Overview
Pupil Premium
The Pupil Premium is designed to ensure that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. The funding is allocated to Local Authorities and schools with pupils from Reception to Y11 who are eligible for free school meals (FSM), are Children in Care (CiC) or have parents currently in the Armed Forces. or have been adopted or previously care experienced.
Both Highfield Academies are area special schools and as such have pupils on roll with a wide range of additional needs which are outlined in their EHCPs. Our schools have adopted a Pathways curriculum model and diverse staffing structure that provides a rich and varied curriculum with many opportunities to develop skills in holistic areas of development rather than just academic areas.
We recognise all our pupils as individuals and we do not benchmark progress of individuals against others. We have comprehensive systems of using feedback and judgement to inform where the pupil is at and what are their next best steps.
Our intention for our pupils whom are eligible for Pupil Premium (PP) is that their progress is as good as it can be, and that they have all the opportunities inside and outside school to support them in this. This is what we use the PP funding for - augmenting our existing provision for pupils whom are eligible for PP.
We use our knowledge of individual pupils as well as progress data to identify areas which, if additional funding were used, could enhance progress. However, we recognise that using PP funding just for pupils whom are eligible isn't possible. For example, an identified need for a group of pupils whom are eligible for PP was support around their mental health upon returning from Covid lockdown. This need wasn't just identified for this group, and other pupils have benefitted as well.
This statement and relevant data is reported on the school website and specific interventions of individual pupils can be reported directly to individual parents if requested.
The performance of pupils in receipt of free school meals in Cambridgeshire as a whole is poor – ranging between 112th and 141st out of 151 Local Authorities, according to data from the Local Authority in their guidance booklet on Pupil Premium.
Highfield School aims to make very good use of the Pupil Premium. We use the funding to address areas identified as ‘could be better’ at different levels:
To view our Pupil Premium spending report for 2023/2024 and planned spending for academic year 2024/2025 please click below:
Pupil Premium/Recovery Premium Spending and Review 2023/2024 and plans for 2024/2025
The impact of any interventions is measured in whatever terms are appropriate to the individual case. For one case this may be in terms of attendance data, for another it may be a question of academic progress or perceived well-being. Longer term impact is simply measured in terms of progress compared to our expectations, taking the student’s starting point into account.
Impact is assessed throughout the year during our regular progress meetings and through meetings with support staff, outside agencies and parents/carers. Alterations are made where needed but where a strategy is working it is left in place. For example the purchase of software would benefit students as they are able to access this provision to reinforce skills and knowledge. Each of our students learning is focused around students individual outcomes so the impact is addressed at EHCP reviews at least twice yearly.
Strategic Planning
Pupil Premium strategy reviews take place annually by the Headteacher and are evaluated by the School Improvement Lead and Governors. Our next review is in September 2025.
Key Stage 2 Results - July 2024
| % pupils achieving level 4 or above in reading, writing and maths | 0% |
| % pupils who have improved by 2 or more levels in reading, writing and maths | 0% |
| % pupils achieving level 5 or above in reading and writing | 0% |
| % pupils achieving level 5 or above in maths | 0% |
Key Stage 4 results – July 2024
| % pupils who achieved a C or above in GCSEs (or equivalent) in 5 or more subjects, including English and Maths | 0% |
| % pupils who achieved the English Baccalaureate | 0% |
| % of pupils who have achieved at least the minimum expected levels of progress in English and Maths in KS4 | 0% |
Due to our students individual needs students are not able to access National Tests. Assessment and reporting of progress is measured against students EHCP outcomes which means that the average progress between Key Stages (1 and 2), progress 8 and attainment 8 scores, the percentage of pupils who have achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths at the end of KS4 and average scoring in tests is not applicable.
Sports Premium
Our Sports Premium spending aims to increase motivation to exercise in our students. Increased engagement and reporting from both coaches, teachers and outside professionals help to demonstrate this impact.
This is how we use our Sports Premium – click the following link:
Reporting the use of Sports Premium 2023/2024
An overview of the projected spending and anticipated impact for the academic year 2024/2025 is also detailed within the report.
In order to make this provision sustainable we have invested time and funds into in house training. We have trained our staff in Rebound Therapy so that provision can take place 'in house' rather then hiring outside coaches. A selection of our staff have also been trained in Aquatic Therapy so that they are well equipped to deliver activities and programmes in our hydrotherapy pool to our students under the guidance of Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists.
None of our year 6 cohort currently meet the government target (which does not make allowances for children with SEND) to "swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres, use a range of strokes effectively and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations" - although this is something that we are working towards with dedicated swimming slots, a qualified swimming teacher and booster sessions for all of our upper KS2 and KS3 students in our hydrotherapy pool.
Year 7 Top Up
There will be no allocation for the year 2024/2025. Please see the link below for a review of the most recent spending where this grant applies.
School Performance Tables Information
If you could like information on comparative data across all key stages (KS2 Performance Measures, KS4 Progress and Attainment 8 and KS5 16-18 headline measures) you can click this link to view the governments data. Given the uneven impact of the pandemic on school and college performance data, the government has said you should not make direct comparisons between the performance data for 1 school or college and another, or to data from previous years. Due to us being a school for students with additional needs often this data is not as meaningful. Individual summaries of progress for different groups and individuals can be viewed by parents / carers on an individual basis.
Student Outcomes Information:
Click this link for Student Outcomes information for Highfield Littleport Academy. This is in comparison to Cambridgeshire County Council Information.
Here is a summary of the progress students made at the most recent data drop (April 2024). Students are assessed as working below expectations (B), expected (E), above expected (A) and exceeding expectations (E).
EHCP Summary Progress (July 2024):
Summary Curriculum Progress July 2024:
Last year (2023-2024) all of our leavers apart from one moved on to college courses post Highfield. The majority of the cohort attained Entry Level qualifications in English and Maths.
Music Development Plan
There is a requirement to publish the school's Music Development Plan on an Annual Basis. Please click this link to view the document for 2024 - 2025.