Pupil Premium at Sirius Academy North
Quality First Teaching to Empower Students from All Backgrounds
At Sirius Academy North, we believe in the limitless potential of every student. We are committed to ensuring that disadvantage never becomes a barrier to achievement, aspiration or future success. Our Pupil Premium strategy is firmly rooted in evidence-informed practice and a belief that all pupils deserve access to an ambitious curriculum, outstanding teaching and enriching experiences that prepare them for successful adult lives.
Pupil Premium funding is allocated by the Department for Education (DfE) to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils. Nationally, disadvantaged students often face additional barriers that can impact attendance, attainment, literacy development and future opportunities. Our strategy focuses on identifying and removing these barriers through targeted support, high expectations and a strong culture of inclusion.
At Sirius Academy North we will:
- Deliver consistently high-quality teaching in every classroom.
- Raise attainment and close achievement gaps.
- Improve attendance, punctuality and engagement with learning.
- Develop literacy, reading and communication skills across the curriculum.
- Support students’ social, emotional and mental wellbeing.
- Broaden horizons through enrichment, leadership and careers education.
- Work closely with families and the wider community to improve outcomes.
- Ensure all students are equipped with the knowledge, skills and aspirations to thrive in education, employment and adult life.
How We Use Pupil Premium Funding
Pupil Premium funding is used to address the key challenges faced by disadvantaged pupils, including attendance, literacy, engagement, aspiration, parental engagement and academic attainment. Our spending is organised across three key areas.
Teaching and Learning
We place the greatest emphasis on improving the quality of teaching, as evidence shows this has the largest impact on outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Funding supports:
- Lead Practitioners to drive professional development and evidence-informed teaching.
- Strategic leadership of the Pupil Premium programme.
- Staff training, including NPQs and specialist professional development.
- Enhanced SEND provision and staff training.
- Diamond and Sapphire provisions for vulnerable learners.
- Reading assessments and literacy programmes.
- Sparx Maths, Sparx Reader and Sparx Science.
- The North Way teaching and participation strategy.
- Careers-focused staff development.
- Consistent classroom provision through specialist cover supervisors.
Targeted Academic Support
Additional academic support is provided through:
- Targeted English and Mathematics intervention.
- Literacy and reading intervention programmes.
- Phonics support, including Read Write Inc.
- Reading-for-pleasure initiatives and access to high-quality texts.
- Revision materials for Key Stage 4 students.
- The No-Limits Legends programme for high-attaining disadvantaged pupils.
Wider Strategies
We recognise that academic success depends on more than classroom learning. Funding is also used to support:
- Attendance improvement and family engagement.
- Student mentoring programmes.
- Wellbeing support through school counselling and nursing services.
- Breakfast provision and access to nutrition.
- Essential equipment and resources.
- Careers education, guidance and employer engagement.
- Cultural capital and enrichment opportunities.
- Parental engagement events and community partnerships.
- Peer mentoring and leadership opportunities.
- Free access to music tuition and wider enrichment activities.
Our Key Priorities (2024-2027)
Our current strategy focuses on:
- Closing the attainment gap through high-quality teaching.
- Improving attendance and reducing persistent absence.
- Raising literacy and reading outcomes.
- Increasing aspiration, resilience and future opportunities.
- Strengthening engagement with parents, carers and the wider community.
Measuring Impact
The impact of all Pupil Premium spending is reviewed regularly using:
- Attainment and progress data.
- Attendance and punctuality measures.
- Behaviour and engagement indicators.
- Reading age assessments.
- Student voice and wellbeing measures.
- Participation in enrichment and careers programmes.
- Parent and carer feedback.
Further information can be found in our Pupil Premium Strategy Statement HERE.
This strategy is reviewed annually to ensure funding is used effectively and continues to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.