Graveney School Is a Secondary School Academy Located in the London Borough of Wandsworth
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Culture, Creativity and Narrowing the Gap – using pupil premium to enrich cultural education Graveney school is a secondary school academy located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The school intake is 2064 with 22% students eligible for pupil premium funding. The London average of secondary school pupils eligible for pupil premium in 2016–17 is 39.7%. The school was rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2015 and has a Progress 8 score of 0.34 which is above the national average within the top 20% of schools. Key insights • Facilitating pupil premium parental engagement through information evenings to increase awareness of the opportunities available, the purpose of pupil premium to provide equal access and entitlement and the impact that interventions can have. • Measuring and monitoring pupils destinations post Year 11 and Year 13 can help schools to understand the longer term impact of pupil premium funding on future education and employment pathways. CASE STUDY Graveney School school journeys; grant support with residential curriculum, but some have said to pupils musical ability but also more widely in their How does the school aim visits; and free tuition in a musical instrument. that if you’re in key stage 4 you are not approach and attitude towards learning in to support disadvantaged Most of the funding is spent directly on participating in the school play. We know school. eligible pupil premium students but some out there, there has been a narrowing of pupils? activities have overlapping participation with the curriculum and arts related enrichment “We can see the bigger picture of what Graveney school’s pupil premium strategy the whole of the school, for example – extra activities. We are absolutely committed to music can do for an individual. For some it sets out to support pupils who may be at a tuition groups may also include non-pupil keeping those things going.” is building their confidence, for others it is disadvantage in accessing opportunities in premium students who need additional Deputy Headteacher, Graveney School developing their social skills, for others it’s relation to their peers because of financial support and are underperforming. having a focus and being able to learn. or family circumstances. The school aims to The aim of pupil premium to address the There are so many different skills you can remove barriers to pupil premium students’ To facilitate access and awareness of the differences in access to resources and learn through music.” academic achievement and ensure they can opportunities available, the school holds opportunities was seen to align with the Head of Music, Graveney School participate in the curriculum and enrichment an engagement evening for all parents and school’s commitment to offer all students activities at an equal level. pupils eligible for pupil premium funding. the same chance to explore arts and cultural Through the course of the evening parents are The lessons also provide more focused activities. 40% of the school’s pupil premium provided with information on: how the school attention than students would receive in “Our aim is to make sure no pupil premium funding is spent on extra-curricular/cultural aims to support their children; how parents regular lessons and can have wider benefits child is deprived of any opportunity that is and arts activity. The senior leadership team and carers themselves can support their to general behaviour and how children feel openly available to other pupils. That is feel that differences in socio-economical children; information of the range of support about attending school. Another knock-on why we fund musical tuition, the Duke of background can not only limit the financial available; and, evidence of the outcome effect is that pupil premium students are Edinburgh and subsidise pupil premium means to access but also the confidence destinations of previous cohorts of pupil motivated to join other arts and cultural students for other trips. Another aim is to The programme of to access these types of opportunities. premium students. activities within the school. The widening make sure that any barriers that do exist free musical tuition Offering arts and cultural opportunities are of participation in musical tuition has also for pupil premium students are overcome has been running for also perceived to have wider life enhancing encouraged the music department to look at early and that a child’s pupil premium “It makes it very clear to the parents that 3 years. benefits to students including raising the gaps in their broader enrichment offer status does not hold them back the school is very conscious of the group confidence, instilling self-discipline, and can and to increase the range of musical clubs, for academically.” and committed to their achievement but contribute to academic development. Musical example introducing a more informal band Deputy Headteacher, Graveney School also gives them an insight into what they tuition was selected specifically because it to meet the musical interests and styles of all can do at home to support their child’s is an activity where children have different students. Pupil premium pupil’s involvement progress. I think it breaks the ice between access depending on their ability to pay and The strategy and allocation of funding is in extra-curricular activities also allows them the school and the families as well. It’s an where increasing participation would benefit developed by the Deputy Headteacher and to socialise and develop relationships with a evening where we do talk about pupil the life skills of pupil premium students. school bursar. The allocation of the budget diverse mix of students across the school. premium as a very positive thing, as a is finalised after review of the impact of the thing that can really enhance both the previous year’s budget allocation against “Why music tuition? We think it opens a lot academic work of the child but also their “I think the pupils that learn musical KS4 attainment data. The school feels it is of doors to appreciation of the Arts in involvement in enrichment activities.” instruments are more confident and important not to see pupil premium students general and getting rid of that feeling of Deputy Headteacher, Graveney School learning a musical instrument opens up as a homogeneous group and look specifically being intimidated by those ideas. But we opportunities for further involvement in the at the progress of individuals or groups also think that learning a musical musical life of the school so for example of pupils (e.g. eligible students who have instrument gives you not just learning the they can join ensembles, they can join different ability levels) to tailor interventions. obvious skill of playing a musical How is narrowing the gap choirs... if you’re learning an instrument The school also takes into consideration wider instrument but also, if you stick with it, it you can become part of something bigger evidence and research from the Education strategy aligned with gives you self-discipline and there is some 40% of the school’s in the school.” Endowment Fund on what interventions work research that suggests learning a musical pupil premium providing access to arts Deputy Headteacher, Graveney School effectively in supporting students. The Deputy instrument actually improves your cognitive funding is spent Headteacher also has an open dialogue with and cultural opportunities abilities.” on extra-curricular/ each department within the school. Subject Deputy Headteacher, Graveney School The music department has also seen a steady cultural and arts for disadvantaged departments can request funding for extra increase of pupil premium students going on activity. provision they think will assist the progress of students? to study GCSE Music. It was felt this was partly The programme of free musical tuition has pupil premium pupils. Graveney school aims to provide a full range due to the free musical tuition increasing been running for 3 years. Free lessons are of arts and cultural opportunities across the wider musical engagement in KS3 of pupil offered to all pupil premium eligible students The school governors are presented with curriculum and enrichment activities, and it premium students. from year 7. Students are entitled to a free information regarding the progress and perceives this to be particularly important in paired lesson for 30 minutes each week. impact of activities. The curriculum governors’ the current climate of some schools reducing Students discussed how they enjoyed the Students also can sit musical grade exams committee provide full oversight of the opportunities for arts and cultural education experience of learning a new instrument. which are funded via pupil premium. Many of allocation and effectiveness of pupil premium because they need to focus resource on For some, it has increased their general the students have not accessed lessons before spend and hold the senior leadership to achieving key academic outcomes at KS4. confidence because of the sense of because of financial reasons. account for the decisions made. achievement they have gained from learning a new skill and/or passing musical grade “We are very aware with all the targets One of the perceived benefits of participation The main activities funded include: small examinations. One student felt it had helped that schools have to reach these days and in musical instrumental lessons is that it group and one-one English and Maths tuition; him with learning the theory needed for GCSE the pressure on schools to produce really requires learning and practice which are additional support staff to promote high levels Music and had taken his exam early. good outcomes at the end of key stage 4, key skills for achievement in education and of attendance and engagement with parents/ that there are some schools who have employment.