Free School Meals Application We are aware that  circumstances may change for many of our families. If you would like to check if your child is eligible for Free School Meals, please complete the online form below. You will get a response within three working days of completing the form. https://cambridgeshire-self.achieveservice.com/service/Apply_for_Education_Welfare_Benefits

Named Staff with specific responsibility for Pupil Premium: Miss Sharon Payne

Named Governor with specific responsibility for Pupil Premium: Mrs L Isnovoiu

What is pupil premium?

Pupil premium is a government scheme that was introduced to improve the educational outcomes of ‘disadvantaged’ children. It was launched after research suggested that there was a significant gap between the educational performance of disadvantaged children and their classmates. Compared to other children, many children who are eligible for pupil premium have to face extra challenges daily, such as: attendance issues, lack of confidence and communication difficulties.
 

The grant provides funding so that schools can provide additional support and improve educational outcomes for children who are faced with these types of challenges. It aspires to ‘narrow the gap’ in educational progress and outcomes between children considered to be disadvantaged and their peers.

Our Ethos

Southfields Primary is totally committed to social justice and improving life chances for potentially vulnerable children. It is dedicated to sharing its work and findings beyond the school in order to improve outcomes for as many children as it can reach. We have a particular specialism in Speech and Language development.

At Southfields, we believe our school is a community and that it is vitally important that everyone is safe and happy within it. We aim to provide an environment in which our children are secure and confident, irrespective of race, gender and religion, with Equal Opportunities for all. 

Closing the gap is core to our work and many leaders at various levels have accountability to develop practice and outcomes for children within and beyond the school.

We pride ourselves on a very narrow gap and the opportunities provided for our children. We believe this is due to the consistency in the quality of teaching and learning as well as the provision and wider experience they have within the school.  We believe school has a fundamental part to play in securing wellbeing, enhancing life chances and realising personal potential. We believe in the social capital and the power of philosophy, art and music.  We want our children to develop a love of learning and pupils have a significant part to play in the school environment, and it's provision which they help to develop.

We have one school rule which is to be kind.  We as a school have a good understanding of fairness and inclusion.  We believe every child is an individual, and we aim to develop a bespoke school which mirrors the learners at that time, including both staff and children.

Our aim is to:

1. Secure effective teaching and learning for all and  enhance achievement and wellbeing, irrespective of personal circumstances.
2. Make a commitment to creating a learning community based on high trust and interdependence with explicit values and a shared language, centred on high performance.
3. Our core purpose is the quality of teaching and learning, this underpins all that we do. This involves the deployment of time, commitment and resources to enhance confidence in the quality of teaching and learning and the focus on achievement.
4. Share expertise of leaders and staff across the school community and work collectively to model, monitor and secure effective learning and teaching.
5. Work as a partnership with parents and carers throughout the learning process, accepting accountability and supporting individual needs.
6. Work collaboratively within school and working with other schools and professionals to ensure that the best practices and resources are available and shared with  all.
7. Be aware of current and new research and strategies in order to best support all children.
8. Underpin all of the above with rigorous and systematic planning, resource management and data-rich strategies to support teaching and learning.

How do we support families?

We have designated posts within school that work with families and children to ensure they are supported with their welfare within and beyond the school.  We organise many different family learning opportunities and involve families fully in school life. Staff are easily accessible and welcome communication between school and families.

 

Your child will get free school meals if you receive any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

The following groups are eligible for pupil premium:

• Pupils who are recorded as eligible for free school meals, or have been recorded as eligible in the past 6 years, including eligible children of families who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
• Children looked after by local authorities, referred to as looked-after children
• Children previously looked after by a local authority or other state care, referred to as previously looked-after children

A child is eligible for service pupil premium if they meet one or more of the criteria below:

• One of their parents is serving in the regular armed forces, including pupils with a parent who is on full commitment as part of the full-time reserve service - this includes pupils with a parent who is in the armed forces of another nation and is stationed in England
• They have been registered as a ‘service child’ on any school census in the past 6 years
• One of their parents died while serving in the armed forces and the pupil receives a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or the War Pensions Scheme

  

Service Children

At Southfields Primary, we provide ongoing support for service children and families. We are aware of the difficulties and challenges that service children may face, and we endeavour to support these children during times of hardship. We understand that all service children have different experiences, may move home frequently and face disruption to education, friendships and social networks. Moving home could mean that they miss key parts of the curriculum. As a school, we ensure that we are supporting transition and covering areas in which the children have missed. This could be as a class, in small groups or through 1:1 support. We know the emotional and communication challenges that service children and their families may be faced with, and work to reduce anxieties, provide support during difficult emotional times and improve well-being for all. Service children can spend extended periods of time away from serving parents/carers, meaning that not only will they miss their absent adult and worry about their safety, their adult will also not be able to attend school events. We provide pastoral support when needed, as well as offering extra support during deployment.  Lessons and activities are planned with compassion and an awareness of each child's circumstance​

If you have any questions about pupil premium, please do not hesitate to contact us.