Pupil Premium 2023 – 2024

Pupil premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England. It’s designed to help disadvantaged pupils of all abilities perform better and close the gap between them and their peers. At the point of Autumn term this year, we currently have 14 children eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium.

The main barriers to learning this year are potentially in response to the aftermath of the COVID Pandemic, which has restricted early interactions and experiences for our youngest children:

·  Communication & Language development

·  Managing feelings & behaviour / self-regulation

·  Social interactions & play skills

·  Anxiety & attachment

To support this, we are using several integrated interventions to support the development of these skills throughout our nursery:

·  Lower adult to child ratios where possible to facilitate supportive and sensitive interactions.

·  Enhanced experiences out in the ‘Beyond’ on the minibus.

·  Ongoing development of our continuous provision in response to the needs and wants of our children.

·  Pets as Therapy NAATA (Speech & Language development)

·  Team support and intervention to target the most vulnerable children within an inclusive environment.

Communication & Language skills

Early Years Practitioners are extremely mindful to differentiate their own verbal language and communication strategies to meet the developmental stage of each child to support their speaking and listening skills. Adults ensure they are always at ‘head & heart’ level with the child and that their body language is very open and relaxed. It is very enabling for children to experience adults working at their physical height. This minimises the potential power relations so increases the child’s perception of themselves as important and equal. It also supports more effective communication because it is much easier to have authentic conversations face to face. We are also developing other communication methods which includes the consistent use of visuals to support understanding and Makaton signing accompanied by the spoken word to support children who can’t yet access spoken language due to developmental delay/disorder, processing difficulties or lack of confidence.

Managing feelings & Behaviour

Children are exposed to a variety of social stories which support their understanding of conflict, appropriate responses and enables children to recognize and label their own feelings.  When conflict does arise, adults are very careful to evaluate situations in line with our Behaviour Policy before intervening. We are focusing on conflict resolution with our children to enable them to solve their own problems fairly and develop an understanding of their own and other children’s perceptions and feelings. Staff will receive further training on this during the Autumn term. We have developed a small sensory space to support children who need a quiet space to self- regulate. A gentle routine underpins the session to give children security and consistency, supporting expectations around behaviour and engagement.

Social interactions

A new assessment system ensures all staff are aware which children need additional support in this area of development to facilitate positive interactions and support the structure and sequence of play. Nurture groups target our most vulnerable children, offering them additional experiences and interactions across the week in an inclusive environment.

Anxiety & Attachment

We take a flexible approach to children who display anxiety and attachment difficulties and work in partnership with the family to move forward. Staff participate in CPD across the year to develop their understanding and skillset. Individuals who have personal barriers are carefully monitored, observed and discussed at reflection and leadership meetings. Provision is put into place in response to what we observe, ensuring an individualised approach is taken. Support from experts and evidence from observation at home and nursery is used to ensure that the approach adopted has the greatest impact.

Signed by Chair of Governors: Anne Corrigan

Signed by Head Teacher: Lisa Walton

Date: November 2023

NEXT REVIEW: November 2024