CATCH-UP FUNDING
The Government have acknowledged that the Covid-19 lockdown has left children with gaps in their knowledge. They recognise that whilst many children will be able to continue to make progress and fill those gaps through quality first teaching, there will be children who will need additional support to ensure that gaps (created by a lack of face to face teaching during lockdown) close, and therefore ensuring that no child is left at a further disadvantage.
What is the Catch-up Premium Funding?
To support this, the Government have announced ‘a package worth £1 billion to ensure that schools have the resources they need to help all pupils make up for lost teaching time, with extra support for those who need it most. £650 million will be spent on ensuring that all pupils have the chance to catch up and supporting schools to rise to the challenge. This one-off grant funding will be paid to all state-funded primary, secondary and special schools in the 2020 to 2021 academic year.’
Blackwell have created a specifically designed approach to close the gaps for those children affected. The school has used the Government backed Education Endowment Fund which has published guidance on effective interventions to support schools. We are aware that children, the gaps in their knowledge and the ways in which they learn, are all very different, and our approach has to be centred around the needs of the individuals.
How will Blackwell decide to allocate our Catch-up Premium funds?
Blackwell has been allocated £28,080 of Catch-up funding to support the children within our school. We will use this to fund interventions that are designed to close the gap in attainment within this academic year and beyond.
The decisions regarding the allocation of funds will be driven by the detailed knowledge the staff hold on the children’s current attainment. Support and interventions implemented will draw upon approaches that are evidence-based and are proven to have a positive impact on closing gaps.
What approaches will Blackwell be taking?
Using the Education Endowment Fund for guidance, we have identified the approaches outlined below to be the best fit for the needs of our children. As a school, we are also aware that the plans that we put in place must be fluid, and recognise that there may be children who could still yet start to fall behind due to Covid-19 related absence.
Blackwell will be taking a ‘tiered approach’ to closing gaps and raising attainment. In addition to Quality First teaching and learning interventions, we will also be partnering with the National Tutoring Programme. Evidence (EEF) shows that ‘Tutors that have qualified teacher status are likely to have the most impact’.
Who will benefit from the funding?
Funding will not be allocated by child, but by need. All children will benefit from teachers continuing to develop quality teaching through CPD, the impact of this will be monitored by the leadership team.
Some children may need additional support on top of the Quality First teaching. This may be through small group tutoring, in class support, morning or after school booster sessions, 1:1 mentoring or access to technology that will help reduce barriers to them accessing the curriculum.
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