The Pupil Premium @ King James I Academy.

The Government classes disadvantaged students as those who have been in receipt of Free School Meals at any stage in the last 6 years (Ever6). Children who are Looked After (CLA) are also classed as disadvantaged, whilst the Government also recognises that the children of service personnel may also face challenges in schools. The Government has allocated a fixed sum of money to all schools based on the number of Ever6, CLA and Service students on roll. Funding for the 2024/25 academic year is £1050 per student for Ever6, £2570 for CLA and £340 for Service Children. This funding is in addition to main school funding, and is designed to improve education outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in schools. Evidence shows that disadvantaged children generally face additional challenges in reaching their potential at school and often do not perform as well as other pupils

King James I Academy believes in providing the best possible education for children of all abilities and from a range of different backgrounds. We are a fully inclusive school offering a wide range of activities both in school and as extra-curricular opportunities.

The pupil premium allows us as a school to fund aspects of the school which provide significant support to disadvantaged students, enabling them to further their learning opportunities, and in many instances improving provision for students who do not qualify for the pupil premium grant. Specifically, funding is used to support high quality teaching, targeted academic support and wider approaches, including addressing attendance, social and emotional challenges.

We employ a range of specialist staff to engage our disadvantaged students and provide them with the support necessary to allow them to fully access the curriculum and maximise their learning opportunities.

As well as taught lessons, dedicated staff provide a range of extra-curricular opportunities for students; with sports clubs, drama, dance and enterprise being prominent in addition to raising achievement in academic subjects, particularly English and Maths

We are able to plan our activities in the knowledge that we are supporting all students in making progress in a safe and fully inclusive environment.

Pupil Premium Allocation 2023/24.

Number of qualifying students 376.

For 2023/24, the Academy pupil premium allocation is £502,442. The planned allocation for this sum is as follows:

Pupil Premium Allocation 2024/25

Number of qualifying students 390

For 2024/25, the Academy pupil premium allocation is £416,490.  There is no recovery premium for this academic year. The planned allocation for this sum is as follows:

Additional staffing in English, Maths and Science

The added flexibility afforded to Core subjects through this additional staffing has enabled us to reduce class sizes, across the core. This additional staffing and associated reduction in class size means that class teachers can spend more time with individual students and provide high quality feedback in line with the Academy’s assessment policy; Both of these strategies are clearly identified as effective within the EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit

Curriculum Enrichment

The Academy day incorporates a longer morning session, which in its own right has had a significant positive impact on behaviour and the climate for learning within the Academy. The current curriculum model also enables us to incorporate an enrichment period for all students from Year 7 to 13. For Year 11, this enrichment takes the form of small group subject intervention for a total of four 45 minute sessions per week. Students are identified via a detailed tracking system and placed in the appropriate subject in consultation with students and staff. This programme changes every half term or more often if the progress made by students is above expectations. In Year 10, students have an extra 45 minutes with their Option Block D subject as well as Math/English intervention and Citizenship. For students in KS3 the enrichment period enables the delivery of citizenship as well as allowing students to develop study skills, social skills, and exposure to extra-curricular activities such as Sport, Creativity, Life Skills, Finance, and Well-being sessions. 

KS3 students also receive additional Reading lessons as part of the curriculum.  Literacy levels among students joining KJI from primary schools are lower than SAT scores would indicate, and promoting literacy development and a love of reading are key improvement priorities for the academy. As well as a range of sporting and fitness related activities, STEM clubs also run. This enrichment time is also used to provide opportunities for selected students to participate in the Future Business Magnates competition. A significant development in the timetable means that learning support staff can use Enrichment time to work with students who have a SEN Support Plan, providing intervention, reviewing and setting revised SMART targets for them.

Year 12 and 13 students have access to their tutor, assemblies, and to subject specific sessions during enrichment time. These may be used for coursework. There is also dedicated time to support the completion of UCAS applications, and in some instances selected students provide academic support for younger students, acting as peer tutors particularly in relation to reading, another strategy identified as being highly effective in the EEF T&L Toolkit.

In 2019 The Academy introduced Wednesday P4-6 as enrichment time for Year 12 students. This enables them to get involved in volunteering work and a range of appropriate projects to develop their portfolio of skills, which in turn can then be added to UCAS forms or CV’s when they leave the Academy. Students also supported KS3 classes, working alongside students as an additional LSA. This year, the scheme has developed further, with the intervention sessions becoming fluid, so Year 12 students do not have to support classes only on a Wednesday, but they can take their volunteering support at other times of the week.

Behaviour/Student Support workers

We continue with a student support team of six members of staff in line with the increasing roll of the Academy and the more complex social and emotional issues that students bring into school. These non-teaching members of staff provide targeted pastoral and increasingly mental health support. Within this environment, they are able to support the Academy’s behaviour policy, as well as providing one-to-one support where a student’s behaviour makes them vulnerable. These staff operate as Lead Professionals on TAF’s, as well as monitoring behaviour of targeted students. There is a close relationship between them and other non-teaching support staff in the Learning Support Unit, the SENCO and the DSL. An increasing area of their role is to be proactive and work with ‘at risk’ students.

IAG for Year 7 to 11

The Academy employs a former Connexions worker for three days per week. This member of staff works with the Head of 6^th Form, CEIAG Coordinator and Key Stage Coordinators to enable any student from Year 7 upwards to have access to an interview or advice as and when required. Time is also spent arranging College interviews for Year 11 students and for some more vulnerable students taking them to these interviews and organising College tours for them to ease any transition. All support is documented through a detailed tracking sheet which enables a full progression map to be developed. This member of staff also tracks NEETS for the Academy, ensuring that historically low NEET rates are maintained.

The Academy also successfully hosts a careers fair in the Autumn term where employers, further education providers and schools with atypical admissions policies attend to discuss options with students from Year 7 upwards. Parents are also welcome to attend the event which enables students to develop ideas and contacts in potential areas of work and training when they leave King James.