At Orrell Holgate Academy, no child is left behind. This is evidenced through the tremendous outcomes for our most deprived pupils and the fantastic journey they make through school. We do not equate deprivation with low ability.
At Holgate, most cohorts enter the school broadly in line with national expectations. However, within each cohort / class there is a huge range of experiences, skills, language acquisition, and confidences in all aspects of the curriculum. Sometimes children have barriers to learning which can put them at a disadvantage compared to others. As a school we want to remove barriers for all children. Instilling our 6Rs supports all pupils to become Lifelong Learners.
Where children are classed as disadvantaged and in receipt of the Pupil Premium fund, we address these barriers using the PP fund making decisions based on research and effective procedures highlighted by the Education Endowment Foundation
Our first priority is Quality First Teaching. We want our school to be a rich learning environment where interventions are not necessary for PP children because teaching is of a high enough quality to ensure pupils make good progress.
John Dunford (PP Champion) states that:
"There is solid evidence that poor teaching disproportionately disadvantages poor children. Equally, evidence tells us that excellent teaching disproportionately benefits them, So high quality teaching must be at the core of Pupil Premium work. It follows that it is legitimate to spend PP funding on the quality of teaching."
What is Pupil Premium?
This funding is to provide additional support to pupils who are: entitled to or who have been entitled to Free School Meals in the last 6 years; those who are ‘Looked After’ by the Local Authority; those that have been adopted; or those who are ‘Service Children’.
The aim of the funding is to ensure that each child’s attainment is maximised and their educational experience enhanced.
From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, the Department for Education (DfE) is delivering an expansion to FSM eligibility to include all pupils from households in receipt of Universal Credit. There will then be 2 categories of FSM:
Targeted FSM, which continues to be based on the existing £7,400 income threshold
Expanded FSM, which will apply to meals only, covering pupils who do not qualify for Targeted FSM, but who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit
Following the expansion of FSM, only pupils eligible for Targeted FSM will be part of the Ever 6 FSM cohort. This means that pupils who become eligible for FSM for the first time through the new Expanded FSM category will not attract pupil premium funding.
Pupils who were eligible for FSM before the expansion will continue to be part of the Ever 6 FSM cohort after the expansion. That includes any pupil whose household income increases after the expansion, such that they either lose FSM eligibility altogether or become eligible for FSM through Expanded FSM. Such pupils will remain part of the Ever 6 FSM cohort for 6 years.
In the 2026 to 2027 financial year, schools will receive the following funding for each child registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years:
£1,550 for pupils in reception year to year 6
Schools will also receive £2,690 for each pupil who has left local-authority care because of 1 of the following:
adoption
a special guardianship order
a child arrangements order
a residence order
You may qualify if you are a parent, guardian or carer and receive one of the following:
Income Support (IS) or you are a pupil receiving the benefit in your own right
Income Based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA)
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; or
Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income (as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Universal Credit
Children who get any of the above benefits in their own right (ie they get benefits payments directly, instead of through a parent or guardian) can also get free school meals.
If you feel you may be eligible, use this link to apply:
Wigan Council - Free School Meals Application
As in previous years, we will continue to use the pupil premium to improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.
How does Orrell Holgate Academy spend the Pupil Premium Grant?
School leaders are best placed to assess their pupils’ needs and use the funding to improve attainment, drawing on evidence of effective practice. It is up to school leaders to decide how to spend the pupil premium.
Evidence suggests that pupil premium spending is most effective when schools use a tiered approach, targeting spending across 3 areas, with a particular focus on teaching.
Teaching
Investing in high-quality teaching, for example:
training and professional development for teachers
recruitment and retention
support for teachers early in their careers
Targeted academic support
Additional support for some pupils focussed on their specific needs, for example:
one-to-one tuition
small group tuition
speech and language therapy
Wider approaches
Support for non-academic issues that impact success in school, such as attendance, behaviour and social and emotional challenges. For example:
school breakfast clubs
counselling to support emotional health and wellbeing
help with the cost of educational trips or visits
Some of our pupils have had events in their lives that mean that they are not always ready to focus upon their learning.
Support at home is not always available or parents may not feel confident to help their child learn. Some children do not arrive in school ready to learn, or are persistently absent and late.
A number of pupils display specific learning difficulties such as dyslexic traits so struggle to: record their learning, remember things and organise themselves.
Many of our children struggle to communicate effectively due to speech and language needs.
Some of our children have not had a variety of rich experiences from which they can draw upon when learning.
The Pupil Premium Grant has enabled us to continue to develop and provide high levels of additional support for pupils. We have used the grant in a variety of ways over the years including:
Two full time Family Liaison Officers supporting children and families
A full time, qualified speech and language therapist to work with specific children
Additional initiatives and rewards to encourage attendance and support families
Subsidising residential visits, clubs, curriculum trips and visitors to enrich our children’s lives
Subsidising before and after school care
Additional TAs to support teaching and learning and for specific intervention, including small group and 1:1 tutoring
Additonal tutoring from outside agencies
Specific provision for idenitifed children in KS1 as part of a 'nurture group'
Subsidising before and after school club to ensure the cost is reduced for parents
CPD for staff with a focus on Reading, Writing and Maths, including moderation and advice from consultants
Developing the outside environment to provide increased learning opportunities
Please contact the school office if you would like to book a tour of the school with the Headteacher.
There will also be an open evening on Wednesday 21st October (6pm). We look forward to seeing you!