Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011 and is allocated to schools to support disadvantaged pupils and to help close the gap in attainment between them and their peers. A school receives a set amount per eligible child each academic year. Pupils eligible for Pupil Premium may have additional needs or require more support than others to improve their life chances.

Schools decide how to spend the money as they are best placed to assess what additional provision is needed for each child.

Context

Prior’s Court School is an independent special school for autistic young people with complex needs aged 5 to 20. All of the students experience significant challenges in communication and social interaction and experience high levels of anxiety about the world around them. They require a high level of specialist educational and therapeutic support to achieve as independent a life as possible.

Individual Placing Authorities allocate pupil premium to children attending Prior’s Court School according to local authority policies. 

Read our Pupil Premium policy

Spend

• In the academic year 2021-2022, we received £5,745 and spent £5,634.
• In the academic year 2022-2023 we received £12,050 and spent £11,692.
• In the academic year 2023-2024 the predicted spend is £8,000.

Impact

In previous years, students eligible for Pupil Premium funding have been able to benefit from a range of different IT opportunities, which were not available to them previously. For example, the introduction of iPads and new communication technology offers support to those experiencing significant difficulties with communication and find the challenge of accessing work in the classroom difficult.

We have also been able to offer training to staff so they can support activities during the extended day, such as Rebound Therapy and Lifeguarding. 

The Pupil Premium spend for 2022-23 academic year continued to enable us to identify ‘focus packages’ that can be over and above the students’ Education, Health and Care Plan provision to enhance their access to learning. Through our education and therapy services we can provide additional sessions such as those listed below.

Below is a list of some examples of use of Pupil Premium at Prior's Court in recent years:

• Literacy Support - increased our support for individuals with their literacy skills. This has included the purchase of new Reading Schemes, updated special interest books, access to an Advisory Teacher for class teachers and tutors, specialist one-to-one and group sessions and training.
• Deep pressure therapy - has been shown to help people with sensory processing disorders to assist with their emotional and sensory regulation, resulting in a calmer, alert state leading to improved attention and concentration.
• Music Therapy - Occupational Therapists and Music Therapists work together to explore emotional reasoning behind behaviours working in a creative, non-verbal medium which is much better suited to many pupils.
• IT/Communication equipment – high-tech communication aids such as GRID 2 and Proloquo2go used through iPads and iPad minis alongside established communication methods to further enhance communication.
• Horseriding – strengthens core muscles, improves posture, aids in control of movement, provides opportunities to practice and learn new motor skills and develops sensory needs.
• LEGO therapy - takes advantage of the inherently rewarding nature of LEGO activities and promotes collaborative building, fine motor skills, social skills.
• Drumming – group workshops which build collaborative working, being part of a team and partaking in performance.
• Trampolining/rebound therapy - of enormous benefit for autistic young people as it not only supports a healthy lifestyle but helps to develop a range of different physical skills including core strength, coordination and different gross motor skills
• The Listening Program - is a focused package of care which uses filtered music through headphones to support improvement in sensory processing, motor function and emotional well-being.
• Sailing – supports a healthy lifestyle, develops a range of physical and social skills, and supports sensory needs. Develops safety skills around water.
• Climbing - supports a healthy lifestyle, develops a range of physical and social skills, and supports sensory needs. Develops safety skills around wearing PPE.
• Swimming – extend provision into the waking day by having more Autism Practitioners trained as lifeguards. Offsite swimming sessions to develop swimming skills in a larger pool in the community if ability has outgrown our onsite pool.
• Specific equipment – young people are able to access specific equipment that can support their individual needs, these have included exercise equipment, bikes and specific furniture to support posture.

Next steps

Our aim is to continue to identify the individual needs of the students who qualify for and are in receipt of Pupil Premium. We will support individuals’ development through IT, access to the community and therapeutic programmes, which may include staff training. 

For more information on the Pupil Premium, please visit the Department of Education website.

Please note, students at Prior’s Court School are not in receipt of Sports Premium Grant.

Learn more about Prior's Court School