Catch up premium funding 2020-2021


What catch-up funding is for:

The government announced £1 billion of funding to support children and young people to catch up lost time after school closure. This is especially important for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds. This funding includes:

  • a one-off universal £650 million catch up premium for the 2020 to 2021 academic year to ensure that schools have the support they need to help all pupils make up for lost teaching time
  • a £350 million National Tutoring Programme to provide additional, targeted support for those children and young people who need the most help, which includes:
    • a schools programme for 5 to 16-year-olds – for more information, see the National Tutoring Programme FAQs

 

Funding allocations

School allocations will be calculated on a per pupil basis.

  • Mainstream school will get £80 for each pupil in from reception to year 11 inclusive.

 

Payment schedule

Schools will get funding in 3 tranches.

  • Autumn 2020
  • Early 2021 – based on updated pupil and place data. This payment will also take account of the initial part payment made in autumn 2020 so that schools will receive a total of £46.67 per pupil or £140 per place across the first 2 payment rounds.
  • Summer 2021 term - a further £33.33 per pupil or £100 per place.

 

Using catch-up funding

Schools should use this funding for specific activities to support their pupils to catch up for lost teaching over the previous months, in line with the curriculum expectations for the next academic year in actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak. While schools can use their funding in a way that suits their cohort and circumstances, they are expected to use this funding for specific activities which will help pupils catch up on missed education.

 

Accountability: school leaders and governors

School leaders must be able to show they are using the funding to resume teaching a normal curriculum as quickly as possible following partial or full school closure.

Governors and trustees should scrutinise schools’ approaches to catch-up from September 2020, including their plans for and use of catch-up funding. This should include consideration of whether schools are spending this funding in line with their catch-up priorities, and ensuring appropriate transparency for parents.

 

Curriculum expectations

The DfE has also set out the following curriculum guidelines so that all pupils – particularly disadvantaged, SEND and vulnerable pupils – are given the catch-up support needed to make substantial progress by the end of the academic year. The key principles that underpin their advice on curriculum planning are as follows.

Education is not optional: All pupils receive a high-quality education that promotes their development and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

The curriculum remains broad and ambitious: All pupils continue to be taught a wide range of subjects, maintaining their choices for further study and employment. Where needed, remote education is high-quality and safe, and aligns as closely as possible with in-school provision. Schools and other settings continue to build their capability to educate pupils remotely, where this is needed.

Informed by these principles, DfE asks that schools and other settings meet the following key expectations if considering revisions to their school curriculum for academic year 2020 to 2021.

  1. Teach an ambitious and broad curriculum in all subjects.
  2. Aim to return to the school’s normal curriculum in all subjects by summer term 2021.
  3. Plan on the basis of the educational needs of pupils.
  4. Develop remote education so that it is integrated into school curriculum planning.

Schools should set out how they will allocate the additional funding to support curriculum recovery this academic year. The EEF guidance suggests a 3-tiered approach:

 

1 Teaching

High-quality first teaching for all

Effective diagnostic assessment

Supporting remote learning

Focusing on professional development

Transition support

 

2 Targeted academic support

High-quality one to one and small group tuition

Intervention programmes

Teaching Assistants and targeted support

Academic tutoring

Planning for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Extended school time

 

3 Wider strategies

Supporting pupils’ social, emotional and behavioural needs

Communicating with and supporting parents

Access to technology

Successful implementation in challenging time


Issues identified as barriers to future attainment for all students as a result of COVID school closures

  • Literacy skills
  • Understanding the ability of our new year 7 cohort without KS2 transition data
  • Subject specific gaps in the curriculum following school closure as identified by each Head of Department
  • Attendance – maintaining high attendance levels for all students
  • Ensuring students’ engagement levels remain high
  • Ensuring that all students can access online learning at home due to self-isolation/ school closure/ a second lockdown
  • Understanding different T&L strategies within the ‘new normal’ way of teaching
  • Well-being: students adjusting to the new school routines and structures
  • Well-being: concerns around anxiety and safeguarding issues following the lockdown period

 

Teaching

Issues identified

Actions

Intended impact

Cost

Literacy skills

High profile literacy strategy to address common errors is understood and implemented consistently by all staff

Students make common literacy mistakes less frequently.

Students read often and read with fluency and understanding.

 

Understanding the ability of our new year 7 cohort without KS2 transition data

Year 7 students take CAT tests

 

 

Data from CAT tests is used to underpin assessment in KS3 and guide setting.

Results provide an insight into students’ potential ability

 

Students to be set in academic subjects from October 2020

 

Understanding different T&L strategies within the ‘new normal’ way of teaching

Purchase visualisers for each classroom to support T&L from the front of the room and also to support delivery of online lessons

Teachers can model tasks and provide student feedback from the front of the classroom

 

 

Subject specific gaps in the curriculum following school closure as identified by each Head of Department

Curriculum review by all HoD to ensure the curriculum remains accessible to all

Re-ordering of curriculum content will support the addressing of gaps caused between March-July 2020.

Retrieval activities are strategically planned to ensure learning is appropriately sequenced.

 

Lesson 6 intervention in maths & English compulsory for year 11 students

Gaps in subject knowledge will be addressed. Students will better prepared for mock exams and GCSEs

 

Purchase resources to support students:

  • Close gaps in learning caused by school closure (March)
  • Close gaps in learning caused by SI
  • Access blended learning

Gaps in students’ learning are addressed and closed

Students are able to access blended learning when this is necessary

 

 

Targeted Academic Support

Issues identified

Actions

Intended impact

Cost

Literacy skills

Purchase Bedrock learning for all KS3 students to support the development of their vocabulary

Improve the literacy levels and vocabulary of our students.

 

Allocate each year 7 student to a reading group and ensure appropriate intervention

Students of all reading abilities are challenged to improve.

 

Subject specific gaps in the curriculum following school closure as identified by each Head of Department

 

 

 

 

Access the National Tutoring Programme to ensure additional targeted support is on place for identified students

 

The NTP will address specific identified gaps. Progress will be tacked against clear baseline and end of tutoring assessment.

 

Academic mentors. Submit application for 2 academic mentors to work within specific subject area to address gaps

Academic mentors to work with individuals/ small groups to address gaps as identified by HoD

 

 

Small group tuition is delivered by Ashton staff 

Staff work with small groups to address gaps

 

 

Attendance – maintaining high attendance levels for all students

Monitor the attendance of all students daily and back up absence with phone calls where contact has not been made with school

 

Students with low attendance to become a Review group for PL

Students attend school

 

 

Ensuring that all students can access online learning at home due to self-isolation/ school closure/ a second lockdown

Audit the devices that students possess and their access to the internet

Students are able to access online learning when they are not in school

 

 

Wider strategies

Issues identified

Actions

Intended impact

Cost

Gaps in careers advice and guidance

Careers interview for all year 11 students

 

 

Careers interviews for SEND students and students at risk of NEET

Year 11 students receive the support they require to enable them to make well thought out decisions re their options post 16

Students choose appropriately pitched courses which reflect their interests and aspirations

Students are aware of apprenticeships

 

 

Maintaining high attendance and engagement levels for all students

Advertise new post ‘home learning and engagement’ to ensure that all students can access online learning at home due to self-isolation/ school closure/ a second lockdown

Attendance to online lessons monitored

Contact made with students not engaging to identify reasons.

Support provided for those students struggling to access learning

 

Re-launch smiley shack

Investigate ways in which the rewards programme can run under covid measures

Analysis of the J and L system allows engagement to be rewarded/ addressed

 

Ensuring parental engagement during a time of ‘online meetings

Investigate the use of Teams/ other platforms to enable parents’ evening and other events to take place

Parents are able to engage with school

 

Increased use of text to alert parents

Parents are well informed about school events

 

Letters sent to parents to summarise outcomes of parental meetings

Parents are clear about the outcomes of meetings with school staff

 

Students’ well-being

Support students as they adjust to the new school routines and structures/ with anxiety and safeguarding issues following the lockdown period

Students’ well-being is addressed where there are concerns