VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM
was huge. On the Wednesday of their course, one student scored 9/100 at the start of the day and 88/100 at the end.
Some students were anxious to start with. One said: 'When I was told I was going to spend a week doing maths I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t be able to focus for that amount of time on one subject. However, the way each day was structured really helped.’
During the week we saw three of the pupil premium students move up from a D grade to a C grade whilst the other seven students all saw their individual percentages in this assessment also improve.
The course also had an impact on our plans. Using the data collected from the group, our teachers could focus revision sessions in class on the weaker topics. The summary assessments for this group enabled staff to see the value of intensive sessions before the exams and as a result staff ran breakfast revision sessions in the academy restaurant to boost students’ confidence.
look at academic progress. We also try to meet the social and emotional needs of the students through a mix of academic and enrichment and cultural programmes.
What have you done?
Lots! We liaise with feeder schools so we know about the children who are joining us in Year 7. It is a priority to make sure that those who have weaker English and maths skills make really good progress in their first year.
We have used government 'catch-up’ funding to put in place intensive additional support when they arrive and we have employed extra staff to make sure we can reduce the difference between the achievement of pupil premium students and the rest.
In English we have trialed one-to-one intervention sessions and small group-based sessions with specialist teachers. In addition to this, students have taken part in motivational workshops with poets. Eleven students made more than three levels of progress, six students made three levels of progress and two students made two levels of progress.
How have you used external resources? At Maltings we have a wealth of expertise to draw upon but we also believe in the old adage "two heads are better than one." We have built links with outside agencies and engaged with them to target particular groups of students within pupil premium. The best outcomes have occurred when we have worked in a collaborative way with outside experts and we have noticed that a child who has a ‘reputation’ around the school enters a course run by an external agency without that ‘baggage’ and can, in effect, make a fresh start.
We have been working with PET-Xi since 2014. While we focus more on FSM/SEND and English and maths, there are benefits to all pupils and all subjects. For me it’s good that we measure Progress 8 but the bottom line is that they have to get English and maths GCSEs. It’s key and everything else works around that. We’ve also achieved some fantastic outcomes for our most able students by working with an outside agency which allows them to experience a university style of learning. All students get to
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What are the results and overall benefits? The PET-Xi High-5 GCSE revision programme has proved to be highly effective. Every day begins and ends with a confidence test in a particular topic and homework is set daily. The promise is that students will progress by at least one grade. The energy is palpable as the team set out to inspire the children and make them believe that the target grade is within their reach. The focus is on confidence-building, exam technique and manipulation of essential exam material. The course is highly structured, the pace is fast and expectations are high.
Each day was focused on a single topic area, measuring each student’s understanding at the start of the day and the end of the day to show the impact of this programme of study. These daily assessments showed that all students were making progress and in many cases the impact
visit a university and to attend a graduation ceremony. Aside from the amazing academic impact, there have been clear enrichment benefits, with many students now determined to aim for higher education.
Following the introduction of the new GCSEs we have started to cherry pick and work with PET-Xi to create courses focused on individual topics for specially targeted students.
What do students/parent/teachers think about the work you’ve done?
I’m now proud to report that since 2015 we have been rated as ‘Outstanding’, with 68% of students gaining A*-C in English and Maths and these days we are oversubscribed. The majority of feedback has been extremely positive with all parties feeling that they have benefited from the interventions and resources provided. The impact on outcomes is undeniable with a significant narrowing of the gap over the last four years. We still must listen to views from students, parents and teachers if we are to continue to provide the very best service and this is why we see feedback and evaluation as a very important part of the pupil premium strategy. However, it is the spontaneous comments from students that really indicate the value of what we do. One of our most disengaged students came out of a maths session beaming and said: "Do you know what? I think I can do this exam."
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