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Ashcroft Technology Academy

Ashcroft Technology Academy

Year 7 Literacy and Numeracy Catch-up Premium

Funding arrangements

Ashcroft Technology Academy (ATA) receives an additional funding allocation aside from its main annual revenue funding in the form of a Year 7 Literacy and Numeracy Catch-Up Premium. This funding is separately allocated by the government to enable schools to improve their resourcing to specifically support children who join ATA who did not achieve the expected standard in reading and/or in maths at the end of Key Stage 2. The historical basis for determining the expected standard was in respect of students who had not reached level 4 at Key Stage 2 in reading and/or maths. In recent years this factor has been dispensed with and provision continues with minor fluctuations depending upon total Year 7 student numbers on roll in the autumn census and calculates to be at a rate of £73.46 per student. Payment is made to ATA as a one-off payment which is usually received in March each year.

The funding allocation anticipated for this year and that received in the previous three years are shown below:

 

2018-19

2017-18

2016-17

2015-16

Number in autumn census

212

210

213

211

Rate of payment

£73.46

£73.46

£73.46

£73.46

Catch-Up Premium Funding due

£15,574

£15,427

£15,647

£15,500

Planned usage in 2018-19

Many of the interventions referred to for Year 7 that took place in 2017-18 are continuing into 2018-19 and are detailed below, although provision for an EAL Club has been discontinued. An addition to the provision is a Maths enrichment club, which operates once per week at lunchtimes and is led by a member of the teaching staff. The number of extended days for Year 7 has dropped to one per week although there are 7 additional days scheduled across the year where the finish is extended for a STEAM enrichment event, each with a different focal theme.

Evaluation of usage in 2017-2018

For the 2017-2018 financial year, ATA benefitted from a funding provision of £15,427 based on intake numbers of 210 in Year 7.

Specific interventions aimed at Year 7 in 2017-2018 continued to include handwriting and homework clubs operated at lunch times (with the latter also operating after school), by Teaching and Learning Assistants (TLAs). A transition class also operated once a week after school through to Easter, to assist those who found the transition from primary to secondary particularly challenging. In addition to the above, a Boy’s Group (6 students) and separate Girls Group (8 students), also run by TLAs, allowed further targeted interaction to ensure those most vulnerable were fully supported.

Breakfast club continues to operate each morning before school and is run each day by one TLA responsible for this. Specific students are encouraged to attend and toast and juice is also made available to them during this time.

TLAs also led paired reading for 20 students during registration periods as well as the well-established Units of Sound online training also during registration periods to develop the literacy levels of those with the lowest attainment levels.  English as an additional language (EAL) support is provided and a separate club operated on one lunchtime a week (a provision open to all year groups). All Year 7 students continue to be provided with a free reading book through the Bookbuzz programme which is subsidised entirely through this funding and overseen by the Library and Learning Resources Centre (LRC) and is very well received by students, with many continuing to make good use of the LRC before and after school as well as during break and lunchtimes.

On the numeracy side, small sized classes for bottom set maths students were provided for within the curriculum, with a total of 8 lessons per week taught by the Academy’s Higher Level Teaching Assistant.

The extended days and use of Study Hall and Catch Up are covered specifically under the Pupil Premium section and funding provision, but such opportunities are there to benefit all students to ensure that each has full opportunity to maximise their own learning potential with those at the lowest end of attainment on entry to the Academy, having the greatest scope for progression.

Costs ascribed to many of the interventions outlined above are as follows:

Staffing Related

£

Bottom Set Maths – HLTA input  x 8/32 lessons

8,586

Handwriting, Transition & Homework clubs (TLA staff members)

3,448

Paired reading support (TLA support in registration periods)

1,437

Breakfast Club (TLA staff management)

664

 

 

Other Related Costs

 

Breakfast Club (non-staff costs)

632

Book buzz provision

660

Impact Assessment

It is undisputed that proficiency in both literacy and numeracy are key within society and provide the key foundation tools for young people to operate successfully in adulthood.  The Academy maintains that this supplementary funding provision, while funding levels are reducing elsewhere, enable the above focused range of support that benefit those who arrive at the Academy with poor previous attainment in literacy and numeracy.

90% of students leaving Year 11 achieve good or better passes in both English and Maths (levels 4-9) and this success is certainly underpinned by the additional opportunities afforded students when they first join the Academy, developing good habits that they retain throughout the remainder of their education with us.