Get to know more about our pupil and sports funding at Loudwater Combined School

Pupil Premium is additional funding provided by the Government to help schools improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. At Loudwater Combined School, we use this funding to help ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive, both academically and personally, regardless of their family circumstances. We recognise that children may face different barriers to learning and that these can change over time. Our aim is to identify the support each child needs and use the funding effectively to help them make progress, develop confidence and enjoy their time at school.

Pupil Premium funding is available for eligible pupils, including children who are entitled to benefits-related Free School Meals, children who have previously been eligible for Free School Meals within the relevant qualifying period, looked-after and previously looked-after children, and children from eligible service families.

If you think your child may be eligible, please contact the school office for further information about how to apply. Families can also find information about eligibility through the GOV.UK website.

Children in Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 receive Universal Infant Free School Meals. However, if your family meets the eligibility criteria for benefits-related Free School Meals, it is still important to register, as this may enable the school to receive additional Pupil Premium funding to support your child.

Depending on eligibility, this funding can help us provide additional support and opportunities, including:

• Additional teaching and learning support to help children make progress.
• Resources and interventions to address barriers to learning.
• Support to access school trips, clubs and other enrichment opportunities.
• Help with the development of children’s confidence, wellbeing and social skills.

We understand that families can experience financial difficulties for many different reasons. If you are finding it difficult to meet the costs of school activities or other expenses, please speak to the school office in confidence. Our Access Fund may be able to provide assistance, and we will always aim to approach conversations sensitively and without judgement. Support may also be available in other ways, depending on your family’s circumstances.

At Loudwater Combined School, we want every child to feel valued, included and able to achieve their potential. We recognise that children do not all start from the same place and that some may need additional support or different opportunities to help them succeed.

We use Pupil Premium funding to address barriers to learning and participation, taking account of the needs of our children and the priorities identified through our assessment, monitoring and discussions with families and staff.

Our approach focuses on three key areas:

• High-quality teaching: ensuring that all children benefit from effective classroom teaching, with appropriate adaptations and support where needed.
• Targeted academic support: providing additional help, interventions and resources to address gaps in learning and enable children to make progress.
• Wider strategies: supporting children’s attendance, wellbeing, engagement and access to the wider life of the school.

We regularly review the impact of our spending to ensure that the funding is making a difference. We also recognise the importance of children experiencing the full range of opportunities available at Loudwater, including school trips, clubs, sporting activities and other enrichment experiences.

Our Pupil Premium Strategy Statement explains how we allocate the funding, the barriers we are seeking to address and how we evaluate its impact. You can find this in the school’s policies and statutory information section of our website.

The Primary PE and Sport Premium is additional Government funding intended to improve the quality of physical education, sport and physical activity in primary schools.

At Loudwater Combined School, we want children to develop the skills, confidence and enthusiasm to lead active and healthy lives. We believe that physical activity plays an important role in children’s physical health, emotional wellbeing, teamwork and personal development.

We use Sports Premium funding to develop the quality of PE and sporting opportunities available to our pupils, with a focus on making sure that all children can participate, develop their skills and discover activities they enjoy.

Our work may include:

• Developing staff confidence and expertise in teaching PE.
• Providing a broad range of sporting and physical activity opportunities.
• Encouraging participation in competitive sport, festivals and inter-school events.
• Supporting children who may face barriers to taking part in physical activity.
• Developing children’s understanding of the importance of physical activity and healthy lifestyles.

We review our use of Sports Premium funding to assess the difference it makes to children’s participation, skills and experiences. Further information about our spending and planned developments can be found in our published Sports Premium report.

At Loudwater Combined School, we believe that every child matters and that every child should have the opportunity to succeed. We are proud of the relationships we build with our children and families, and of the individual personalities, strengths and interests that make our school community special.

Our six school values underpin our approach to learning, relationships and personal development:

Pride – taking pride in ourselves, our achievements and our school.

Empathy – understanding and caring about the feelings and experiences of others.

Honesty – being truthful, trustworthy and willing to do the right thing.

Individuality – celebrating what makes each of us unique and recognising the strengths we all bring.

Respect – treating others, ourselves and our environment with kindness and consideration.

Responsibility – taking responsibility for our choices, our actions and our contribution to the school community.

These values help us create an environment in which children feel safe, supported and encouraged to be themselves. We want every child to develop a love of learning, build positive relationships and leave Loudwater with the confidence and skills to take their next steps.

By using our funding thoughtfully and working in partnership with families, we aim to remove barriers, widen opportunities and ensure that all children are given the support they need to flourish.