Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch up premium

The literacy and numeracy catch-up premium gives schools additional funding to support year 7 pupils who did not achieve at least level 4 in reading or maths at the end of Key Stage 2 (KS2). Schools receive £89 for each pupil in year 7 who did not achieve at least level 4 in reading or maths at the end of KS2.
The Year 7 Catch-Up Premium is used within The Dales School to support engagement and achievement of all pupils, following our inclusive ethos.

The principles underlying our use of this grant are that we want to:

• Prioritise the deployment of highly trained and well supported staff able to focus on the individual needs of our pupils.
• Provide the best teaching resources that we can, to support achievement for all.

This is an all-age school, taking children from 2 years old through to 19, and our data gives us confidence that our Year 7 children do not experience a dip in their steady progress when they change from Year 6 to Year 7. We recognise that although our children don’t experience the classic Primary into Secondary dip, we routinely have children joining us from other schools at ages spread right through the school. We know that when children join the school, in any year group, there is a period of adjustment for them as they get to know new staff and learn to understand the boundaries and expectations in our setting.

For this reason we use the Year 7 Catch-Up Premium to focus on staff training and resources across the school, knowing that people and equipment need to be in place to minimise the impact of this post-Summer challenge for our pupils, as they adjust to the new setting. This means that it is important that all of our staff are supported in working at the highest standard and with access to a comprehensive CPD offer.

We have a comprehensive, responsive and very well established CPD schedule for teaching and support staff. This incorporates a substantial induction period and the allocation of a personal buddy, as well as ongoing training so that staff across all areas of the school are equipped with a range of essential skills and knowledge.