COVID-19 Premium Funding

In June 2020, a £1 billion fund for education was announced by the government. Further guidance was released (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-catch-up-premium ) showing that the money is split between a catch-up premium and a national tutoring scheme.

The catch-up premium is funded on a per pupil basis at £80 per pupil. This will be based on the previous year’s census therefore we have been allocated £14400 (based on 180 pupils). The spending of this money will be down to schools to allocate as they see best. To support schools to make the best use of this funding, the Education Endowment Foundation has published a support guide for schools with evidence-based approaches to catch up for all students:

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Covid-19_Resources/The_EEF_guide_to_supporting_school_planning_-_A_tiered_approach_to_2021.pdf

Schools have been tasked with identifying the barriers to learning and what actions they will take to reduce or remove these. At the start of the Autumn Term, we implemented a Recovery Curriculum aimed at bolstering the children’s understanding of the most important and impactful aspects of basic reading skills, basic writing skills and basic mathematical skills. Our curriculum had these at the heart of a balanced curriculum approach and structure alongside an imperative wellbeing priority.

At Carter’s, in response to the EEF report, the Covid-19 ‘Catch up’ money will be used in order to provide:

• curriculum resources and materials that support mental health and well-being of pupils
• the purchase of curriculum resources and materials that support “catch up”, e.g. additional phonics resources to allow 1:1 phonics “catch up” to take place
• employment of an experienced teacher two days a week from January 2021 to tutor small groups of children who have been identified as needing “catch up” in their learning.
• to fund participation in the DfE’s Nuffield Early Language Intervention in Foundation Stage. This is an evidence based 20-week oral language intervention programme for children in their first year of primary school who may need additional support in developing their oral language skills.
• To participate in an online professional development opportunity for all Lancashire schools. In line with both primary and secondary priorities around Covid-19 catch-up funding and disadvantaged learners, this will take the form of online training supporting ‘Making the Difference for Disadvantaged Learners’. This is an offer delivered by Blackpool Research School, Meols Cop Research School, Manchester Research School and Lancashire Associate Research School.