COVID-19 Catch Up Premium
At Mathilda Marks-Kennedy, we are committed to ensuring that all pupils have the best start to their education. Following the period of school closures in 2020, we have reaffirmed our commitment to reducing the effects of school closures and providing all of our pupils with support, tailored to their needs.
Our strategic focus for how we spend the Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium grant funding aims to support each pupil whilst also being aware of what is needed to diminish gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers. We focus on providing experiences or initiatives that are research-based so that we can make the best possible impact.
Purpose of Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium funding
The government believes that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium grant, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current adverse effects caused by the period of school closures.
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium grant was introduced in July 2020 and is allocated to schools to support pupils by tailoring the use of the funding to identify gaps in attainment. Additionally, the school has recognised the detrimental effects of school closures on all our pupils. This funding shall be used to support them to a greater degree.
School leaders and governing boards need to ensure that their school has deployed significant monitoring strategies to assess the impact of this strategy whilst also considering implementation of the strategies contained within. It is for the school to determine how best to use the funding - there is no prescription within allocations other than funding should not be simply added to the dedicated schools grant budget allocation in order to compensate for any recent financial cutbacks to schools.
School leaders and governing boards need to ensure that their school is publishing information to parents and carers about how Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium grant funding has been spent in its entirety and what the impact has been on learning, attainment and pupils wellbeing and/ or pastoral care.
For the current academic year, we must publish our Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium grant strategy setting out:
- the amount of the school’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium grant allocation
- a summary of the main barriers to educational achievement faced by the school
- how the Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium grant allocation is to be spent to address those barriers and the reasons for that approach
- how the school is to measure the impact and effect of its expenditure of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium grant allocation
- the date of the school’s next review of its Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium grant strategy
Please click here to see the identified areas of need at MMK.