On Friday 6th February, I joined Mrs Margaret Gallagher, Chair of the Academy Committee and Mr Paul Farr, Vice Principal, for a meeting to discuss Pupil Premium at St Edmund’s. Pupil Premium funding is given directly to schools and academies to help raise the attainment of disadvantaged children and to widen their opportunities as part of the Government’s plan to improve social mobility.

Mr Farr took us through a paper by Sir John Dunford, the National Pupil Premium Champion, in which he sets out a ten-point plan to help identify where to spend this money to gain maximum impact. This can differ from school to school.

We were able to question Mr Farr on the strategies currently being used at St Edmund’s and we have also been given the results of the first three data collections of the year, so we will be able to see for ourselves where impact is successfully being made.

Ann Shorthouse

Pupil Premium Link Representative