Covid-19 Catch Up Premium

What is Catch-up Funding?

Children and young people across the country have experienced unprecedented disruption to their education as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19). Those from the most vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds will be among those hardest hit.

We know that we have the professional knowledge and expertise in the education system to ensure that children and young people recover and get back on track. Returning to normal educational routines as quickly as possible will be critical to our national recovery.

The government has announced £1 billion of funding to support children and young people to catch up. This 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.

Strategy Statement

At Barnsole Primary School we want to ensure that:

No child is left behind as a result of COVID-19
That academic attainment, wellbeing and social development is not compromised in the longer term and that our values and aspirational targets continue to thrive.
To reduce the attainment gap between our disadvantaged pupils and their peers.
To raise the attainment of all pupils to close the gap created by COVID-19 school closures
Children’s social, emotional and mental well-being is supported.

COVID-19 Catch-Up Premium Spending: Summary
Total Number of Pupils	619	Amount of Catch-Up Premium per Pupil	£38
Total Catch-Up Premium Budget: £23,780

Barriers to Future Attainment

Academic barriers (issues addressed in school such as low levels of literacy/maths):

Pupil attitudes to learning and resilience and stamina to access learning for longer periods of time
Changes in behaviour, including anxiety, self-esteem and self confidence
Poor writing stamina- children have had less exposure to sustained writing during lockdown
Pupils not being able to make links to previous learning
Phonics knowledge and application for pupils in EYFS and KS1
Foundations of learning in Early Years

External barriers (issues which require action outside school such as home learning environment and low attendance):

Social disadvantage can manifest in limited aspirations, a lack of parental engagement and poor home learning environments. Children may not be exposed to rich and varied life experiences and this can put them at a disadvantage.
Low attendance for vulnerable families
Loss of learning due to school closure

How we spent the money last year (academic year 2021-2022)
Action	Cost
Regular staff CPD to develop pedagogical knowledge, Quality First Teaching strategies and ongoing assessment for learning.	No cost attached
Resources to support a broad and balanced curriculum that has a thematic approach with appropriate scaffolds, prompts and improves access to core knowledge in foundation curriculum areas.	£2000
Targeted support in phonics instruction (Lexia) which allows individual children to independently practice and develop basic reading skills.	£3000
A full program of additional intervention groups is taking place to urgently close the gaps in children’s prior learning which is preventing them from fully accessing the learning in class. Additional adults have been allocated for this for phonics, maths and reading.	£18,780