as Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI), to develop speaking, listening and vocabulary skills

• High-quality adult interactions, ensuring skilled staff model and extend children’s language throughout the day

• Targeted support in Nursery, including small group work and additional adult support

• A language-rich environment, with carefully selected books, resources and opportunities to develop vocabulary through play and structured activities

• Parental engagement, including workshops, stay-and-play sessions and regular communication to support learning at home

• Early identification and support, through ongoing assessment and close monitoring of children’s progress

What we aim to achieve

Through our use of EYPP funding, we aim to:

• Improve children’s communication and language skills from their starting points

• Increase the number of children achieving a Good Level of Development (GLD) by the end of Reception

• Ensure children are well-prepared for Reception

• Narrow the gap between children eligible for EYPP and their peers

We review our provision regularly to ensure that our approach remains effective and continues to meet the needs of our children.