October 2023 review (for 2022/23)

• Challenge 1 - Attendance (Improved Attendance,  The gap has closed with non - PP students and the rate of PA has reduced).

Outcome = Attendance continues to be and has increased as a national area of concern and need of action post pandemic.  The impact of this on student and family wellbeing and subsequent challenge on attending school has been seen in Suffolk and throughout the UK.  The school continues to be broadly in line in gaps between PP and Non PP students without closing any further currently, despite significant work by the school on supporting PP students, as well as those who are the ‘unseen disadvantaged’.  PP attendance was at 86.84% and Non PP at 92.86%.  These figures are above those seen nationally and within Suffolk.  This Non PP figure has been significantly affected by students who are medically unfit for school receiving alternative tuition, with their attendance not being counted towards attendance figures when they are not receiving tuition.  The school has further developed its systems and procedures for monitoring, support and action and these have been utilised as good practice by Trust schools as well as being noted in a recent Ofsted Inspection for its improving work (September 2018).  This target is continuing as part of the 2021-24 strategy and is supported within aspects of the 2023/24 school improvement plan.

November 2022 review (for 2021/22)

• Challenge 1 - Attendance (Improved Attendance,  The gap has closed with non - PP students and the rate of PA has reduced).

Outcome  = Attendance was a key part of one of the 2021/22 school improvement strategies.  A Learning mentor to support attendance role was developed and disadvantaged students were reviewed and monitored rigorously for support, early intervention and plans to re-engage into school where needed. Tracking spreadsheet created to support review of strategies employed and for quick identification of PP students needing intervention. Attendance levels for PP finished at 87.5% and Non PP at 92.5% (Assembly Pro) with the gap starting to close but working continuing.

This target is continuing as part of the 2021-24 strategy and is on the current 2022/23 school improvement plan.

• Challenge 2 - Number of EBacc entries increase.  Uptake in MFL increases at GCSE.

Outcome = 2022/23 update = 18 out of 62 students (29%) starting option courses in September have chosen to study a language, this is an increase on uptake from the previous year when only 10 out of 55 (18%) of pupil premium students chose a language.  This work continues to build from work within key stage 3 to be an increasing number year on year.  This strategy was recognised as positive action during Ofsted visit in September 2023.

Outcome 2021/22 review= Key work has developed throughout the year to improve engagement and uptake within MFL and EBACC subjects.  These curriculum areas have moved location within school to become more prominent and visible throughout the corridors to support the raising awareness of languages.  Curriculum decisions for options choices have been re-designed to ensure students who can achieve a grade 5 in English will take a language.  Disadvantaged students have been signposted to interventions for grade 5 in English that will be completed to support uptake at EBacc subjects and for language at GCSE level. Booklets produced to support lesson progression through scaffolding tasks and retrieval work in MFL.  Enrichment activities (and further planned with trips) for languages have seen PP students supported to attend these, including costs paid.

This target is continuing as part of the 2021-24 strategy and is on the current 2022/23 school improvement plan (raising standards, confident and authentic experiences).

• Challenge 3 - Attainment gaps have closed.  PP students meet or exceed national averages for attainment and progress.

Outcome = 2022/23 update = 47 disadvantaged students averaged a Progress 8 score of -0.35 (within a confidence interval of -0.75 to 0.06) - this places their progress not significantly lower than all students nationally. 51% of the students gained grade 4 in both English and Maths, this is close to the 58% who achieved the measure in 2019. The attainment gap in 2023 was 37 (disadvantaged students Attainment 8 (A8), 2023) to 53 (non-disadvantaged students A8 in 2023) compared to 47 to 55 in 2019.

Outcome = Despite interventions and support, attainment gaps are still a key priority to close.  Examination results in the summer of 2022 were the first from examinations since the covid pandemic and TAGS.  Covid related absences and attendance incorporated with lost learning due to covid has continued to mean this is a priority to ensure all disadvantaged students can achieve in line with their peers.  An increase in social emotional mental health concerns for disadvantaged students also impacted on examination performance. 

This target is continuing as part of the 2021-24 strategy and is suuported within areas of the current 2023/2024 school improvment plan.

• Challenge 4 - Reading levels have increased.  Reading scores have increased and students are able to access the curriculum successfully.  

Outcome = 2022/23 update

Outcome = School improvement plan target for 2021/22.  Lexia completed within classrooms for key groups and continued for 22/23.  Students with the lowest prior attainment reading scores in years 7 & 8 have been participating in the ‘Herts for Learning’ reading fluency project and Lexia to develop vocabulary, comprehension and grammar twice a week.  Key individuals have been targeted for personalised reading support.  Reading instructors deployed into teaching classes to provide additional support for students to access their curriculum reading.  All members of staff have access to reading scores for all disadvantaged students from GL assessment to support planning and scaffold support within quality first teaching strategies.  All disadvantaged students during year 7 transition week were bought a copy of the ‘TGS 50’ books for them to read over the summer and followed up with a small class project in September.

This target is continuing as part of the 2021-24 strategy and is supported within areas of the current 2023/24 school improvement plan.

• Challenge 5 - Student /Parental Support for intervention strategies and Enrichment opportunities.  Students attend catch-up sessions and increased parental attendance at Academic Review Days. Attendance at Enrichment sessions increases.

Outcome 2022/23 update = Academic review days continued to support our students.  Families were able to have regular meetings with their child(rens) tutors to monitor and discuss academic progress whilst signposting where support was needed.  This included attending enrichment clubs or directed to intervention for academic improvement.  Attendance of PP students at these events continued to be monitored and tracked by an Assistant Headteacher and engagement by PP families remained extremely high above 90%.  An extensive extra-curricular programme continues to be in place.  Staff directed time is utilised to ensure all staff offer an activity to meet any academic support or enrichment need a student, especially any who may be disadvantaged, may have to ensure they do not miss out on opportunities open to others.  Attendance by PP students to enrichment or co-curricular activities is tracked and monitored by a Deputy Headteacher and Assistant Headteacher weekly and reviewed by SLT regularly.  Attendance of all PP students to at least one club, activity (in or outside of school), enrichment opportunity or intervention was successfully achieved in 2022/23.

Outcome = Following the covid pandemic, ARD (Academic Review days) recommenced in person following a period where these had been completed online.  Attendance was extremely positive and monitored / tracked.  Students whose parents could not attend received phone call meetings to follow up or were invited in at a new time to meet and discuss progress.  Engagement for in person on the day appointments reached 93% above previous online meeting engagement.  A full extra-curricular and co-curricular programme was in place throughout 2021/22 for directed support as well as open sessions to attend.  This to support opportunities for increased learning, academic progress, social and personal development.  Attendance at sessions tracked and monitored by Assistant Headteacher.  National tutoring and school based mentors employed to support numeracy and literacy, which disadvantaged students were able to receive.

This target is continuing as part of the 2021-24 strategy and is supported within areas of the current 2023/24 school improvement plan.

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November 2021 review (for 2020/21)

Due to the impact of the COVID –19 pandemic we are unable to publish our performance measures for 2019/20 and 2020/21 and 2021/22 results will not be used to hold schools to account.

Several of our planned strategies were not fully implemented due to the restrictions and partial school closures. Our resources were diverted to support acute and unplanned need arising from the pandemic.

• Provision of IT equipment for home learning.

• Purchase of desk cameras and visualisers to facilitate online learning.

• Additional free school meals for vulnerable students in school.

• Food parcels / toiletries for disadvantaged families.

School assessments have demonstrated that disadvantaged students' overall progress and attainment remains below those of non-disadvantaged students.