2025-28 PP Strategy Statement - Priesthorpe
Pupil premium strategy statement 2025/28
This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium funding to help improve the attainment of our pupils eligible for PP funding.
It outlines our pupil premium strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the effect that last year’s spending of pupil premium had within our school.
School overview
Detail | Data |
School name | Co-op Academy Priesthorpe |
Number of pupils in school | 1052 |
Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils | 37.36% |
Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers (3 year plans are recommended) | 2025-2028 |
Date this statement was published | December 2025 |
Date on which it will be reviewed | October 2028 |
Statement authorised by | Louise Pratt (Principal) |
Pupil premium lead | Chris McArdle |
Governor / Trustee lead | Davina Bhanabhai/ Jacob Clarkson |
Funding overview
Detail | Amount |
Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year | £429 246 |
Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable) | £0 |
Total budget for this academic year If your school is an academy in a trust that pools this funding, state the amount available to your school this academic year | £429 246 |
Part A: Pupil premium strategy plan
Statement of intent
At Co-op Academy Priesthorpe, our Pupil Premium Strategy is driven by a deep commitment to equity, excellence and opportunity for all. We recognise the economic challenges faced by many of our pupils, serving communities in the most deprived 10% nationally. We see it as our moral and professional duty to ensure that disadvantage does not determine the outcomes and life chances of the children attending our academy. Our intention is simple yet ambitious: that every pupil, irrespective of background or circumstance, will make exceptional progress and thrive across all aspects of our curriculum and secure ambitious destinations. Central to our approach is a commitment to assess, not assume. We seek to understand each child as an individual, identifying the specific barriers they face and tailor bespoke support to meet their academic, social and emotional needs. Through this, we aim to empower our pupils to achieve and instil within them a sense of limitless possibility. We believe that the most effective way to raise outcomes for disadvantaged pupils is to provide the highest quality classroom experience, rooted in quality first teaching teaching, a coherent and inclusive curriculum, and a culture of high expectations. Our strategy therefore directs resources into overcoming the key challenges that can limit full access and immersion into equitable classroom experiences for those eligible for the pupil premium. This includes a relentless drive to improve attendance, focus on developing reading and comprehension, removing barriers to increase participation and the development of pupils' ability to self regulate and tackle challenges head on. Our plan is informed by the latest educational research, particularly from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). We follow a tiered approach that balances improvements in teaching, targeted academic support, and wider strategies. This ensures that every decision we make is evidence-informed and impactful. Ultimately, the success of this strategy will be seen when those eligible for PP funding achieve at least in line with their non-disadvantaged peers and secure ambitious destinations. |
Challenges
This details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified among our disadvantaged pupils.
Challenge number | Detail of challenge |
1 | Attendance: Attendance rates for students eligible for Pupil Premium funding are lower than pupils not eligible for funding. Although 2024/25 saw a 4.53% improvement in PP attendance compared to 2023/24, the gap between those eligible for PP funding and those not is 6.7%. This figure includes students based on site and those accessing learning with alternative providers. Those eligible are also disproportionately represented in Persistent Absentee data (38.1% in 2024/25). |
2 | Attainment: Pupils eligible for PP do not currently achieve as well as their non disadvantaged peers. Although reducing the attainment gap remains at 11.09, for those accessing our mainstream provision and at our in school alternative provision (ISAP). |
3 | Participation and a sense of belonging: Our observations and PASS survey data indicates some PP students have less of a sense of belonging to school compared to those not eligible for PP funding. Additionally our observations highlight that PP students are less likely to participate in extra curricular opportunities beyond the classroom. Consequently they have less confidence in their capabilities, not due to a lack of ambition but rather a limited self belief due to their life experiences to date. |
4 | Reading and Comprehension: Starting Points/ Firm academic foundations. Entry data, assessments and observations show that many of our PP students’ reading comprehension and knowledge of Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary make accessing complex written texts more challenging. Numeracy and literacy starting points for some of our PP students are low; 44% of those who did not achieve a scaled score of at least 100 at Key Stage 2 are from the PP cohort. In 2024 40% of the students starting with a scaled score below 100 were from the PP cohort. Additionally of those entering the academy in Sept, 2025 22% of the PP cohort have a reading age lower than average compared to 9% of their non disadvantaged peers. |
5 | Self Regulation: Although improving, students eligible for Pupil Premium funding remain over-represented in negative behaviour data, accounting for 43% of negative codes relating to disruptive classroom behaviours and 44% of internal truancy codes. Our assessments, discussions and observations have identified that many of our students eligible for PP funding are in need of additional support with emotional/self-regulation and resilience development. Support in developing reflective strategies will enable them to face challenges more robustly and effectively. |
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.
Intended outcome | Success criteria |
Improve attendance for students eligible for PP funding and therefore narrow/close the gap between PP and non-PP, with particular focus on our Most Disadvantaged students (PP and SEND). |
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Improve attainment and progress of our cohort eligible for PP funding as a result of our renewed focus on reading inference, oracy and numeracy strategies. |
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Further enrich the cultural capital of our pupils eligible for PP funding through enhanced careers guidance and enrichment opportunities. |
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Increased participation in academy life beyond the classroom resulting in a stronger sense of belonging. |
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Improve the resilience and emotional/self regulation skills of our PP students |
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Activity in this academic year
This details how we intend to spend our pupil premium this academic year to address the challenges listed above.
Teaching (for example, CPD, recruitment and retention)
Budgeted cost: £184, 576 (43% of the budget)
Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
Quality First Teaching Quality first teaching for all students with particular reference to our PP and Most Disadvantaged (PP and SEND) students that includes expert subject and pedagogical knowledge that delivers;
Reinforcement of knowledge that deepens understanding and promotes the transition from novice to expert learners, with fluent comprehension and application of specialist vocabulary. The transition is supported by research-based strategies of rehearsal, including retrieval practice and elaboration. Students access their learning via the ‘Bridge’ (the academy’s on-site, Alternative Provision) or a hybrid timetable, receiving specialist teaching from academy staff members who deliver lessons in accordance to the above model for Teaching and Learning. Teachers adapt learning accordingly and secure high expectations from all. Developing metacognition within the curriculum to support students in becoming effective learners. Quality assurance of Pupil Premium Passports and their implementation in the classroom. Passports include bespoke barriers to learning to guide teachers delivery of the curriculum to our PP students. The PP Pledge provides a simple framework for staff to refer to when designing and delivering lessons and, in turn, enhances the provision PP students receive in the classroom. Whilst all students receive high-quality, research-informed provision, the Pledge gives PP students the ‘leg up’ that research often refers to as being key to accelerated progress. This is further developed with Teach like a Champion (TLAC) strategies being embedded across the academy. A continued whole academy focus on high quality assessment and feedback to provide challenge and promote self-regulation.These practices strengthen identification of gaps in knowledge and skills, followed by swift and impactful intervention. | Research shows that ‘high quality teaching is the most important lever that will help to improve disadvantaged outcomes’ as identified as a key principle in the EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium. The Research for Education Inspection highlights that achievement is maximised when teachers actively present material and structure taking into consideration cognitive science research, and the use of models and instruction. “Cognitive science principles of learning can have a significant impact on rates of learning in the classroom. There is value in teachers having some working knowledge of cognitive science principles. “ EEF Cognitive Science in the classroom: Evidence and Practice Review 2021 There is evidence to suggest that PP pupils are less likely to use metacognitive and self-regulatory strategies without being explicitly taught these strategies. Explicit teaching of metacognitive and self-regulatory strategies could therefore encourage such pupils to practise and use these skills more frequently in the future. With explicit teaching and feedback, pupils are more likely to use these strategies independently and habitually, enabling them to manage their own learning and overcome challenges themselves in the future. Metacognition and self-regulated learning ’Evidence indicates that high quality teaching is the most important lever schools have to improve attainment for PP pupils’ (Education Endowment Foundation, EEF). Hattie and Timperley (2007), Hattie (2009), and Hattie and Zierer (2019) conducted meta-syntheses relating to the effects of feedback on student achievement. These indicated a high effect (between 0.70 and 0.79) of feedback on student achievement in general. Feedback that is designed to help students in building cues and checking for misconceptions result in the development of more effective information processing strategies and understanding EEF Teacher Feedback to Improvement Pupil Learning guidance report | 2,3,4,5 |
CPD Weekly CRAFT (Cultivating Reflective and Forward-thinking Teaching) CPD sessions. Research-rooted sessions focusing on cultivating a particular aspect of curriculum delivery with particular focus on PP and Most Disadvantaged students. CRAFT CPD programme for teaching and associate staff designed to enhance current practice across the academy to support academy literacy and numeracy strategies. Bespoke Early Career Teachers CPD program. Recruitment of up to 6 Learning Leaders to lead small-scale action research pilots to inform whole-academy practice with specific focus on accelerated progress for our PP cohort through quality first teaching. Investment in Oracy CPD provided by Voice21 to support the implementation of our Literacy and Oracy Strategy. Bespoke Middle Leader CPD focused on developing and leading an inclusive curriculum which is responsive to gaps in background knowledge. | Our CPD programme is based on the 4 mechanisms of professional development: A: Building knowledge B: Motivating teachers C: Developing teaching techniques D: Embedding practice EEF Effective Professional Development guidance report By providing time and support for teachers to define high quality reading and oracy, this in turn can be translated into high quality writing in all subjects, depending on the demands of the subject. — ‘What is Disciplinary Literacy and Why Does it Matter?’ by Timothy and Cynthia Shanahan (2012). Findings from Supporting the attainment of Disadvantaged pupils’ achievement briefing conducted for the DfE by the NFER in 2015 highlights that ‘for poor pupils the difference between a good teacher and bad teacher is a whole year’s learning’. Learning Leaders will play an instrumental role in the sustained development of first class curriculum implementation for our Disadvantaged students. Curriculum design; misconceptions and curiosity | 2.3.4.5 |
Literacy and Numeracy within the Curriculum 3-Strand Literacy Strategy: Expert vocabulary
Oracy
Reading
3-Strand Numeracy Strategy: Numeracy
Methods
Catch-up
Funding provided to transport to maths skills workshops lead by Trust directors for KS4 pupils; targeting the Grade 3/ 4 borderline pupils and Most able. | Research commissioned by the government titled ‘Pupils' progress in the 2020 to 2021 academic year’ has suggested that much of the work in reducing the attainment gap between PP and Non-PP has been eroded away in terms of literacy levels and attainment. The findings of this study alongside recommendation 5 in Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools is incorporated in the whole school reading to learn strategy taking into account the impact of the pandemic, with a sharp focus on those from disadvantaged background Recommendation 2 in Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools highlights the significant challenge that secondary schools face to develop secure knowledge using specialised and technical vocabulary to access the curriculum. ‘The word rich will get richer, while the word poor will get poorer.’ Rigney, The Matthew Effect p.76 There is evidence to suggest that pupils from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be behind their more advantaged counterparts in developing early language and speech skills, which may affect their school experience and learning later in their school lives. Given that Oral language interventions can be used to provide additional support to pupils who are behind their peers in oral language development, the targeted use of approaches may support some disadvantaged pupils to catch up with peers, particularly when this is provided one-to-one.EEF research reference:Oral language intervention + 6 months Recommendation 5 from the EEF Improving Mathematics in KS2/3 guidance report suggests Positive attitudes are important and school leaders should ensure that all staff, including non-teaching staff, encourage enjoyment in maths for all children Studies show that enhancing vocabulary knowledge facilitates reading comprehension (Stoller & Grabe, 1993). Also Swanson, Orosco and Kudo (2016) report that an increased instructional focus on vocabulary is needed to make positive predictions of reading skills. Reading comprehension strategies https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/eef-blog-shining-a-spotlight-on-reading-fluency Recommendation 2 from the EEF Improving Mathematics in KS2/3 guidance report suggests Manipulatives (physical objects used to teach maths) and representations (such as number lines and graphs) can help pupils engage with mathematical ideas Mastery learning approaches aim to ensure that all pupils have mastered key concepts before moving on to the next topic – in contrast with traditional teaching methods in which pupils may be left behind, with gaps of misunderstanding widening. Mastery learning approaches could address these challenges by giving additional time and support to pupils who may have missed learning, or take longer to master new knowledge and skills. Evidence shows that small group tuition is effective and, as a rule of thumb, the smaller the group the better. Some studies suggest that greater feedback from the teacher, more sustained the engagement in smaller groups, or work which is more closely matched to learners’ needs explains this impact. Once group size increases above six or seven there is a noticeable reduction in effectiveness. EEF research reference: Small group tuition | 2,4,5 |
Targeted academic support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)
Budgeted cost: £133,066 (31% of the budget)
Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
Within class support Proportionate allocation of 5 HLTAs to support progress including 1 in each of the three core subjects and 2 with a focus around SEND students. Structured interventions Assistant Key Stage Leaders remit to focus solely on the progress of and intervention for Pupil Premium students. Enhanced collaboration between KS3 and KS4 leaders to ensure strong practice is shared and momentum is maintained. Y11 ‘Supercharge our PP offer’ to include bespoke intervention plans for all Y11 PP students to raise attainment and plug gaps in knowledge and skills. This will be tracked and supported by Progress Leaders to address barriers to engagement. This strategy is being cascaded down the Key Stage. Y11 revision skills and exam preparation masterclasses delivered via small group coaching. External study skills sessions with the Student Navigator targeted toward most able pupils and those identified as requiring support with study skills, exam stress and motivation. Funding is provided for pupils to access the Universify programme - targeted High ability PP students to aspire to study at a top University. Pupil Premium Advocate Programme The Programme involves a member of staff being paired with a PP student to act as their advocate in and around the academy, supporting the child holistically. Support is individualised and student-centred, and includes parental connections to strengthen the model of support. This has been developed to include a ‘Ready for Year 11’ advocates programme in HT6 (Y10); including bespoke individualised support to help pupils secure positive next steps, beyond KS4. This has been extended to the Advocate Plus programme where Senior staff will utilise training on developing metacognition to support mentoring. Strand 3 of the Academy Literacy Strategy Reading
Additional staffing within the English team to deliver a programme of targeted support for KS3 and KS4 students below expected reading age. Phonics training provided to help support the strategy. Additional Numeracy Strategy Support - Extension of the Sparks maths programme to support pupils with low functional numeracy upon entry into KS3. Additional staffing to support those pupils in classes fortnightly. Funding of the Scholars Programme to expose high ability PP students to life at a redbrick university. Central fund available for departments to submit proposals/bids for additional funding to support their department PP strategy. | Research on TAs delivering targeted interventions in one to-one or small group settings shows a consistent impact on attainment of approximately three to four additional months’ progress EEF Making best use of teaching assistants guidance report Meta-analysis research demonstrates that mentoring is associated with a wide range of favourable behavioural, attitudinal, health-related, relational, motivational, and career outcomes (Eby et al, 2008) Small group tuition offers an opportunity for greater levels of interaction and feedback compared to whole class teaching which can support pupils to overcome barriers to learning and increase their access to the curriculum. EEF research reference: Small group tuition Studies in England have shown that pupils eligible for free school meals typically receive similar or slightly greater benefit from phonics interventions and approaches. This is likely to be due to the explicit nature of the instruction and the intensive support provided. It is possible that some PP pupils may not develop phonological awareness at the same rate as other pupils, having been exposed to fewer words spoken and books read in the home. Targeted phonics interventions may therefore improve decoding skills more quickly for pupils who have experienced these barriers to learning.EEF research reference:Phonics +5 months Case studies on the impact of raising aspirations https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/berj.3171 | 2,4,5 2,4,5 |
Wider strategies (for example, related to attendance, behaviour, wellbeing)
Budgeted cost: £111,604 (26% of the budget)
Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
Attendance Proportionate allocation of Attendance Improvement Manager and Attendance Administrators. Highlight vulnerable students and assign key members of staff to be the point of contact following the first day response. Staged response to all students who fall below the trigger points. (contact with parents/ home visits/attendance contract/ attendance panel and fixed penalty notices where applicable.) Flow chart of support shared with parents at the beginning of the academic year. PP attendance is tracked and monitored as an identified group. Intervention is developed including mentoring through our ‘Thrive’ attendance hub. This includes 1:1 mentoring, group work and a phased return to learning for some pupils. The attendance team have completed training for Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) which is utilised to support pupils. Year Managers to monitor pupils with attendance lower than 94%. They will be provided with a list of key students in order to start monitoring from September Early intervention - collaborative approach between attendance and progress leaders to support reintegration into school following periods of absence. Free breakfast available every morning to encourage punctuality and a healthy start to the day. Financial support for students to fund subject-specific equipment including GCSE Art packs and Food Technology ingredients. Use of Arbor reporting to ensure rigorous monitoring of the attendance of our PP and Most Disadvantaged students by all staff, including coaches and teachers. Careers and enrichment Funding of outside agencies to ensure PP students will have annual access to independent careers advice throughout their time at the Academy. Funding for ‘Ready for Year 11’ advocates programme including revision/ resilience residentials. Links made with local businesses to facilitate mock interviews for PP students in the first instance (and then offered to all students) Monitoring of extracurricular engagement of PP students across departments including student voice to ascertain barriers to attending. Funding of peripatetic music lessons to ensure that any PP student wishing to learn a music instrument is able to do so. Financial support for school trips and visits including London, and France and Belgium WW1 Battlefields trip for KS4 students. Behaviour Support workers to mentor PP students and offer emotional wellbeing support. Leeds Faith in Schools (Psychotherapy) to give Mental Health Support to students in order to help students access all of their learning. ‘Meet your Coach and Teacher Days’ (MYCAT) offer wraparound support for families, including links to support in the wider community, alongside progress reviews with Teaching staff. Laptop loan scheme, including the school as a National Data Bank. Increasing signposting families to affordable uniform sources and supporting with short term uniform loans. Behaviour and Wellbeing: Funding for the Basecamp Adventure Trust programme targeting KS3 students, following a programme which builds resilience, self confidence and motivation through coaching and adventurous activities. The academy has developed a behaviour curriculum which is designed to support pupils to develop their ability to self regulate, build resilience and increase their engagement with the curriculum. Central to this is the expectation for pupils to be Ready, Respectful and Safe. Complimenting this is the development of Restorative Practice across the academy to support pupils, particularly those from vulnerable groups to develop, maintain and repair relationships with staff and their peer group. | EEF guide on Pupil Premium (wider strategies) identifies that one of the most significant non-academic barriers to pupil success in school is attendance linked to a broader challenge of the value of education in some of our school community. Findings from how to best support parents using the guidance report by the EEF on Working with Parents to Support Children’s Learning will also be incorporated as part of this strategy In The Mentoring Effect report, research shows that young people who were at-risk of dropping out (with absenteeism as one of the risk factors) who had a mentor growing up experienced many positive outcomes related to academics compared to their peers who could not identify a mentor growing up. They were:
And additional research has shown that students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class.EEF research reference: Mentoring +2 months Case studies: PP Students BP, LD and JB were identified as Persistently Absent students and therefore attended as the first cohort to the Jamie’s Farm Residential whilst in Year 8. All 3 students achieved a Progress 8 figure exceeding the progress made by all students (All: +0.01, BP +0.52, LD +0.89 and JB +2.26) By designing and delivering effective approaches to support parental engagement, schools and teachers may be able to mitigate some of these causes of educational disadvantage, supporting parents to assist their children’s learning or their self-regulation, as well as specific skills, such as reading. EEF research reference: Parental engagement According to figures from the Department for Education, pupils who receive Free School Meals are more likely to receive a permanent or fixed period exclusion compared to those who do not. The most common reason for exclusion is persistent disruptive behaviour. Pupil behaviour will have multiple influences, some of which teachers can directly manage though universal or classroom management approaches. Some pupils will require more specialist support to help manage their self-regulation or social and emotional skills. EEF research reference: Behaviour Interventions Social and Emotional learning (SEL) interventions in education are shown to improve SEL skills and are therefore likely to support PP pupils to understand and engage in healthy relationships with peers and emotional self-regulation, both of which may subsequently increase academic attainment. Recent research on cultural capital argues that extracurricular activities may enhance children's intellectual creativity, breadth, and scope (Kaufman and Gabler, 2004) and moreover that cultural participation may lead to a genuine increase in analytical and academic competence (Kisida et al, 2004) A parliamentary education committee report focussed on left behind groups highlights the role of high quality careers guidance in tackling the underachievement of the Most Disadvantaged, particularly those from white working class backgrounds. There is some evidence to suggest a causal link between arts education and the use of arts-based approaches with overall educational attainment. Where the arts are being taught as a means to boost academic achievement for those eligible for the pupil premium, schools should carefully monitor whether this aim is being achieved. EEF research reference: Arts Participation + 3 months Evidence currently suggests pupils develop their social and emotional literacy along with their independence through residential and adventurous activities which contribute to a stronger sense of belonging with school. These are key challenges we aim to tackle. EEF Adventure Learning | 1,3,4,5 |
Total budgeted cost: £429, 246
Part B: Review of outcomes in the previous academic yearPupil premium strategy outcomes
This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on pupils in the 2024 to 2025 academic year.
The attainment gap between those eligible for PP funding and those not continues to narrow. The attainment figure for PP students was 33.35 and 44.51 for Non PP pupils. This realised a gap of 11.09 for 2025. In 2024 the attainment figure was 30.64 for PP pupils compared to 43.86 for non PP pupils, realising a gap of 13.22. In 2023 the attainment figure was 50.93 for PP pupils compared to 36.48 for non PP pupils, realising a gap of 14.45. The gap between PP pupils at Priesthorpe and National attainment figures for PP pupils narrowed, in 2024 the gap was 3.9 and in 2025 it was 2.5. There are a number of subjects where the PP attainment gap has narrowed significantly including English Language, English Literature, French, Religious Studies and Engineering.
The attainment of all Pupil Premium students continues to remain a key priority for the academy. In the academic year 2024-25 PP attendance improved 4.53% compared to 2023-24. However the gap between PP students and their non PP peers was 6.7% Therefore improving attendance remains a key priority. Lower attendance for PP students has meant this group did not realise the same benefits from continued improvements to the quality of Teaching and Learning as their non-PP peers. Additional Impact: A ‘getting ahead’ approach continues to prevent the historical trend of the gap increasing significantly after Y7. Y7 current progress for NPP -0.16 compared to -0.09 giving a positive gap -0.05. Y8 NPP -0.07 compared to PP -0.12 with a 0.05 gap, compared to -0.04 at the same point in Y7. Y9 NPP -0.36, PP -0.40 with a 0.04 gap, compared to a -0.02 gap at the same point in Y8.
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Externally provided programmes
Please include the names of any non-DfE programmes that you purchased in the previous academic year. This will help the Department for Education identify which ones are popular in England
Programme | Provider |
Scholars Programme | The Brilliant Club |
Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4) | GL assessments |
Universify | Universify Education |
Basecamp Programme | Basecamp Adventure Trust |
Academic Mentoring | The Student Navigator |
Jamie’s Farm |