
Creating an effective Pupil Premium strategy: A step-by-step guide
Developing a robust Pupil Premium strategy is essential for schools committed to supporting disadvantaged pupils and closing the attainment gap. This guide is designed for school staff, Pupil Premium leads, and teachers who may be new to the process of crafting a strategy.
With the right approach, your strategy can make a significant impact on your pupils’ educational outcomes, helping them achieve their full potential.
What is a Pupil Premium strategy?
The Pupil Premium is additional funding provided by the UK government to help schools improve the academic achievements of their pupils facing disadvantage. The strategy you create will guide how this funding is allocated and ensure that it has the maximum impact.
A well-thought-out strategy supports pupils in overcoming barriers to learning. It also helps demonstrate to Ofsted and other stakeholders how your school is making a difference.
Step 1: Analyse your pupils’ needs
The first step in creating a Pupil Premium strategy is to gain a clear understanding of the specific challenges and needs of your disadvantaged pupils. This involves:
- Data analysis:
Review data on pupil progress, attainment, attendance, behaviour, and wellbeing. Identify patterns that highlight the areas where disadvantaged pupils are struggling compared to their peers.
For example, nationally in 2023, just 44% of disadvantaged pupils met expected standards in their SATs exams, compared to 66% of non-disadvantaged pupils. 43% of disadvantaged pupils passed both English and maths GCSE, compared to 73% of non-disadvantaged pupils. You may see the same patterns reflected at your school.
- Pupil and staff consultation:
Engage with pupils, parents, and teachers to gain insights into the challenges faced by disadvantaged pupils. This could include issues such as lack of access to resources, low confidence, or social and emotional difficulties. - Review of previous strategies:
If your school has implemented a Pupil Premium strategy in previous years, evaluate its impact. What worked well? What could be improved? Use these insights to inform your new strategy.
This needs analysis forms the foundation of your strategy, ensuring that your plans are tailored to the specific needs of your pupils.
Step 2: Set clear objectives
Based on your analysis, identify the key objectives of your Pupil Premium strategy. These should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Examples of objectives might include:
- Raising attainment in core subjects:
For instance, aiming to close the gap in literacy and numeracy between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. - Improving attendance and punctuality:
Targeting improved attendance rates for disadvantaged pupils to ensure they are in school and ready to learn. - Enhancing wellbeing and engagement:
Supporting the social and emotional development of pupils to increase their engagement and participation in school life.
Your objectives should be ambitious yet realistic, reflecting your commitment to making a significant difference in the lives of disadvantaged pupils.
Step 3: Plan your interventions
With your objectives in place, the next step is to decide on the specific interventions and strategies you will use to achieve them. These should be evidence-based and aligned with the needs identified in your analysis. Key interventions might include:
- Targeted tutoring:
Tutoring is one of the most effective ways to support disadvantaged pupils. By providing personalised, focused instruction, tutoring helps pupils close learning gaps, build confidence, and achieve their academic potential. Consider partnering with a reputable tutoring organisation like Action Tutoring which specialises in supporting disadvantaged pupils.
Action Tutoring is an education charity with a long history of providing vital tutoring support to pupils facing disadvantage. Established in 2011, we’ve developed an effective tutoring programme with proven impact and minimal workload for schools.
- Professional development for teachers:
Investing in high-quality professional development ensures that teachers are equipped with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective instruction, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. This might include training on inclusive teaching practices, assessment for learning, or specific subject areas. - Pastoral support and wellbeing initiatives:
Addressing the social and emotional needs of disadvantaged pupils is crucial for their overall success. Your strategy could include initiatives such as mentoring, counselling services, or wellbeing programmes designed to build resilience and self-esteem. - Parental engagement programmes:
Engaging parents in their child’s education can significantly enhance pupil outcomes. Develop strategies to improve communication with parents, provide workshops on supporting learning at home, or create opportunities for parents to be more involved in school activities.
Each intervention should be clearly linked to your objectives and have a defined plan for implementation, including who will be responsible, how progress will be monitored, and how success will be measured.
Step 4: Allocate your budget
With your interventions planned, allocate your Pupil Premium budget accordingly. It’s important to ensure that funding is directed towards the areas where it will have the most impact.
Consider the cost-effectiveness of each intervention and be prepared to adjust your spending based on ongoing monitoring and evaluation. You can read more about Pupil Premium funding and how to maximise it’s impact here.
Step 5: Implement and monitor
Once your strategy is in place, it’s time to put your plans into action. However, the work doesn’t stop there. Regular monitoring is essential to ensure that your interventions are having the desired impact. Use a range of data sources, including pupil progress, attendance records, and feedback from pupils and staff, to assess the effectiveness of your strategy.
At Action Tutoring we pride ourselves on our evidence-based approach to supporting pupils, using baseline assessments and progress checks to monitor the impact our tutoring is having. We share the progress data with schools so they know how their pupils are doing, and regularly feedback as well.
Then, we capture the final exam results of our pupils and compare them against the national average for disadvantaged pupils. Each year a summary of our data is published in our annual impact report. You can read these reports here.
Be flexible and responsive to the needs of your pupils. If an intervention isn’t working as expected, be prepared to make changes. Continuous improvement should be at the heart of your strategy.
Step 6: Evaluate and report
At the end of the year, conduct a thorough evaluation of your Pupil Premium strategy. What were the outcomes for your disadvantaged pupils? How did your interventions contribute to these outcomes? Use this evaluation to inform your strategy for the following year, building on what worked well and addressing any areas for improvement.
Additionally, schools are required to publish an annual Pupil Premium strategy statement on their website. This should include details of your objectives, the interventions you implemented, the impact of these interventions, and your plans for the future. This transparency helps demonstrate your school’s commitment to supporting disadvantaged pupils and provides a valuable resource for other schools.
You can find a Pupil Premium strategy statement template on the UK Government website:
Creating a Pupil Premium strategy may seem daunting, but with careful planning and a focus on evidence-based interventions, you can make a real difference in the lives of disadvantaged pupils.
Remember, the goal is to close the attainment gap and ensure that every pupil has the opportunity to succeed. By prioritising targeted support like tutoring, investing in professional development, and addressing the holistic needs of your pupils, your strategy will help unlock their full potential.
Interested in high impact, low cost tutoring provision?
To find out more about how Action Tutoring can work with your school, you can get in touch below:
Hear from our partners:
“Action Tutoring provides students with a great opportunity to receive high quality tutoring. The programme is exceptionally well organised and staff are great. Students are really engaged and the whole provides incredible value for money for our school.”
Ben Carter, Director of Digital Technology and Innovation, Bohunt School in Worthing
“Action Tutoring has provided students with the space needed to flourish in smaller tutoring sessions, which gives them the confidence to take into lessons.“
Robyn McConville, Head of Year 7, Westminster City School in London
“Everyone we work with at Action Tutoring is always so efficient and helpful. Our students love the tutors we are working with and appreciate their knowledge, expertise and their commitment to their progress. Over time our students have grown in confidence and the tuition has accelerated the progress they have made.“
Laura Spear, Tuition Coordinator, Priory School in Portsmouth