Part A: Pupil premium strategy plan

STATEMENT OF INTENT

At the Marlborough Science Academy our objective is for all students to be able to enjoy their education, to achieve the best possible outcomes and be prepared for life beyond school regardless of their background underpinned by our values. Our ongoing and ever evolving commitment to the removal of barriers for all our learners continues resulting in International recognition as a school of Inclusion and opportunities.

We are absolutely focussed on all students being treated equally and that there is a whole school emphasis on all children being valued and respected. We use our PP funding so that all children and families who need an extra helping hand in removing challenges are supported.

It is our mission to remove as many challenges to learning as possible for all our students in the classroom and focus on the things that we can control to improve life chances. We know that some of the factors for securing positive outcomes for students are building positive relationships and then ensuring they receive the highest quality teaching. We aim to ensure that every student has the support to be emotionally ready to learn when they enter our school. We aim for our staff to have the highest aspiration for every student regardless of their status and background. We are committed to every student having access to all the equipment and resources they need so that no student’s learning experience is different from their peers. We are also committed to offering a wider learning experience that supports their social, emotional and cultural development. We want every student regardless of challenges, demographics or socio-economic background to have the confidence to give anything a go in and outside of the school.

We know that the current social climate is having a disproportionate impact on financially deprived families, and we have recently introduced our poverty protection lead and scheme to support our community. We continue to support students with the greatest needs through our Inclusion and Family workers to ensure that learning always plays an important part in their lives regardless of circumstances, reinforcing the ethos “If I let you off, I let you down”.

Challenges

This details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified amongst our disadvantaged pupils.

Intended outcomes

This explains the outcomes we are aiming for by the end of our current strategy plan, and how we will measure whether they have been achieved.

Wider strategies (for example, related to attendance, behaviour, wellbeing)

Budgeted cost: £214,000

Total budgeted cost: £ 338,743

Part B: Review of outcomes in the previous academic year

Pupil premium strategy outcomes

This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on pupils in the 2021 to 2022 academic year.

• Using 2019 progress measure the Progress 8 of the pupil premium students from their exam results in 2023 was below the national average and below that of their non-peers showing there is still a gap to close. The percentage of students achieving both 4+ and 5+ in English and Maths was also below that of their peers in 2023
• Pre-covid the attendance gap between PP and non-PP students closed considerably, with PP attendance rising from 88% to 92%. During the academic year 2021-2022 the attendance gap between Pupil premium and non-pupil premium students was 4% showing that we still have a gap to close in attendance.
• In all recent learning reviews and book-looks reviewers have been unable to differentiate between the books from PP students and non-PP students showing the pride they are taking in their work.
• Testimonials from the families working with the School Family Worker show that she is having a profound impact in the lives of our most hard to reach families and thereby improving the life chances and impact of the young people in the families. Her work has directly improved the living conditions of several families and she is liaising with the local MP to support poor housing.
• In the Morning Readers programme the PP students are closing their reading age gap at the same rate as their non-PP peers. The average reading age in year 7 is currently 11.01 and in year 8 it is 12.02.
• Breakfast club has been successful in equipping students for the day ahead by ensuring they always have breakfast and someone to talk to about the coming day to be fully prepared. There are currently 19 children signed up to access Breakfast club and there is a new drive this year to encourage more by providing additional resources and activities in the morning.