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COVID-19 Catch up premium strategy

Teachers and families across the country have provided extraordinary support to help children learn at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, for many children, the disruption caused by school closures will have had a negative impact on learning and wellbeing. 

Here we outline the strategies implemented to support our pupils effectively as a response to the pandemic

  • Quality First Teaching is the most important lever to improve outcomes for our pupils. We have curriculum subject leaders to support the process of quality assuring subject planning, ensuring that these plans meet our minimum standards, which supports effective sequences of teaching and learning and efficiently closes gaps in learning over time. 
  • Robust assessment has enabled us to determine how to most effectively support our pupils. A range of formative and summative assessments have taken place across the school.  We have administered pixl testing in Reading, Maths and SPAG for years 2 - 6 and used the reports generated by this service to identify how the pandemic has affected pupil performance.  Early years and foundation stage have also undergone robust baselining to ensure that the appropriate level of provision is in place moving forwards.
  • Our catch-up intervention groups use assessment data to target gaps in learning and so accelerate progress. 
  • Staff have been deployed to deliver high quality one to one and small group tuition as part of our literacy and numeracy catch-up strategy. The intervention team work closely with teachers to ensure intervention sessions are tailored to the needs of the pupils and linked to the curriculum. 
  • In reception an additional member of staff has been employed to ensure early intervention.
  • Speech and language therapists have now been employed to work a day a week (equivalent) across the school conducting specialised interventions and working alongside our staff to ensure high quality support within the classroom and within intervention work.
  • To enable access to a blended learning model, we have provided ongoing technical support and ensure that our most vulnerable pupils have access to technology in order to participate in virtual teaching and learning. 
  • Knowledge organisers are being created by each Subject Leader to summarise key facts or information that pupils need to know and be able to recall in order to master a unit or topic. Typically, an organiser fits onto one page, which helps students to visualise the layout of the page, which in turn helps them to memorise the information better. Knowledge organisers will be made available at the start of each unit to help them remember what they are learning and to help them to see the bigger learning journey in their subjects. 

A recovery Curriculum has been implemented based on the 5 levers: 

Lever 1 – Rebuild Relationships

  • School values underpin all aspects of our work.
  • Mental Health First Aiders are available in school.
  • Training for all staff on importance of a relationship based approach.
  • Relaunch of the Behaviour Policy taking into account potential impact of COVID.
  • At the start and end of the school day the staff meet and greet the children and families on the gate or class door.  The Pastoral team and Attendance Officer are also available on the playground at the start of everyday. 
  • PSCHE Curriculum is adapted to ensure relevance to the context of the pupils i.e. Recovery lessons.  It is responsive to evolving needs of the school.

 

Lever 2 - Rebuild the Learning Community and Support

  • Restructure of the pastoral support team to ensure appropriate levels of support for all pupils and their families.
  • All pupils undertaken Pupil Voice questionnaire to allow for more tailored support. 
  • Communication with parents and carers - Epraise used to report house points and sanctions.  Text messaging used to notify parents of Headteacher’ Awards.  Staff email provides an efficient method of immediate communication.
  • Weekly SLT meetings 
  • Weekly attendance meetings
  • All policies updated with COVID addendum’s where necessary. (Safeguarding, Attendance, Behaviour.) 
  • Anti-bullying week was marked with a range of activities across the school. 
  • Motional is used in school as part of a graduated approach 
  • Staff have attended variety of relevant training including ‘Understanding Trauma’ ‘Bereavement’ COVID-19 Response training.  DSL are attending ‘Get Safe’ training. 
  • Low stakes testing and assessment during first half term. 
  • Early Help Model started last year built upon.  – modified to reflect the impact of COVID

Lever 3 - Curriculum 

  • All children access a broad and balanced curriculum.
  • Opportunities for children to immerse in reading and nurture a love of reading.
  • Gaps in learning are filled in a carefully structured manner across the curriculum. 
  • PSHCE ensures that RSE is covered and children’s Mental Health is fully supported 
  • Testing/assessment done in a way which is accessible and non-threatening to the child. Supportive and builds on positive relationships. 

 
Lever 4 – Metacognition 

  • Training with all staff on Metacognition 
  • Metacognition forms part of termly Pupil Progress Meetings 
  • Metacognition strategies embedded in daily curriculum provision.

Lever 5 – Space to be, to rediscover self and to find their voice on learning

  • A central Outdoor area provides a quiet, reflective space for children to access
  • Mindfulness opportunities permeate through weekly PSHE lessons
  • School Council, Worship Council, E-safety Council and Well-being Council provides opportunity for pupils to share their thoughts and ideas.
  • Pupil voice opportunities are also provided across the subject areas by Subject Leaders.