MAKING EFFECTIVE USE OF THE PUPIL DEPRIVATION GRANT · Lizzie Swaffield The . ... on available inspection, evaluation and research evidence. Drawing upon this evidence it suggests

MAKING EFFECTIVE USE OF THE PUPIL DEPRIVATION GRANT

A RESOURCE FOR EDUCATION LEADERS AND PRACTITIONERS

March 2014

Report authors:

Professor David Egan

Professor Danny Saunders

Lizzie Swaffield

The Wales Centre for Equity in Education is a national policy and applied research centre dedicated to improving educational equity in Wales. It is a joint initiative between the University of Wales and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

The Centre’s purpose is to make a significant impact on reducing educational inequities in Wales by working at national, regional and local levels to bring about change through evidence based improvements to policy and practice. It has been established to focus on all forms of disadvantage associated with low educational achievement in Wales, underpinned by a commitment to promote social justice and inclusion.

1 Its Aim

The Background

What the Funding is for

Conditions

Looked After Children

Explaining the PDG to Stakeholders

Overall Success Characteristics for the Use of Deprivation Funding

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Starting Points

Baselines and Learner Profiles

Learner Voice

15 Overall Strategy

Whole School Approaches

High Potential Impact Approaches

Moderate Potential Impact Approaches

Low, Very Low and Negative Potential Impact Approaches

Engaging Parents and Families

Strengthening Community LinksA Three Step Evaluation Model

Effect Size

SECTION A: Setting the Scene Its Aim

The Background


Conditions




SECTION B: Identifying the Target Group

Starting Points


Learner Voice

SECTION C: Planning Interventions Overall Strategy






Strengthening Community Links

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1 Its Aim

The Background


Conditions




9

Starting Points


Learner Voice

15 Overall Strategy






Strengthening Community LinksA Three Step Evaluation Model

Effect Size

APPENDIX 1: Information for use with Parents, Governors and Community Representatives

The Context

Statistics

Evidence on the Effects of Disadvantage

Effective Practice in Explaining the Use of the PDG

The Use of Funding for LAC Support

APPENDIX 2: Frequencies of Types of Support Offered for Disadvantaged Learners

APPENDIX 3: Examples of Effective Interventions

Whole School Interventions: Leadership

Whole School Interventions: Learning and Teaching

Whole School Interventions: Wellbeing

Family and Community Interventions

APPENDIX 4: Further Reading and Resources

29 1: Information for use with Parents, Governors and Community Representatives

The Context

Statistics




33APPENDIX 2: Frequencies of Types of Support Offered for Disadvantaged Learners

35 : Examples of Effective Interventions





53APPENDIX 4: Further Reading and Resources

Section D: Monitoring and EvaluationIntroduction

A Three Step Evaluation Model

Effect Size

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This Resource is intended for use by:

Senior Leadership Teams in Schools School Governors

Classroom teachers and Heads of Department Local Authority and Consortia Officers

Teaching & Learning Support Assistants Education Welfare Support Officers

Learning coaches Other professionals

Its Aim

This is a resource for helping make effective use of the Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) as well as meeting the expectations of the Welsh Government and Regional Education Consortia for use of the funding. It will assist schools in deciding which interventions are best for their pupils based on available inspection, evaluation and research evidence.

Drawing upon this evidence it suggests that schools need to take three crucial steps:

• identify the target group, its characteristics and needs

• plan interventions which make the most effective use of resources

• monitor and evaluate their impact

The Background

One in two people and one third of children in Wales live in poverty. There is a strong association between living in poverty and low educational qualifications with this being both a cause and an effect of poverty in Wales.

Through its Tackling Poverty Action Plan the Welsh Government has committed itself to mitigating the effect of poverty, assisting those in poverty to improve their chances of employment and preventing future poverty.

Improving the educational qualifications of those in poverty - and in particular narrowing the gap in achievement between children who are eligible for free school meals (eFSM) and those are not - is a key component of the plan.

The Welsh Government Department for Education and Skills has made reducing the impact of poverty on achievement as one of its three main priorities and the Education Minister, Huw Lewis, announced in October 2013 that this is now to be his top priority.

To this end Estyn have been asked to strengthen this aspect of their inspection of schools, and the Regional Education Consortia are required to make this a key feature of their work.

The Education Minister has also commissioned a soon to be published Deprivation Programme and announced that it will have four components:

• The continuing development of Early Years education, so that interventions to counteract the influences of poverty can be taken as early as possible in a child’s life.

• A Workforce Development Plan to develop the knowledge and skills of leaders, teachers and other professionals in working with disadvantaged young people.

• Improving family and community engagement in the education of their children.

• Supporting the aspirations of young people living in poverty so that they are able to realise their potential.

This plan, therefore, recognises that whilst schools have a critically important part to play in overcoming the impact of poverty on educational achievement, they cannot do it alone. Parents, families and communities also have a crucial part to play.

To provide additional support for schools to address the national priority the Pupil Deprivation Grant has been introduced. The Welsh Government is now strengthening the accountability of schools’ use of this funding and has asked the Regional Education Consortia to do the same.

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In 2014-15 the PDG is entering its third year and doubles to £918 per pupil. It should be used for supporting pupils who are eligible for free school meals - the key measure of pupil deprivation used by the Welsh Government - and Looked After Children (LAC). Whilst it is recognised that eligibility for free school meals is not a perfect measure of deprivation it is the most widely available and consistently used measure and is therefore arguably the best available indicator.

It should not be used for supporting pupils who are outside of statutory school age (i.e. below the age of 5 or above the age of 15). Nor should it be used for helping other groups of pupils who can benefit from separate funding streams – examples including ethnic minority learners, Gypsy and Traveller pupils, or learners with special educational needs, who are not e-FSM.

Some schools will have relatively small numbers of e-FSM and LAC pupils– where this is the case there is encouragement for the pooling of PDG resources by clusters of schools.

Where funding achieves critical mass, especially where schools have a larger proportion of e-FSM learners (over 15% of all pupils) there can be:

• Use of funding to appoint staff who can deliver interventions

• more out of hours activity (including summer schools)

• increased involvement with parents

• devising alternative learning pathways

• engaging more specialist support from outside organisations.

Conditions

Whilst the conditions of the PDG allocations to schools have not changed, the Welsh Government warns that some or all of the grant can be recovered at any time if it is being used in an ineligible way. This means that schools will be monitored for their use of the money. Local authority and consortia will be providing help to ensure that this valuable resource is not used in an inappropriate way.

The Welsh Government expects open and transparent plans to be published online giving details of objectives and impact with monitoring and evaluation through:

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• the regular stock takes undertaken by the School Standards Unit with Regional Education Consortia.

• System Leaders/Challenge Advisers within each consortium, who have the role of monitoring progress in order to improve achievement and spread good practice

• Estyn’s regular inspections of schools and their judgements about the use and impact of the PDG on standards

The use of PDG funding is to be accounted for separately, but it is anticipated that it will be linked to the use of the School Effectiveness Grant (SEG) which will be used by schools to raise standards- particularly of those who are low achieving- more generally. The SEG is a universal grant and can be used to fund interventions for pupils who are not e-FSM.

TARGETED STRATEGIES FOR PUPILS ELIGIBLE FOR FSM ...

which specifically benefit FSM pupils

STRATEGIES FOR UNDER-PERFORMING PUPILS ... which benefit FSM and

other under-achieving pupils

WHOLE SCHOOL STRATEGIES ...

which benefit all pupils

Source:Rea et al,2011, National College

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The Wales Audit Office highlights the seriousness of educational disadvantage for children who are in local authority care with key observations such as:

• Increased likelihood of NEET status on leaving school

• 29% leaving school with no qualifications and 10% achieving the Level2 inclusive standard at Key Stage 4

• Lower attendance and higher fixed term exclusion rates in secondary schools

• Increased likelihood of movement between schools based on care arrangements

At a UK level five key observations from the Social Exclusion Unit have helped to guide actions for support and intervention:

Key observations Key Actions

Too many young people’s lives are characterised by instability

Provide a stable and consistent school experience, with continuity of support when LAC learners move between carers and schools

Young people in care spend too much time out of school or other place of learning

Encourage attendance, including out of hours opportunities

Children do not have sufficient help with their education if they get behind

Provide catch-up teaching and learning support when LAC learners miss classes

Carers are not expected, or equipped, to provide sufficient support and encouragement at home for learning and development

Involve carers in learning support programmes

Children in care need more help with their emotional, mental or physical health and wellbeing

Develop programmes and activities that promote wellbeing

“Many children who are looked after face repeated disruptions in their lives, and their education can be unsettled by changes in where and with whom they live, some of which may result in a change of school. In the year to 31 March 2011, nine per cent of looked after children experienced at least three such placement moves”

Wales Audit Office (2012) page 24

Source: Social Exclusion Unit (2003)

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School leaders have the task of explaining the reasons for introducing and sustaining e-FSM and LAC support activities to key stakeholders within a school’s community.

Appendix 1 of this resource provides case study, policy and statistical information for use in discussions within governors, parent-teacher groups, school councils, and community organisations. This information includes reminders about Welsh Government and Estyn strategic priorities for tackling poverty and disadvantage.

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Ofsted (2012) reviewed the use by primary and secondary schools in England of the Premium Fund introduced in 2010 to support FSM learners. Where expenditure was considered to have been successful, the following characteristics were noted:

• funding was ring-fenced for a clearly defined target groups

• a clear distinction was made between eFSM and low ability learners

• individual underachieving pupils (especially in English and Mathematics) were identified using robust data sources

• research evidence was used to select activities likely to have an impact on improving achievement

• day-to-day teaching was designed to meet the needs of each learner (rather than relying on interventions to compensate for teaching that is less than good)

• the best teachers were allocated to intervention groups, and new teachers with a good track record in raising attainment were employed

• progression and attainment data were frequently used to check whether interventions or techniques were working ( rather than just using the data retrospectively to see if something had worked)

• support staff, particularly teaching assistants, were highly trained and understood their role in helping pupils to achieve

• assessment strategies were systematically focused on giving pupils clear, useful feedback about their performance

• a designated senior leader had a clear overview of the entire support programme

• class and subject teachers knew which pupils were eFSM

• governors were informed regularly of objectives and progress, with a publicised strategy

• attendance and positive behaviour were clearly targeted as areas for improvement

• links with families presenting barriers to learning were strengthened

• clear and robust performance management systems were in place for all staff (with open discussions about eFSM pupils in performance management meeting)

• monitoring and evaluation was carefully planned from the outset in order to demonstrate the impact of each aspect of Premium spending on the outcomes for pupils.

Sections [B] [C] and [D] of this guide provide details about successful approaches based on the identification of needs and priorities and the use of evaluation processes.

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Starting Points

The starting point for PDG planning should be the identification of individuals entitled to additional support within either or both of the two general categories: “eligible for free school meals” and “looked after children”.

This process includes recognising gaps and then devising ways of both raising the levels of achievement of these children and closing the distance in attainment between them and their peers.

Using the PDG

Recognise differences

Identify needs

Devising ways to raise achievement

and narrow the gap

Measure the outcomes

Reflect on impact and action plan

Common School related characteristics

of FSM students

CurriculumLess likely to follow an appropriate curriculum and to make informed decisions on subject choices and qualification routes.

TurbulenceMore likely to change school and less likely to make successful transitions at Key Stages

SENTwice as likely to have a statement

BehaviourAt least three times more likely to be permanently excluded and to have unauthorised absence

Cultural and social capitalLess likely to have the experiences and support available to other students

TeachingMore likely to experience poorer quality of teaching

SettingMore likely to be allocated to low groups than similarly attaining but non FSM pupils Key skills

More likely to have problems with literacy and numeracy

Source: Hill (2013) page 8 (adapted from Rea et al 2011)

This cycle can be documented within the school’s PDG plan, including information drawn from:

• Analysis of the performance data available to the school

• Discussions with staff

• Reflection on success with the previous year’s school plan

• Governor requests and recommendations

• Action plans after Estyn feedback

• Advice and constructive challenge from staff of the Regional Education Consortia

• Analysis of current and past data for attainment and progression

• Responding to good practice inside and outside the school

The actual target groups might include the following categories of pupils who are also e-FSM/LAC:

• Very able learners

• Particular ethnic groups

• Gender groups

• Transitional learners moving from Pre-School into the Foundation Phase, or from Primary into Secondary education

• Looked after children experiencing a change in fostering arrangements

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Completing – and documenting – an analysis of pupils’ baselines and learning needs assists later evaluation of intervention impact. Hill (2012) lists the following components which can be used for compiling baselines:

• attendance rates

• mobility rates – that is, the extent to which e-FSM students are changing schools relative to other groups

• behaviour records, including detentions, other sanctions, and temporary and permanent exclusions

• profile of GCSE options (including the number and proportion of e-FSM students selecting academically rigorous subjects

• profile of subject sets, where setting by ability is used

• profile of the quality of staff allocated to teach and support groups with high proportions of e-FSM learners,

• pattern of participation in extracurricular and out-of-school activities

• identification of additional support because of special needs or language problems

• parental support, including attendance at parents’ evenings

• allocation of work experience and internship placements

• destinations at Year 11 and Year 13, including progression to further and higher education

• involvement in student leadership

Estyn provide a case study from West Wales illustrating the value of initial profiling:

“Schools that challenge effectively the issues of disadvantage understand that white working class boys are less likely to achieve their potential than any other group of learners. These schools make changes to the way they organise learning experiences to motivate boys, sustain their interest in learning, and help them to improve their skills. They gather information regularly from male learners to adapt the curriculum to better meet their needs and interests. Staff in these schools use research findings to inform their teaching approaches, and do not over-simplify boy/girl issues or generalise inappropriately about boys’ preferred learning styles”.

Estyn (2012) page 22

Case Study

In 2011 34% of pupils at Cwrt Sart Community Comprehensive School in Neath Port Talbot were eligible for free school meals. The schools used data from Fisher Family Trust and Cognitive Assessment measures in order to define individual learners’ baselines, followed by termly self-assessment questionnaires for self esteem, confidence and goal setting. Pupils were then allocated to one of seven bands based on their learning needs and targets, with coaching support for eFSM and Looked After Children being provided.

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Learner Voice

In their review of poverty in schools Estyn emphasises that pupils who are disadvantaged are more likely to view their learning as irrelevant and to resist school culture. When this outlook is mixed with lower attendance and a lack of aspiration it becomes a recipe for exclusion from school life.

The importance of actively listening to learners with disadvantages and recording their views and opinions is therefore crucial, with successful schools:

• Administering regular questionnaire surveys

• Organising focus groups

• Using suggestion boxes

• Arranging frequent one-to-one listening sessions with adults

The needs of learners are identified through emerging feedback about teaching, homework, assignments, and school facilities and procedures. Successful schools do not just listen, they then respond through feeding back the results of listening to learners accompanied by action points so that there are tangible and visible outcomes. A pattern of future involvement in school life emerges when these actions are implemented, with pupils who participate within the listening exercise being more likely to engage with school responsibilities - such as joining mentoring teams, student action groups, and school councils.

Case Study

The Young Welsh Researchers are a group of around 25 young people who have been trained to undertake research from a young person’s perspective about issues that directly affect children and young people in Wales. Their first piece of research was Small Voice Big Story, which investigated the issue of poverty and its impact on education. The project aim was to contribute to the body of knowledge on the ‘lived’ experiences of children and young people, and was funded by the European Social Fund through the Participation Unit which is based at Save the Children in Wales. The Young Researchers were trained in research methods and then carried out research to capture and write up the views of other young people. Small Voice Big Story involved research with 178 young people aged between 11 and 14 through questionnaires and focus groups. The research findings and a clear set of recommendations for Welsh Government, local authorities, schools and other service providers were published in a report which formed the basis of campaign to give a stronger voice to children and young people in accordance with Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which recognises that children and young people have a right to express their views freely in all matters affecting them.

Source: Small Voice Big Story, Young Welsh Researchers, 2013

Case Study (continued)

“Learners who are entitled to free school meals achieve well in Cwrt Sart. Over the last few years, they have achieved better results than those in similar schools. In 2011, 31% of free-school-meal-learners achieved the level 2 threshold including English and mathematics, which was higher than the average performance of learners entitled to free school meals across Wales (22%)”.

Source: Lewis et al (2012) Effective Practice Estyn page 6

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Overall Strategy

A series of reports, evaluations and other publications in recent years have provided useful advice on how best to plan interventions for use with the group of pupils who are being targeted for the use of the PDG/Pupil Premium ( Estyn, 2012; Ofsted, 2012, Egan, 2012 and 2013, Reynolds, 2013, Carpenter et al, 2013, Welsh Government 2013).

A concise synthesis of this evidence would suggest that schools should concentrate their interventions on the following three areas:

1. Whole school approaches that focus on:

• Leadership;

• Effective learning and teaching;

• Pupil wellbeing.

2. Engaging parents and families.

3. Strengthening links with their communities, particularly through out-of-hours learning and mentoring interventions as a way of supporting aspirations.

This also aligns well with the anticipated National Poverty Plan and interventions funded through matched PDG/Communities First funding.


Whole-school leadership has been identified as being an important factor in schools that succeed in overcoming the impact of poverty on achievement. If the leadership and staff of a school believe they can make a difference for all of their pupils, this is often a key determinant of success and demonstrates that they have high expectations of all their pupils regardless of their background.

It can be argued that schools make the biggest difference of all for their most disadvantaged pupils and should, therefore focus a significant amount of their capacity upon them.SE

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Leadership can develop this ‘moral purpose’ through the following practical interventions using the PDG:

• Ensuring that a strategic plan is in place which demonstrates how the school intends to reduce the impact of poverty on achievement and improve the performance of e-FSM pupils.

• Designating a member of the Senior Leadership Team to lead this area of the work of the school and ensuring that this person reports regularly to SLT and other school meetings on their work.

• Undertaking staff development with all key leaders, teaching and support staff on strategies to improve the achievement of e-FSM pupils.

• Placing a particular emphasis in all of the above, on the effective use of data to monitor the performance of e-FSM pupils and the planning of effective interventions designed to address dips in performance.

• Ensuring that Governors are briefed on this area of the schools work and are involved in decisions about the use of the PDG and other strategies to tackle the impact of poverty.

• Developing a strong focus on working with parents and community organisations and programmes.

Effective learning and teaching approaches that can be used with low-achieving pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, have been identified through a major piece of research undertaken by the charity the Sutton Trust and the Education Endowment Foundation. The Sutton Trust Toolkit has drawn upon a vast body of robust evidence based on thousands of research studies and millions of pupils. Using an ‘effect-size’ method of measuring the impact of learning and teaching interventions on pupil achievement and factoring-in cost-effectiveness (value-for-money) it has ranked the most effective things that teachers and schools can do as part of their wider strategies to tackle the impact of poverty.

A summary of the Sutton Trust’s findings is presented below:

‘All staff in the school, teaching and non-teaching and the school governors should believe that everyone can succeed to their full potential and that poverty should not be seen as an excuse or reason for this not to be the case. This vision should also be shared with students and their families’.

(Egan 2012 page 13)

Case Study

‘Every Leader of Learning takes responsibility for tracking pupils’ progress and when necessary, arranging timely interventions to remove any barrier to learning. Regular planning meetings are held to decide what type of support individual pupils need. The Leaders of Learning closely monitor an evaluate the impact of any intervention’

Source: Estyn, 2012, Best Practice Case Study of Maesteg School

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Approach Estimated impact

Learning Gain over a year

(potential months gain in learning over a year)

Estimated Cost based on a class of 30

pupils

Available evidence

base

Early years intervention High 6 very high extensive

Feedback High 8 low moderate

Meta-cognition and self-regulation High 8 low extensive

Peer tutoring High 6 low extensive






pupils

Available evidence

base

Behaviour interventions Moderate 4 very high extensive

Collaborative learning Moderate 5 very low extensive

Digital technology Moderate 4 high extensive

Homework (Secondary) Moderate 5 very low moderate

Mastery learning Moderate 5 low Moderate

One to one tuition Moderate 5 high extensive

Outdoor adventure learning Moderate 3 moderate limited

Parental involvement Moderate 3 moderate moderate

Phonics Moderate 4 very low Extensive

Small group tuition Moderate 4 moderate limited

Social and emotional learning Moderate 4 very low extensive

Sports participation Moderate 2 moderate moderate

Summer schools Moderate 3 moderate limited

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pupils

Available evidence

base

Ability grouping Negative -1 very low moderate

After school programmes Low 2 high limited

Arts participation Low 2 Low moderate

Aspiration interventions Very low 0 moderate very limited

Block scheduling Very low 0 very low limited

Extended school time Low 2 moderate limited

Homework (Primary) Low 1 very low moderate

Individualised instruction Low 2 low moderate

Learning styles Low 2 very low moderate

Mentoring Low 1 moderate moderate

Performance pay Low 0 moderate very limited

Physical environment Very low 0 low very limited

Reducing class size Low 3 very high moderate

Repeating a year Negative -4 very high extensive evidence

School uniform Very low 0 very low very limited

Teaching assistants Very low 0 high limited

Source: adapted from Higgins et al (2012)

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These ratings are only an approximate guide and they do not in any way guarantee success. Furthermore, the direct application of these approaches to e-FSM and LAC contexts in Wales may well reveal different outcomes, impact and costs.

For example, somewhat controversially, the approach to dividing learners into ability groups is associated with a moderate evidence base and does not look promising when it comes to effective use of PDG resources. The finding of ‘very low impact’ of teaching assistants has been the most surprising. It should however be noted that current evidence is described as limited. The effectiveness of teaching assistants will depend on how they are deployed within the classroom and whether they have received the appropriate training. A recent study based on randomised control trials in schools in England has challenged this outcome. It reveals that children receiving support by teaching assistants on ‘catch-up literacy and numeracy’ schemes made the equivalent of 3 months’ additional progress over a year (Education Endowment Foundation, 2013).

What this suggests is that whilst the Sutton Trust toolkit is a most useful guide for schools, it is precisely that - a ‘guide’- and should not detract from the professional judgements to be made by schools of the most appropriate interventions to be used in their specific context. The critical factor is for those judgements to be based on evidence and to be monitored so as to evaluate their impact.

That said there does appear to be compelling evidence in the Sutton Trust work, supported by other influential sources including the work of Professor John Hattie (2008), for the following effective learning and teaching interventions:

• High quality feedback to pupils.

• Peer-to-peer learning (peer-tutoring).

• Developing thinking skills (meta-cognition).

• Early years interventions.

It is therefore sensible to consider prioritising these interventions in the use of PDG funding, remembering - in the case of early years intervention – that the PDG supports children from the age of five.

The importance of developing the wellbeing of all pupils, particularly those who are experiencing poverty and its effects, is widely recognised to be of fundamental importance if children are to be in a position to enjoy their learning and make progress towards their potential. This is often portrayed as developing the self-confidence, self-esteem, self-efficacy, resilience, nurturing emotional intelligence and personal and social skills of pupils.

All schools to some extent undertake this work through their pastoral and pupil support systems and work with outside agencies to maximize their efforts. The evidence suggests that generally primary schools are more successful than secondary schools in achieving success in this area of their work. This might explain why primary schools seem more able to ‘dampen’ the impact of poverty on children’s achievement than secondary schools.

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Intervention strategies in this area might include the following:

• Improving attendance.

• Behaviour for learning approaches.

• Working closely with Families First and the Team Around the Family

• Developing personal and social skills.

• Supporting young people where a lack of family income prevents them from participating in home-learning, school visits and trips, eating breakfast and having essential equipment.

It is widely accepted that whilst it is often difficult to show the impact of such approaches in improvements in the levels of achievement of disadvantaged pupils, they are a necessary precursor to success through engaging pupils in successful learning and teaching interventions such as those outlined above. This should not lead, however, to schools not carefully monitoring the outcomes of such strategies as part of their evaluation of the use of the PDG.

Case Study

‘Twenty-six per cent of pupils in Llwynypia Primary are entitled to free school meals. The school and the school’s aims and values reflect the development of the whole child. The school ethos is based on the wellbeing of all learners and staff, and the school motto, “We all believe, we all achieve!” is evident throughout the school. To ensure effective support for its disadvantaged learners, the school has developed a systematic approach to developing learners’ wellbeing”.

Source: Estyn (2012) page 7

Case Study

‘The school decided to adopt a specific way of interacting with pupils. This strategy aims to give pupils more responsibility for their behaviour in order to improve behaviour and commitment to the learning process. In January 2012 with the full support of the management team and the Headteacher, training on these methods was conducted for all members of staff. Following this training, the pastoral team began to plan a whole-school strategy that included the following points:

Affective language - Staff were encouraged to use language that appeals to a pupil’s emotion rather than giving orders.

Quick chats: The main purpose of these is to create opportunities for pupils to share and express emotions freely and to develop a beneficial working relationship between staff and pupils.

Restorative circles: The school has changed its practices of dealing with problems of discipline and conflict, by using ‘restorative circles’ to solve any conflict between staff and pupils or among groups of pupils.

Using restorative questions: When investigating and trying to solve problems, all members of staff received a card with examples of restorative questions on them.

In Estyn’s 2013 inspection, the inspectors noted that the ‘school’s restorative strategies promote excellent behaviour among pupils… and has resulted in improvement in pupils standards, attitudes, behaviour, confidence and wellbeing’

Source: Estyn, 2013, Best Practice Case- Study of Ysgol Gyfun Bryn Tawe

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Parents are the single biggest influence on children and their educational outcomes. The importance of what is known as ‘the home learning environment’ and of parental/family influence cannot be understated.

A major piece of research undertaken by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation ( reported in Egan, 2013; Carter-Wall and Whitfield, 2012) identified parental and family engagement as being the most important factor, outside of schools, in influencing the achievement of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The research pointed to four areas where parental and family engagement can be effective:

• Developing parenting skills.

• Involving parents in developing their own education as a way of supporting their children.

• Greater involvement of parents in the work of schools.

• Developing clearer understanding between schools and parents of the expectations that schools have of pupils.

The extent to which schools are involved in such work currently is hugely variable. Primary schools generally do more than secondary schools, particularly in the early years. Inevitably such practice is much more widespread in more privileged areas and with more affluent families.

Some schools are involved in specific strategies such as the FAST (Families and Schools Together) programme, Family Learning Signature and Family Values. Many schools seek recognition for their work in this area through the Investors in Families programme. Other schools do largely informal work not associated with any particular programme: some do very little at all.

Given the importance of this area and the potential impact it can have on student achievement, this could be an extremely useful way to use the PDG. Whilst the evidence base on specific programmes that can be used by schools is as yet limited, the examples provided above and in the appendices to this resource provide schools with links that can be explored.

Case Study

Since 2010 there has been a significant increase in learners arriving at Pillgwenlly Primary School who do not speak English. The school has created a family nurture room where children learn alongside their family for 10% to 20% of the week and attending their base classes for the remainder of the week with home language support. As soon as learners have acquired skills to support them with their learning and wellbeing, they transfer into their base class full-time. Learners start their day by having breakfast, during which they use their home language as well as English and plan for the day. This provides an opportunity to address any worries about their planned areas of learning. The rest of the morning is focused on acquiring the necessary literacy skills and knowledge to support the children when learning alongside their base-class peers. Parents also have the opportunity of attending other family learning workshops while their children are in their base classes.


Case Study

‘Capcoch Primary School identified a need to break down barriers between the school and families. They wanted to encourage parents to play an active part in the life of the school and to take a close interest in their child’s education. This was established by initiating family outreach and support, adult learning classes, the running of a wealth of after school provision including holiday activities, parenting and community projects. We encouraged parents to enrol in school based adult learning programmes such as Literacy, Numeracy, ICT and parenting skills. The school discussed with parents the best way to identify and incorporate their views in shaping the direction of the school. Parental engagement has become a priority in the school. This work has had a positive impact on standards and the wellbeing of our pupils.’

Source: Estyn, 2013, Best Practice Case Study Capcoch Primary School

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Case Study

‘Senior managers developed a strategy that included:

• Establishing multi-agency partnerships;

• A training programme for staff; and

• A plan for family support and learning.

The school coordinates services and practitioners around the child and family and through Canopi is able to sign-post families to relevant specialists. The school works in partnership with a wide range of agencies that deliver training on literacy, numeracy, financial management, digital and social skills.

Source: Estyn 2013, pp12-14, Case Study on Treorchy Primary School

Strengthening Community Links

Place matters in relation to poverty, including the impact it can have on pupil achievement. This is partly about local cultures whereby high levels of skills and qualifications have not been the norm in the past due to the nature of local employment. It can also be about peer group culture, where young people grow up in communities where there are few if any role models who have achieved success in progressing to apprenticeships, well-paid work and/or higher education.

We now have a clearer understanding of the role that aspirations play within communities. A strong body of evidence shows that young people from these communities do not grow up without aspirations to succeed and their parents are almost all highly aspirational for them. Over time, however, young people often lack the resilience to persist with their education, become disengaged and do not reach their potential. Their families lack the knowledge, connections (‘social capital’) and sometimes income to support their children’s aspirations.

This is why the research reported above by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that two of the other promising interventions that can be made with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds is the provision of additional learning opportunities after the school day is finished and mentors to act as role models and offer advice.

The Welsh Government Communities First and Families First programmes provide opportunities for young people in our most disadvantaged communities to access this type of support and additional opportunities.

Schools in Communities First areas could, therefore, use the PDG to support and co-fund joint activity. In all areas there could be potential links with Families First to support the most vulnerable pupils.

Regardless of location, the value of schools developing strong links with their communities and community organisations and programmes, as a way of developing holistic support for the most disadvantaged pupils in the school, is an effective way to consider using the PDG.

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Case Study

The community of about 3000 people is one of the most disadvantaged places in Wales as ranked by the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation. It was developed as a council estate in the late 1950s and came to be regarded as a troubled community with high levels of deprivation including high unemployment, poor housing, serious health problems and low levels of educational achievement. In recent years whilst it continues to be a seriously disadvantaged community, its reputation and resilience has been transformed. This change has been led by the Communities First Partnership, which has drawn in significant support from other agencies, including extensive charitable funding to undertake a series of interventions. Within this activity education has had a strong profile. The two primary schools in the village and the local secondary schools where most of the pupils attend have become closely involved in the work. Previously the two primary schools were low performing and the children from the village in the secondary school rarely did well in education, with few proceeding to post-16 education. This level of education performance has now been significantly improved. The attendance, behaviour and more recently the achievement of pupils from the village are now better than the average in the secondary school. This success has been achieved through a growing commitment to education within the community, involving parents, families, local politicians, various organisations and the education system itself, including further and higher education and adult and work-based learning. The annual ‘learning day’ is attended by over 100 individuals and organisations, who together plan the provision they will make in the community over the forthcoming year to provide a range of opportunities from pre-school education, support for the schools, through to family and adult education.

Source: Wales Centre for Equity in Education Case-Study of Glyncoch, Pontypridd, 2013

Appendix 3 of this resource provides more evidence on the three areas covered above.

Introduction

The Welsh Government stresses the importance of schools using evidence based approaches to PDG spending that can be reported to their local authority and consortia. Key information includes data from:

• Teacher assessments

• Reading and numeracy measures

• Attendance and exclusion statistics

• Estyn inspections

• Level 2 inclusive results

The consortia via their System Leaders/Challenge Advisers and other Officers will use this evidence to produce an overview spanning four stages for demonstrating the effective use of the PDG:

Estyn will also be asking schools to provide evidence on the effective use of their PDG funding as part of the inspection process and guidance from the inspectorate is to be published in the near future.

A Three Step Evaluation Model

Monitoring generates crucial information for evaluation, a process which asks the all- important question ‘is the PDG being used effectively’? Evaluation can justify continued funding for the PDG whilst at the same time pointing to methods that save teachers time and avoiding activity that has little discernible effect.

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“In too many schools, plans for the grant are not based on the outcomes of self-evaluation and do not link well enough to the school’s strategic plans. In a majority of schools, tracking systems are not sophisticated enough to capture improvements in standards and wellbeing”.


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The Education Endowment Foundation has provided a very helpful outline for teachers to use when evaluating the introduction of any new learning and teaching method, or when introducing change within a school (Coe and Kime 2013). Their model can be adapted for use with the PDG:

STEPS REMINDERS ACTIONS

PREPARATION(to be completed

by school)

Defining the question

This can be a general query such as “transitional support for eFSM and LAC learners will have an influence on their progress and well being in year 7”. Or it can be very specific such as “the involvement of eFSM learners in field trips will improve their GCSE attainment in Geography”.

Identifying the measure

Including for example standardised tests and inventories1, or alternatively tailor-made measures devised by the school

Defining a comparison group

Is it possible to identify learners not receiving the same support as eFSM or LAC learners? If this is difficult – perhaps because the school wants to offer support to all students – then a historical comparison with a similar group of previous pupils who completed the same course last year might be possible

Case Study

Teachers at Notre Dame Roman Catholic Girls’ Secondary School in Southwark wanted to run a summer school targeted at its incoming Year 7 pupils eligible for free school meals. They wanted to work out the most effective possible form the school could take so decided to evaluate two alternatives (an in-house school and a school run by an external company) against one another.

The teachers collaborated with colleagues at Notre Dame’s feeder primaries and used pre-tests produced by the National Foundation for Educational Research to allocate pupils between the two summer schools. The tests were conducted in the Spring term of Year 6.

The students were tested again in the Autumn term and the staff used this data, in addition to attendance data, staff observations and student survey results to determine which of the schools to use in future years.

Source: Coe R and Kime S (2013) The DIY Evaluation Guide Education Endowment Foundation page 9

The starting point for planning evaluation should be carefully formulating the question that guides the entire study.

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IMPLEMENTATION

Establishing a baseline

This means gathering information about pupil performance and well being before any PDG funded intervention takes place. If this information is not available – perhaps because the intervention is already underway - then it might be possible to look at learners profiles from previous cohorts

The intervention itself

See section C of this Guide for examples. Intervention can be targeted – such as peer mentoring or a catch-up reading programme) - or it can be more general (e.g. a summer school).

Interim snapshots Snapshots allow the school to check on progress and make changes if the intervention is not going according to plan – they can include “mock” assessments, interviews, social media, self assessments and surveys of teachers and pupils

Final measures after intervention assessments)

A return to baselines in order to allow before and after comparisons. This could include GCSE results for example, or internal measures such as end of year teacher assessments can be used

REFLECTION

Analysis and interpretation of data

This is not just graphs and tables; it can include qualitative information drawn from interviews and focus groups and it can extend to the process of sharing information with colleagues in order to agree patterns, findings and interpretations

Alternative explanations

It is important to consider other variables that may have had an influence on the intervention and that might not have been planned –examples might include closure of the school due to bad weather, an unexpected mid-year change to the teaching team, or an exclusion of pupils following a serious incident

Reporting The key sections can include:

• the actual question

• the context (place and time of the study and the people involved)

• the design (including the comparison group)

• the outcome (including how data was gathered and an explanation for any partial or missing information)

• results and conclusions – including next steps

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This three step model can be rehearsed and completed by teams of staff who are planning and implementing activities with e-FSM and LAC learners next year. It can then become the final working document for structuring and informing the final report to the local authority and consortium and as evidence for Estyn.

Effect Size

Any intervention that is undertaken by a teacher or a school is capable of making a claim that it has led to improvements in the learning of pupils. Education researchers have developed a way of measuring such claims which they call ‘effect size’. Any effect above zero means that achievement has been raised through the intervention. John Hattie, who has studied thousands of such interventions and the research that has been done on their outcomes, has concluded that about 95% of them can be seen to have a positive effect.

So asserting that something has worked ...

John Hattie’s book Visible Learning for Teachers provides useful information on how to develop and capture effect size and more guidance on what interventions to use to maximize achievement, and how to monitor and evaluate them.

‘is a trivial claim, because virtually everything works…..For any particular intervention to be considered worthwhile, it needs to make an improvement in student learning of at least an average gain, that is an effect size of at least 0.40. ..this is the hinge point for identifying what is and what is not effective.’

(Hattie, 2012, pp 9-10).

The Context

The following references be may be useful in explaining the reasons for the PDG to parents, governors and community leaders:

“The gap between the achievements of disadvantaged compared to advantaged children is present at 9 months old, is significant by the age of 3, grows in the primary years and accelerates particularly in secondary education.

By the time that students complete their ‘compulsory’ education at the age of fifteen the gap is at its biggest: it is two and a half times more likely that a student not living in poverty will achieve a high outcome than one living in poverty”.

Egan D (2012) Communities Families and Schools Together p 5

“Poverty is the strongest predictor of a child’s future life-chances. In terms of attainment the facts speak for themselves:

• The highest early achievers from poorer backgrounds are overtaken by lower achieving children from advantaged backgrounds by age seven, by the end of Key Stage 1 the odds of a pupil eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) achieving level 2 in reading, writing and maths are one third those of a non-FSM pupil.

• The gap widens further during secondary education and persists into Higher Education. The odds of an FSM pupil achieving five or more GCSEs at A*-C including English and mathematics are less than one third those of a non FSM pupil.

A pupil from a non-deprived background is more than twice as likely to go on to study at university as their deprived peers”.

Department of Education (2011) Why focus on pupils from poorer backgrounds?

Statistics

Comparisons of eFSM and non-eFSM learners for the 2011-2012 school year note significant gaps in attainment across all key stages, becoming more pronounced as learners get older.

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[Source: Estyn (2013) page 31]

[Source: Estyn (2013) pages 31-2]

There have only been slight improvements over the period 2010-2012 when it comes to narrowing the gap between eFSM and non-eFSM learner attainment at Key Stages 2 and 3, although Key Stage 4 level 2 threshold performance has improved at a better rate than in previous years:

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Any presentation about the PDG to external stakeholders by senior leadership teams could also be reinforced by the “big picture” emerging from research by the Joseph Rowntree and Sutton Trust Foundation’s . Disadvantaged children are more likely to have:

• Less help with learning when they are at home

• Less advanced speaking and writing skills– with the vocabulary of children in poverty being 16 months behind their peers when entering into primary schools

• inappropriate and anti-social behaviour leading to more fixed or permanent exclusions

• less confidence in their control of the world around them


Explaining the entire PDG context to Governing Bodies is an essential early step within the planning process. Here is an example of good practice for ensuring a governing body is fully informed about the issues and priorities:

Case Study

This inner-city primary school has a high proportion of pupils who are eligible for the Pupil Premium. Attainment has been very low and is now rising. Following a close reading of Sutton Trust evidence and case studies the governing body visited another local school to look at its practice in raising attainment, and formed a working party to consider how its Pupil Premium funding could be spent.

A specific committee took on the responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the impact of the funding. They knew how much of the money had been spent, and on what. Governors from this committee took part in learning walks to see the impact of specific aspects of spending, as well as scrutinising data on the attainment of eligible pupils. Pupil Premium funding was also a regular standing item at the finance committee’s meetings. Information about the school’s spending was published on the school’s website, and governors checked that this was complete and accurate.

How well did it work and why?

Governors influenced the school’s strategic thinking about the Pupil Premium. They were fully involved in monitoring and evaluating its impact. Through this process, they became more knowledgeable about the strengths and weaknesses of the achievement of different groups within the school.

Source: Ofsted (2012) page 25

It is also worth reminding working groups, leadership teams and governors about some of the Ofsted findings about the use of the Premium fund (also for eFSM learners) in England. They warn that less successful approaches tend to be linked to:

• a lack of clarity about the intended impact

• indiscriminate spending of funds on teaching assistants

• lack of monitoring for the quality and impact of interventions

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• absence of good performance management systems for teaching assistants and other support staff

• no clear audit trail for where the funding had been spent

• a pre-occupation with pupils attaining the nationally expected level at the end of a key stage but without going beyond these expectations

• less concern about helping more able eFSM pupils who are underachieving

• isolation of Pupil Premium spending from other planning - for example, not being part of the school development plan

• comparisons of performance with local rather than national data, thereby suppressing expectations if in a low-performing local authority


There are examples of rapid and proactive intervention and support for children who may have been placed into care very unexpectedly following trauma and crisis within families. Here is one such case study which traces support through to final attainment outcomes for an individual learner:

Case Study

A pupil who was eligible for free school meals became temporarily looked after in Year 11 following a family trauma. This unsettled her enormously and her work began to suffer. She had been predicted to gain five or more GCSEs at grades C or above and had plans to go to college, but these were now at risk given her family circumstances. The school first provided her with social and emotional support, and ongoing counselling so that she was coping enough emotionally to receive academic support in order to catch up lost ground.

During the time that she was looked after, this pupil received a highly individualised programme of additional teaching, funded by the Pupil Premium. She received daily mathematics tuition for an hour before school for two months in the run up to GCSE. She attended homework club after school in the science department every Wednesday. She attended extra English lessons by dropping one of her option subjects, thereby receiving two hours of extra English tuition a week. She was predicted a grade A in physical education, but had fallen behind, so the final part of the weekly support was lunchtime tuition for this subject. The pupil also attended Easter revision classes for mathematics, English, and history and was given materials and equipment and revision guides for every subject.

This intensive, individualised programme of support worked very well and succeeded in putting this pupil back on track academically despite some traumatic family circumstances and time missed from school as a result. She gained eight GCSEs at grade C or above, including four at grade B and one grade A, exceeding the school’s predictions. She succeeded in all the subjects for which she had been given additional tuition. The pupil was now in the sixth form studying for A levels.


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Approach Primary Schools (%) Secondary Schools(%)

Frequency of usage

(N= 690)

Perceived effectiveness

(N= 669)

Frequency of usage

(N = 386)

Perceived effectiveness

(N=376)

Additional support outside the classroom

99 67 98 60

Additional support inside the classroom

98 70 91 41

Additional staff 98 78 96 74

Curriculum related school trips 95 79 94 51

Out of hours activities 87 46 92 41

Provision of materials or resources

84 54 93 55

Parental support and engagement

86 60 81 46

Support from specialist services 82 45 88 30

Alternative learning pathways 31 28 80 67

Reducing class sizes 28 67 53 56

Summer schools 15 30 67 42

Average number (out of these 11) being offered

8.0 n/a 9.3 n/a

Source: Carpenter et al (2013) Tables 2.4 and 2.5 pages 35 and 42

Carpenter H, Papps I, Bragg J, Dyson A,Harris D, Kerr K, Todd L and Laing K (2013) Evaluation of Pupil Premium - Research Report Centre for Equity in Education, University of Manchester & Newcastle University and Dept of Education: London: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/243919/DFE-RR282.pdf

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Approach Description and Illustrations

Middle manager development

Senior leadership teams will include support for disadvantaged learners as one of their key responsibilities, but when it comes to tackling poverty within the classroom it is vital that leadership focuses on learning and teaching quality. The involvement of middle managers in the ownership of eFSM and LAC targets and activity is all-important. This includes Heads of Department, Directors of Literacy and Numeracy Frameworks, Teaching and Learning Co-ordinators, and Learning Progress Managers.

The middle managers are pivotal for the involvement of colleagues in specific activities and programmes so that the agenda associated with supporting eFSM and LAC learners is on everyone’s minds. The allocation of outstanding teachers and support staff to disadvantaged pupils has been shown by research from the LSE and Stanford University to have very significant impact on attainment.

PDG funding can therefore be used for supporting staff development of key individuals through using leadership development programmes offered by the consortia as well as external facilitators where appropriate.

The forensic use of data

Successful schools are using advanced data tracking systems which identify individual learners and allow intervention and support at crucial times in order to avoid crisis or failure. This often involves developing data collation and interpretation skills within teams of staff, in addition to an overarching manager of information systems.

Case Study

This is a larger than average-sized primary school where nearly half the pupils are eligible for Pupil Premium funding. From lower than average starting points pupils reach average standards by the end of Year 6.

The school’s focus for its various intervention strategies fell into three distinct strands: attainment and progress; attendance; and care guidance and support. Thorough analysis of RAISE online data combined with information from the school’s internal tracking system was used to identify underachieving pupils, plan which interventions would suit them best, and monitor pupils’ subsequent achievement. Clear and personal knowledge of pupils’ individual circumstances and needs as well as attendance data were used to select and target support appropriately.

Leaders never waited until the end of an intervention to analyse its effectiveness so were able to make alterations as the intervention progressed. Data about the ‘attainment and progress’ strand of the intervention programme led the school to move away from using teaching assistants as the main leaders of small group intervention. These groups were now led by selected teaching staff, including members of the senior leadership team.


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Attendance The importance of attendance cannot be over-emphasised, with all schools expected to have clear targets and monitoring systems. Funding can be used for the involvement of staff in the provision of individual tracking and follow-up contact and support. It can also be used for communication systems (such as text messaging) which alert key people to an unauthorised absence from school – although the administrative demands in updating contact details should not be under-estimated.

Two case studies provide illustrations of practical action:

Case Study – Primary

36% of the 664 pupils at Cefn Hengoed Community School are designated as eFSM is an 11-16 mixed comprehensive school. The school set objectives to:

• reduce unauthorised absences;

• define procedures for requests for holidays in term-time;

• reduce truancy and improve punctuality; and

• manage attendance through a business continuity plan.

• Attendance is the first item on the agenda on the governing body, leadership team, senior pastoral team and pastoral team meetings. To improve attendance the school developed a number of approaches:

• a team of pastoral support officers (PSOs), initially established through RAISE funding, was extended and subsequently funded by the school budget. PSOs and the Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) hold frequent meetings. Form tutors support the work of the PSOs on attendance. The PSOs and senior pastoral team hold support meetings aimed at targeted parents;

• the pastoral team was restructured and changes made to teaching and learning responsibilities and in the use of associate staff;

• the school trialled an attendance monitoring text messaging system and, following positive feedback from parents, this was developed for the whole school;

• an attendance focus group met monthly, chaired by the head teacher;

• the school invested in staff training to improve consistent linking of attendance and progress in feedback to learners during the twice yearly academic reviews, to parents in parents’ evenings and when completing learner reports;

• drew on the good practice of its partner primary schools and developed wrap around provision, including a breakfast club and after-school clubs

• participated within a range of multi-agency activities including the ‘So To Do’ and Youth Initiative projects as well as making full use of the educational psychology, behaviour support, and Ethnic Minority Language Advisory Services.

• devised numerous awards for learners and provided termly letters to parents for learners with 95%+ attendance; and Outcomes include significant year on year improvements in attendance with the percentage of learners achieving the core subject indicator at key stage 3 increasing from 45% to 63%, and at key stage 4 from 23% to 37%.

Source Estyn (2012) pages 18-19

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Case Study – Secondary

This is a large secondary school in which a smaller than average proportion of pupils are eligible for the Pupil Premium. The school identified a small number of pupils with poor attendance and decided to appoint a former Education Welfare Officer as a parent support adviser. This member of staff had a caseload of about 20 pupils at any one time, and worked with pupils and their parents to solve various issues that were preventing the pupils from attending school. In addition, the school set up a ‘welcome to school’ room, staffed by two teaching assistants, as a halfway house for pupils who were finding it difficult to return to school full time after long-term or sporadic absence.

As a result of these well-focused initiatives attendance in the school had risen overall, and persistent absence fallen. The attendance of pupils eligible for free school meals was 99% in 2012. By also working with feeder primary schools, whole families became engaged and this prevented some attendance difficulties from becoming ingrained for the younger children who join the secondary school with better attendance.

Source Ofsted (2012) page 21

Behaviour Programmes

Reduction of challenging behaviour – including violence and aggression, bullying, substance abuse and anti-social activities – can be achieved through three kinds of intervention:

• Universal programmes that are class-room based addressing all pupils

• Specialised programmes for individuals or particular groups associated with behavioural issues

• School level approaches for improving discipline and building a positive learning environment for everyone

These actions can have very dramatic impact on targeted individuals or groups, as well as other pupils who may be influenced by challenging behaviour of their peers. Programmes that have the most success are those which address learners who are either diagnosed or considered to be at-risk of developing behavioural issues. They also tend to last between 2-6 months, overseen by staff who have received professional development support. Effective interventions can also make full use of community and parental involvement so that behavioural change is not confined to the school environment.

Extended school time

This approach refers to the lengthening of the school day, the school term, or the entire school year. It differs from end of school, extra-mural and summer school activities on the basis of extended school time involving a more formalised teaching and learning process for lessons and project work. This approach has produced improvements in attainment for pupils who are most at risk, although when the school day is lengthened this should not be beyond a maximum of 3-4 hours. It is an approach which necessitates considerable additional commitments and resources from teaching and support staff, as well as requiring agreement from parents and carers. The advice is to use existing school time more effectively before considering an extension strategy.

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High quality feedback

The provision of constructive, challenging and clear information for improving performance. Quality feedback refers to learning goals and curriculum outcomes, pointing out areas for improvement as well as praising what has been done well. It refers to previous performance, so that the learner can see improvements and feels encouraged. The feedback can come from teachers and other pupils, and it does not always have to be written down: group discussion and one-to-one tutorials can also be used.

Learning to learn

Learning is not always about particular subjects, it is also important to develop methods and strategies that pupils use in order to learn and to study. This entails planning a task, monitoring what is being done and evaluating the outcomes – including what could have been improved. The evidence confirms that when confidence about learning to learn improves, so does performance in the next assessment.

Learning to learn goes under a variety of names in the education literature – such as meta-cognition, thinking skills and self regulated learning.

Homework Effective use of homework usually involves following on from each day’s lessons and preparing for the next few lessons- rather than being a bolt-on exercise that lacks any continuity. With primary school pupils focused and “snappy” tasks or activities are likely to be more productive than daily loads that develop routines rather than inspiration or interest. The homework should also be turned around quickly using constructive feedback in order to provide easily visible rewards for the students’ efforts. Reynolds (2013) emphasises that homework is more effective with secondary than primary age children and it should not exceed 1-2 hours per night.

With some families the home environment may not be conducive for completing homework. If individuals can be identified because of this kind of difficulty then PDG funding can be used for running homework clubs.

Tailoring the Curriculum

Estyn (2012) recognise the value of approaches that make sure the curriculum is appropriate and stimulating for disadvantaged learners. They recommend regular reviews of lessons plans and teaching materials based on frequent feedback from targeted groups of learners – including use of surveys and focus groups for gathering Learner Voice and Student Council feedback. This implies the provision of genuine choice to learners, by making sure that options menus are workable and relevant.

Successful strategies include offering excellent opportunities for learners to engage in action research, collaborative learning, and additional out of school hours activities leading to extra qualifications and awards. Schools with a strong track record for tackling disadvantage also use the curriculum directly to explore issues of poverty and disadvantage in various subject areas, leading to the questioning of learners’ own aspirations and ambitions.

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Individualised instruction

Curriculum flexibility can also be linked to individualised instruction, where learners can have different tasks and associated support – a method which has been used extensively in Mathematics. The individualised programmes can be very effective with particular learners who may, for example, have behavioural difficulties or require catch-up support. There are significant resource implications, especially when teachers and teaching assistants have the task of designing and managing the programmes (and any associated digital technology), whilst also teaching pupils in small groups or through one-to-one tuition.

Teaching quality

The achievement of excellence in classroom teaching is the all-important factor. This can be characterised by a teacher’s inspiration and passion for the subject, but it also means working skilfully with a wide range of pupils with differing learning styles, expectations and abilities. Furthermore, excellence is characterised by consistency of practice within the classroom, rather than a one-off experience.

Tackling poverty in the classroom can involve allocating excellent teachers to eFSM and LAC groups, but a more sustained strategy involves providing staff development and peer mentoring through outstanding and improving teacher programmes. This sometimes involves “triads” of teachers - identified by their colleagues as excellent–observing each other’s lessons and providing feedback. They can then “cascade” good practice to the rest of the school through INSET and twilight sessions, as well as one-to-one mentoring for teachers who want to improve their teaching skills.

Peer assisted learning and peer tutoring

Pupils helping each other to learn and in doing so they can provide more one-to-one support and attention whilst at the same time extending their own knowledge and communication skills. Unlike the more general process of mentoring, peer tutoring usually addresses particular subject areas and topics within the curriculum. It can involve older students working with younger ones (including transitional support for those who are moving from primary to secondary, or even from early years to primary), or it can refer to pupils in the same year who alternate their support for one another. Shorter but more intensive tutoring sessions are likely to be more effective than longer term routines. Reynolds (2013) notes that low achieving and disadvantaged children in particular benefit from this kind of help, but also warns:

“this needs careful organising – matching the pupils, choosing activities that are sufficiently challenging for a tutor to be helpful to a tutee but not too difficult, and choosing the right topics and time allocation to maintain interest” (How to Use the Pupil Deprivation Grant page 18)

There is extensive evidence in support of the effectiveness of peer tutoring on attainment - by tutors as well their tutees. On the negative side the administrative demands on recruitment, training, timetabling, providing learning materials, monitoring and debriefing are high.

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Mastery Learning

Learning is broken down into smaller units with specific objectives having to be achieved in order to ensure learners are taking a sequence of steps. Achievement at each stage is often measured through testing, with progress depending on reaching a success level of approximately 80%. This is a very different approach compared with conventional pre-determined progression through the curriculum (where learners can miss out on outcomes along the way but hopefully fill in the gaps before completing final assessments)

Mastery learning can be very effective when low-attaining pupils work together in groups, although this requires careful classroom management by teachers. It therefore requires significant time and effort. Some individuals can make very quick progress and can become bored or frustrated if they have to wait for other to reach their level of understanding before moving on to the next stage.

Literacy and numeracy

Schools are expected to have clear literacy and numeracy action plans with clear targets and accountability via framework leaders or coordinators. The PDP can help to resource implementation with eFSM and LAC learners, with Estyn providing an illustration stressing the importance of continuing professional development for teachers:

Case Study

36% of learners at Ysgol Melyd Primary have eFSM status with the school identifying increasing numbers of learners with speech and language needs on entry. An accredited information, consultancy and training programme was introduced for school staff , led by the specialist teacher from the language resource provision and the school’s special educational needs co-ordinator. Some staff successfully gained BTEC level 3 Advanced Diploma in paediatric speech and language therapy support. There are pictorial timetables in all classrooms, and staff use mind maps and other visual strategies to develop a wide range of learners’ communication skills. Teaching assistants implement individual and group activities that are tailored to learners’ needs and address the targets on individual communication plans. In the last two years, the performance of learners entitled to free school meals at both key stages has improved, as have measures of self-esteem and confidence. These learners have achieved better than the average for free-schools-meals learners in the family of schools and the Welsh average.


Delayed language

Delayed language refers to the slow onset of speaking and listening skills and is noticed especially by primary school teachers working with socially disadvantaged children in reception and year one classes. Hallmarks of delayed language include limited vocabulary and a reluctance to engage with speech.

Gross and Hatchett (2012) provide illustrations for building up vocabulary, including the use by teachers of Goldilocks words that are”not too easy and not too hard, but just right”. Such words are systematically introduced to learners across subject areas at specified times within the curriculum, with children being helped to build a web of associations around them. Another effective method involves creating reasons to talk through using role play areas that can be designed in classroom or school areas, simulating such diverse settings as shops, travel agencies and even bomb shelters.

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Case Study

At Watercliffe Meadow Primary, most children enter school 18 months to two years behind in their language development. The school has prioritised continuing professional development for staff focusing on language and also funds extra time each week from a speech and language therapist. All children in the EYFS and Year 1 are assessed and a range of small group interventions are provided. The curriculum is rich with visits and experiential learning to promote talk. The school uses approaches such as Talk for Writing, Philosophy for Children and Quality Circle Time to give children language structures that enable them to have deep conversations and discussions on issues that are important to them. The school café has ‘social seating’ to promote talk and is open for parents at the start and end of the day and throughout the day for children. The impact has been noted by Ofsted: ‘Achievement has improved substantially … This is most notable in developing speech and language in KS1, which is having a direct impact on attainment in reading and writing

Source: Gross and Hatchett (2012) page 15

Collaborative learning

Also referred to as co-operative learning, pupils work together on tasks that allow everyone to participate in a learning exercise. Responsibilities can be assigned to specific individuals within each group, or the entire group can work collectively towards the achievement of learning outcomes. Sometimes groups can compete with one another in order to increase motivation and interest, such competition also allows pupils to learn about alternative solutions to the same problem that they have been working through.

Impact for collaborative learning is noted by the Education Endowment Foundation as consistently positive, although “it is important to get the detail right” with teachers requiring professional development for the effective implementation of collaborative learners with mixed-ability pupils from a wide variety of backgrounds. The teacher should ensure that the administration and management of groups does not over-ride the actual teaching function in order to help groups make progress with their tasks. The necessary amount of group-work requires practice and rehearsal; it does not happen automatically. This point is especially relevant to disadvantaged learners who may contribute less to activity and discussion.

Tuition and catch up

One-to-one and small group tuition can be used with learners who for various reasons have missed classes, or are finding particular subject areas difficult, or who find current learning too easy and require more advanced support. The tuition is usually intensive and it can include removing learners from their normal classes or providing after-school support. The use of such tuition is very effective for catch-up in Mathematics and English with short regular half hour sessions 3-5 times a week over approximately 6-12 weeks having stronger impact on attainment. This strategy is however expensive for schools to implement because of the additional teaching hours.

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Phonics The raising of phonemic awareness for reading and writing through developing hearing skills and using sound patterns in English. Learners link sounds with written spelling patterns or graphemes, leading to the decoding of new words through blending sound spelling patterns. The mastery of phonics has been consistently associated with improvements to basic reading skills amongst younger learners, although there is less convincing evidence to support its effectiveness for older and less successful learners over the age of 7.

Digital technology

The use of digital technologies can apply to (i) pupils engaging in problem solving tasks and communications, and (ii) teachers who use learning platforms, virtual learning environments, educational software and hardware. This can be a relatively expensive approach because of the amount of up-front investment in resources and training – including on-going servicing and technical support. The learning gains can be significant for individualised programmes, with some evidence suggesting that it is most powerful with younger learners, and for developing literacy and numeracy skills in primary and secondary education. Caution is advised about using digital technology to replace teaching and classroom contact – it should not be used simply because it has novelty appeal to learners and/or teachers.



Transition support

Support for learners who are about to move between institutions or between key stages within the school can effectively targets eFSM and LAC pupils. This includes briefing workshops for children and their families, introducing facilities and resources, meeting other pupils through mentoring or peer tutoring, and providing clear and easily accessible information. Transition support is identified by Welsh Government as an area for development with schools being encouraged to:

“identify and share good practice in sharing information and managing effective transitions between schools and childcare settings” Building a Better Future page 42

Social and emotional learning and wellbeing

Learning that improves the ways pupils work alongside their peers, teachers, family and community. Social and emotional learning has strong associations with improvements in positive behaviour, attendance, and well-being.

PDG funded activities can enhance wellbeing through building up the self-confidence, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and social and personal skills of students. One key example is the use of mentoring and peer tutoring.

Well-being measures suggest that primary schools tend to fare better than secondary schools, but this may be because they have been used more frequently with younger learners. Successful applications of wellbeing involve whole-school approaches that are consistent and detailed across subjects, with sensitive interventions targeting at-risk and more vulnerable pupils.

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Teaching assistants

The use of additional funding for appointing more TAs for the support of disadvantaged learners is noted by OFSTED (2012) as the most common use of the Pupil Premium in England. However, as Gross and Hatchett (2012) emphasise:

“TAs and teachers tended to use different types of language. TAs were more likely to prompt pupils rather than give them thinking time. They often supplied answers and were mainly concerned with making sure the task set by the teacher was completed. Teaches, on the other hand, were more focused on what children were learning, used more open-ended questions to promote thinking, and spent more time explaining concepts”

Source: The Pupil Premium – making it work in your school (2012) page 13

There appears to be some serious reservations about the effectiveness of a Teaching Assistant strategy for improving learning. This point is reinforced by the Education Endowment Foundation’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit (2012), emphasising that there is a need for going beyond the simple management of problem behaviour (often linked to SEN) through one-to-one or small group supervision. These critiques point to the potential use of PSG resources for the training and upskilling of assistants so that they are more successful in reinforcing learning outcomes introduced by the teacher. Such an approach reinforces the Welsh Government intention to:

“publish proposals for the introduction of minimum qualification requirements for specific support staff in schools in January 2014”. Building a Better Future Page 49

Case Study

In this primary school around four fifths of the pupils are eligible for the Pupil Premium. The vast majority of pupils are White British. Standards have been rising and are now close to the national average overall.

The head teacher after reading the Sutton toolkit information concluded that the assistants were providing valuable emotional support to many pupils who badly needed this, and were good at keeping pupils on task. However, he realised that they were clearly not being maximised to support learning, and that this was a waste of a valuable resource. To help to put this right, the head teacher decided to extend the assistants’ hours. This allowed them to review the day’s learning with teachers, identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding and to be well informed about the learning planned for the next day. The head teacher also audited their skills and put in place a range of individualised training, according to need. He then instigated carefully targeted ‘skills’ lessons, where pupils worked closely with an adult in very small groups or one to one with teachers or teaching assistants for 20 minutes each day, focused on improving a very specific skill, for a short period of time.

The school’s evaluations showed that pupils made significant gains in a short period of time with the specific skills they were working on. They were transferring these well to lessons, helped by teaching assistants’ good knowledge and understanding of what the pupils needed to do to improve their achievement. The reason that the skills lessons were highly effective was because they started from a close analysis of pupils’ needs and were taught by well-trained staff. The school’s results at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2012 were the best they had been for many years, and gaps between eligible pupils and their peers had closed considerably.

Source: Oftsed (2012 page 15)

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Learning Coaches

Coaching is an entitlement in Wales as defined by the Learning and Skills Measure of 2009, providing:

“some welcome colour to what would otherwise be a stark black-and-white photograph of attainment. The coaches identify learners who may be experiencing difficulties and who have been referred for special help. But they can also work with those young people who are more invisible; as one coach commented ‘a part of the wallpaper’ of an educational institution. These learners may not cause any problems, but they are not stretching out and achieving their potential”.

Saunders (2008) The Learning Coaches of Wales page 42

The role of Learning Coaching focuses on supporting the ability to learn and to motivate young people so that they remain in learning through achieving qualifications in either or both academic and vocational areas. The defining characteristic of the Learning Coach is “anogaeth” – encouragement – based on helping young people to make sense of various learning worlds which extend beyond the classroom.

Coaches have a strong interest in helping young people to choose subject options within their learning pathways, to develop study skills, to raise aspirations and increase confidence. It should also be noted that coaching is accompanied by an accredited Level 4 training programme, with such professional development attracting many teaching and classroom support assistants. The Learning Coach role therefore provides a strategy for more focused support for disadvantages learners in a variety of schools and colleges throughout Wales.

More able students

The targeting of support for disadvantaged learners who may be achieving moderate educational success but are capable of much higher levels of achievement.

Case Study

This is a larger than average-sized primary school where almost all pupils are from minority ethnic groups and most speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for Pupil Premium funding is slightly higher the national average.

The school recognised that just aiming for pupils to reach ‘age-related expectations’ was not aspirational enough, particularly for some of the more-able pupils. Senior leaders went beyond age-related expectations and helped to remove barriers. For example, a programme of one-to-one support from a learning mentor was specifically focused on a small group of more-able pupils who lacked confidence or social skills to build their self- esteem. An additional teaching group was established to extend the science skills of more-able pupils. Speech and language programmes were targeted at pupils whose progress was being hampered by weak oracy skills, despite their obvious understanding of their learning.

All of the targeted pupils made better than expected progress and were working above age-related expectations.


Support for new arrivals

Support can be targeted for learners who join a school cohort after the start of the autumn term, missing induction and transition programmes. This can sometimes include LAC learners who experience a change with care providers and authorities; it can also refer to children from migrant and asylum seeker families.

Case study

Around half the pupils are eligible at this Primary school where attainment is below average but not low. A boy from Romania joined Year 4 and spoke no English. The school recruited a multilingual assistant for two hours each week,. And also provided targeted support by the school’s specialist ‘English as an additional language’ teaching assistant. This allowed the pupil to receive one-to-one English and reading tuition five times per week. When he joined Year 5 the pupil received four phonics sessions a week, four one-to-one reading sessions and 90 minutes of additional English support. Termly targets were shared with the pupil and also his parents, using a translator. From being unable to access much of the curriculum in Year 4, the boy was working at Level 4b in reading, 4c in mathematics and 3b in writing by the end of Year 5. His attendance, which had initially been low, also improved. In Year 4 it was 86% and in Year 5 it was 96%. He was now well placed to move on to further success in secondary school.


LAC Virtual School

A flexible resource that responds immediately if any pupil has a major problem at school; providing support in the classroom or on a one-to-one basis where needed urgently.

Conwy County Borough Council introduced a form of ‘Virtual School’ for looked after children in November 2010. This involves a multi-agency approach between schools and educational psychologists, social services, local authority elected members, additional needs departments, and the education co-ordinator for looked after children.

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Approach Descriptions and Illustrations

After-school programmes and Extra-curricular activities

Planned activities using school facilities at the end of the school day can reinforce mainstream learning within timetabled classes provided they are well structured and supervised by well qualified and trained staff. There can be dramatic improvements for primary school learners from low income households as well as with older learners in subjects such as Mathematics and Science. Well-timed intensive “booster” experiences can be particularly effective for supporting revision and providing examination practice. It is however more difficult to attract and retain secondary school pupils in after-school programmes.

Extra-curricular activities

A wide range of extra-curricular activities have the most impact when they have connections with parts of the curriculum that pupils are studying, but they can also enhance general wellbeing through addressing wider sporting or cultural interests. Outdoor adventure training in particular has been associated with impact on attainment by disadvantaged learners through raised self-confidence transferring to the classroom. The adventure activities involve an element of physical or emotional risk, implying the need for working with well trained and qualified staff.

The PDG funding can support the costs of supervision or instruction, and the provision of appropriate equipment and resources. Such activities are likely to have more influence on learners from financially disadvantaged families who would not otherwise have the opportunity to engage in wider pursuits.

Case Study

The E3+ programme, ‘Enrich, Extend, Excite’, works with schools in Rhondda Cynon Taf where approximately 23% of learners of school age are eligible for free school meals. A wide range of activities is offered including hockey, art, trampolining, street dance, creative crafts, sign language, netball, photography, theatrical make up, ballroom dancing, journalism, kick boxing, skiing, horse riding, golf, quad biking and cooking, as well as room where young people can relax in a safe and caring environment . Outreach E3+ activities have been developed in isolated and deprived communities within school clusters. The provision is targeted at marginalised communities, groups and young people who are disinclined to attend activities that are located in school premises. The E3+ programme has provided transport, subsidised mid-evening meals, free activities and community-based activities to overcome barriers to participation.

Source: Estyn (2011) Tackling poverty and disadvantage in schools: working with the community and other services page 14

Summer and Easter Events

Activities, events and courses during the Easter and Summer holidays for looked after children and disadvantaged learners. The young people (and often their relatives) are fully occupied with activities every day and are in the constant care and supervision of fully qualified and experienced instructors.

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Case Study

Bridgend Local authority involve Looked After Children and supervision teams engage in rock climbing, abseiling, sailing, coasteering, surfing and kayaking. For some young people it might have been their first holiday or opportunity to participate in such activities. In 2012, 12 young people attended the holiday in Pembrokeshire. The holiday offers the young people the opportunity to achieve outside of formal education providing an exciting, physical medium for learning and building confidence and self esteem.

Wales Audit Office P40

Summer schools can also be a very popular way for secondary schools to work with their feeder primaries in order to familiarise children and their parents with the institution they are about to join and teachers and other pupils they will be working with:

Case Study

The school decided to target pupils in Year 6 who were about to join their school, and who were in receipt of free school meals, and also to include their younger siblings. Qualifying children were targeted through their feeder primary schools by the Head of Year 7 who promoted the summer school to the children during school visits. An ambitious sports camp was delivered over two weeks using the services of a commercial company. Each day the pupils participated in a variety of activities including football, dance, basketball, cheerleading, cricket and other sporting activities. Seventy-seven children attended the summer school over the two weeks, from 21 different feeder primary schools.

As a result of the summer school, both children and their parents and carers became more familiar with the secondary school. Evaluation showed that pupils felt confident when they joined the school. The vast majority settled quickly and attributed this at least in part to the confidence that they had gained during the summer school

Source : Ofsted page 27

Arts participation Participation within such diverse activities as dance, drama, music sculpture, ceramics and painting can be encouraged as whole school events, after-school programmes during term times, and through summer and Easter schools. Benefits appear to be more pronounced for younger learners, especially in music. The use of arts participation can also be a very effective strategy for re-engaging older learners in school. The link between arts participation and improved attainment by disadvantaged learners is described by the Education Endowment Foundation as “not straightforward”, implying difficulties with later evaluation of impact.

Community partnerships

Projects, volunteering, and extra-mural activities that bring young people closer to communities surrounding their families and schools. Partnerships with Communities First clusters are possible, building on their Learning Communities plans in order to extend projects that are included in their learning plans

Case Study

Approximately 34% of learners at Blaengwawr Primary are designated as eFSM. As a community school one of the aims was to create strong links with a local residential home following concerns from some of the residents about anti-social behaviour from some of the pupils. Year 5 and 6 learners engaged in local history and literacy projects, with the school liaising with the health , children’s and older people’s services to ensure the success of the project. The school has embedded this kind of project into the curriculum through creating a community classroom. At the same time key stage 2 core subject indicator performance has improved with the gap between eFSM and non-eFSM attainment narrowing over the last three years.

Source: Estyn (2011) Tackling poverty and disadvantage in schools: working with the community and other services page 18

Business in the Community

Building partnerships with local businesses in order to raise aspirations and provide work experience for learners from families with little or no immediate history of employment.

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Case Study

“The Welsh Government funded the charity ‘Business in the Community’ to work with local authorities and employers to pilot the Best Chance programme to provide work experience placements for looked after children. In the first pilot programme in 2009, five businesses provided work placements for 32 looked after children and care leavers aged 16-20 with 21 completing them. Ten of these young people subsequently went on to further education and two to employment. Four local authorities took part in a second programme in 2010-11 providing placements for 28 care leavers: 19 completed the placements; eight went into employment and six to further education or learning. The Welsh Government’s funding did not continue in 2011-12. However, several local authorities have provided work experience for their looked after children, some of who have progressed to modern apprenticeships with the authority. Wales Audit Office page 38

Family learning The involvement of families includes inviting relatives into the school during and after the school day as well as supporting learning activities in community and home settings. Estyn (2013) emphasise the value of linking learning strategies for supporting children in poverty with emerging ‘Team around the family’ models for local authority Families First action plans.

Examples of support are provided by Estyn (2102, 2013) and include:

• Multi-agency task groups focussing on individual learners and their relatives

• Adult learning programmes including nutrition and hygiene, paediatric first aid, literacy and numeracy, parenting skills

• Men Behaving Dadly for fathers of underachieving children

• Activity holidays and courses

• Nurture rooms within the school attended by children and their parents

• Key stage transition courses scheduled during half terms and holidays for learners and their parents, including activities on use of the library, fitness and sport opportunities, health issues supported by a local doctor and dentist, and healthy eating

• University projects where students designed interactive media to inform parents and family members about their children’s education

• Involving a local individual and a translator from the same ethnic group as a group of pupils, acting as a link between the parents and the school.

• Family Interviews involving a member of the senior leadership team

• Bring a Parent to School Day

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Education champions

The use of champions has been explored by Denbighshire County Council where each member of the Corporate Executive Team act as a ‘concerned parent’ and track the progress and development of a LAC learner in respect of education and other key outcomes. They have regular contact with key people working with their young person - teachers, social workers, foster carers and health professionals - to ask questions, challenge progress and try to help remove any barriers to achievement. This theme of championing can be extended beyond LAC to eFSM individuals, with school governors taking on such responsibility.

Mentoring Mentoring involves one-to-one support for disadvantaged young people by an older volunteer who usually comes from another organisation – including a local university, business or community group. The content of mentoring conversations extends beyond educational attainment and learning per se, addressing longer term aspirations and opportunities through increasing self-esteem and confidence. The focus on relationship building is a key priority and for this reason the direct impact of mentoring on educational attainment per se is variable - although there are very positive reports about improved attendance, behaviour and attitudes towards learning.

The appeal of mentoring is particularly relevant to support for looked after children. Elsley (2013) presents a framework for national mentoring for LAC learners in Scotland. This involves three components: achieving specific goals, strengthening social relationships, and working as an intermediary or advocate with services and systems. It also builds partnerships with current mentoring ad befriending operations by local communities and voluntary organisations including Barnardos and the YMCA.

University Reaching Wider projects

The three regional Reaching Wider Higher Education projects for Wales support young people living in Communities First areas provide numerous examples of how disadvantaged learners can be encouraged to develop aspirations about their higher education. They include undergraduates visiting schools, and school pupils visiting campuses for master classes and special events – including summer and Easter schools.

Opportunities for engaging mentors can be explored with the higher education Reaching Wider networks1 as well as Business in the Community and Communities First clusters. There are clear links to be made between mentoring initiatives involving adult volunteers and peer tutoring between younger groups of learners. Some of the Reaching Wider networks – such as First Campus - actively facilitate the creation of peer tutoring by secondary school pupils for learners in feeder primaries.

Career aspirations

Because many eFSM learners will come from families experiencing unemployment, strategies that provide children with insights into the world of work and career planning become very important. Here is an example targeting much younger learners:

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Case Study

34% of the pupils at St. Woolos Primary School are designated as eFSM and a significant percentage of the school’s population is mobile and joins at a later stage than the Foundation Phase, due to the refugee and transient nature of some families. The school initiated the Aspiration Project in September 2007 in order to provide an informed introduction to the world of work and to raise learners’ aspirations through visits to the school from adults working in a range of fields.

Visitors from the local community come in to talk about their job and their career paths. They meet with the Year 6 learners to present their story, which may include discussion about equipment they have brought along. One such speaker was the Project Manager of the new university building in Newport. He spoke to the learners about health and safety, his job and his education. The learners asked him a range of questions, which broadened their knowledge of the world of work. Another aspect of the project is the ‘World of work day’. Newport City Homes provided the Year 6 learners with a day of activity. Learners visited the head office in Newport and had a brief introduction to the company from the Managing Director. They were then split into one of six groups, which took part in a ‘speed interview’ meeting lasting five minutes each with six different workers. The worker roles varied from ‘plumber’ to ‘accountant’ and ‘receptionist’, and each worker talked about their job and role in the company.


The key resource for readers interested in accessing source documents relevant to the effects of poverty on education is the new Learning Wales website: http://learning.wales.gov.uk/improvementareas/poverty/?lang=en#/improvementareas/poverty/?lang=en

Building Resilient Communities: Taking forward the Tackling Poverty Action Plan (Welsh Government, 2013); http://wales.gov.uk/topics/people-and-communities/tacklingpoverty/publications/taking-forward-tack-pov-plan/?lang=en

Carpenter H, Papps I, Bragg J, Dyson A,Harris D, Kerr K, Todd L and Laing K (2013) Evaluation of Pupil Premium - Research Brief and Full Report Centre for Equity in Education, University of Manchester & Newcastle University and Dept of Education: London https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210063/DFE-RB282.pdf

Carter-Wall C and Whitfield, G ( 2012) The role of aspirations, attitudes and behaviour in closing the educational attainment gap. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Coe R and Kime S (2013) The DIY Evaluation Guide Education Endowment Foundation and Sutton Trust http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/uploads/pdf/EEF_DIY_Evaluation_Guide_(2013).pdf

Desforges C and Abouchaar A (2003) The impact of parental involvement, parental support and family education on pupil achievement and adjustment – a review of the literature Research Report 433 DfES

Department of Education (2011) Why Focus on Pupils from Poor Backgrounds? http://learning.wales.gov.uk/resources/pupilpremium/?lang=en

Department of Education (2011) Fixed period exclusions from schools and exclusion appeals in England https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-from-schools-in-england-2011-to-2012-academic-year

Egan D (2012) Communities, Families and Schools Together: A route to reducing the impact of poverty on educational achievement in schools across Wales Save the Children Wales http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/sites/default/files/images/Communities-families-and-schools-together-report.pdf

Egan D ( 2013) Poverty and Low Educational Achievement in Wales: Student, Family and Community Interventions. Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York.

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Elsley S (2013) Developing a National Mentoring Scheme for Looked After Children In Scotland Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland. http://www.celcis.org/resources/entry/developing_a_national_mentoring_scheme_for_looked_after_children

Estyn (2013) Working together to tackle the impact of poverty on educational achievement. http://www.estyn.gov.uk/english/docViewer/296942.1/working-together-to-tackle-the-impact-of-poverty-on-educational-achievement-december-2013/?navmap=30,163,

Estyn (2012) Effective practice in tackling poverty and disadvantage in schools. http://www.estyn.gov.uk/english/docViewer/259977.9/effective-practice-in-tackling-poverty-and-disadvantage-in-schools-november-2012/?navmap=30,163,

Estyn (2011) Tackling poverty and disadvantage in schools: working with the community and other services. http://www.estyn.gov.uk/english/docViewer/205405.2/tackling-poverty-and-disadvantage-in-schools-working-with-the-community-and-other-services-july-2011/?navmap=30,163,

Gross J and Hatchett D (2013) The Pupil Premium – making it work in your school Oxford School Improvement: Oxford University Press. http://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/oxed/primary/reports/pupil_premium_report.pdf?region=uk

Hattie, J. (2012) Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning. Abingdon: Routledge.

Hill R (2013) Promoting social mobility – closing gaps in attainment ASCL. http://www.ascl.org.uk/help-and-advice/ascl-publications.html

Ofsted (2012) The Pupil Premium: How schools are using the Pupil Premium funding to raise achievement for disadvantaged pupils. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/pupil-premium-how-schools-are-spending-funding-successfully-maximise-achievement

Pupil Deprivation Grant - Short Guidance for Practitioners. (December 2013) Welsh Government http://learning.wales.gov.uk/news/sitenews/new-guidance-on-spending-pdg/?lang=en

Rea S Hill R and Sandals L (2011) System leadership Nottingham: National College

Reynolds D (2013) How to Use the Pupil Deprivation Grant; Annex A of the Pupil Deprivation Grant Short Guidance for Practitioners Welsh Government. http://learning.wales.gov.uk/news/sitenews/new-guidance-on-spending-pdg/?lang=en

Saunders D M (2008) The Learning Coaches of Wales Welsh Government. http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/pathways/learningpathwayspublications/learningcoaches1/?lang=en

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Social Exclusion Unit (2003) A better education for children in care Cabinet Office. http://www.rip.org.uk/files/prompts/p1/P1SEU_%20summary.pdf

Sutton Trust (2011) Improving the impact of teachers on pupil attainment London School of Economics and Stanford University. http://www.suttontrust.com/news/news/improving-poor-teachers-would-transform-englands-education/

Higgins, S., Katsipataki, M., Kokotsaki, D., Coleman, R., Major, L.E., & Coe, R. (2013). The Sutton Trust-Education Endowment Foundation Teaching and Learning Toolkit. London: Education Endowment Foundation. http://www.suttontrust.com/our-work/education-endowment-foundation/teaching-and-learning-toolkit/

Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2010 Poorer children’s educational attainment: how important are attitudes and behaviour?, http://www.jrf.org.uk/system/files/poorer-children-education-full.pdf

Sutton Trust (2010) Low income and early cognitive development in the UK, http://www.suttontrust.com/our-work/research/item/low-income-and-early-cognitive-development-in-the-uk/

Welsh Government (2012) Tackling poverty action plan 2012-2016. http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dsjlg/publications/socialjustice/120625tackpovplanen.pdf

Wales Audit Office (2012) The educational attainment of looked after children and young people. http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/15494/1/ELAC_2012_English.pdf

The Who Cares Trust Making it Better – how can the system improve. http://www.thewhocarestrust.org.uk/pages/making-it-better-how-can-the-system-improve.html Date of access 2nd Feb 2014

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