Catch-up premium
Covid-19 ‘Catch up Premium' (CUP)
Our vision statement ‘Empower children through education: One Childhood One Chance’ provides the framework for education in our viking schoolS.
We are committed to providing the highest quality education for all our children regardless of background or barrier to learning in all aspect of school life.
“Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are likely to have been more affected particularly severely by closures and may need more support to return to school and settle back into school life. Whilst all pupils will benefit from the EEF recommendations, it is likely that some forms of support will be particularly beneficial to disadvantaged.”
(Covid-19 Support Guide for Schools – June 2020)
Funding allocation (Mainstream Schools)
Schools’ allocations will be calculated on a per pupil basis, providing each mainstream school with a total of £80 for each pupil in years reception through to 11.
Payments
DFE: 2020-21: The funding was provided in 3 tranches. An initial part payment in autumn 2020, based on the latest available data on pupils. A second grant payment in early 2021 was based on updated pupil and place data. For mainstream schools, the DfE used the 4 to 15 pupil headcount from the October 2020 census.
The second grant payment took account of the initial part payment made in autumn 2020 so that schools received a total of £46.67 per pupil. A further £33.33 per pupil was paid during the summer term 2021.
Though funding has been calculated on a per pupil basis, schools should use the sum available to them as a single total from which to prioritise support for pupils according to their need.
Current information from the DfE states...As the catch-up premium has been designed to mitigate the effects of the unique disruption caused by coronavirus (COVID-19), the grant will only be available for the 2020 to 2021 academic year. It will not be added to schools’ baselines in calculating future years’ funding allocations.
Use of funds
Schools should use this funding for specific activities to support their pupils to catch up for lost teaching over the previous months, in line with the guidance on curriculum expectations for the next academic year. (See also EEF - School Planning Guide 2020-21 ) Schools have the flexibility to spend their funding in the best way for their cohort and circumstances.
At the Viking Academy Trust this money will be used in order to provide:
- curriculum resources and materials that support “catch up” and mental health of pupils.
- Additional staff to develop the outcomes of children who have been identified as needing “catch up” in their learning.
The Viking Academy Trust has tHREE broad aims for “catch up”:
- Attainment outcomes at end of 2021-22 for all year groups will be at least in line with those at the end of 2019-20.
- Assessment measures show all groups of pupils are making expected or accelerated progress
- The mental health needs of pupils are met and supported by our schools.
Catch Up at the Viking Academy Trust is
(For all children)
- Working through well sequenced, purposeful learning schemes. For example, our school-created writing schemes are being adapted to focus on missed objectives and consolidate the basics. In maths, we will utilise PA & White Rose Maths Scheme as our spine of learning and we have been able to use catch up premium to purchase adapted plans that have been purpose written for catch up.
- Focus on consolidation of basic skills. The core skills which enable successful learning will require increased curriculum time across all year groups. These include: handwriting, spelling of high frequency words, basic sentence punctuation, times tables recall, basic addition & subtraction fact recall and reading skills relevant to age.
- Additional lesson time on core teaching. Reading, writing and maths teaching will require increased teaching time in order to cover missed learning – particularly in the autumn term. In order to keep a broad and balanced curriculum, some subject areas may be taught as blocked days rather than weekly lessons in the autumn term.
- Particular focus on early reading and phonics. This is always a focus in the school and will continue to be so in order to develop children’s reading ability and vocabulary.
- Assessment of learning and of basic skills to identify major gaps. Teachers will work to identify gaps in learning and adapt teaching accordingly.
- Time spent on mental health, wellbeing and social skills development. This will be at the core of all catch up work as many children will have not been in formal school setting for a number of months.
(For some children)
- Additional support and focus on basic core skills. Supported by additional staffing utilising catch up premium – dependent on need as identified through ongoing assessment.
- Additional time to practice basic skills. This again will be dependent on need of children in order to re-establish good progress in the essentials (phonics and reading, increasing vocabulary, writing and mathematics) and there will be flexibility on timetables to allow this.
Catch up at the Viking Academy Trust IS NOT:
- Cramming missed learning
- Pressuring children and families into rapid learning
- Teachers time spent highlighting missed objectives
- Teachers time spent ticking off assessment points and extra tracking