Pupil Premium Strategy Statement
This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium funding to help improve the attainment of our disadvantaged pupils.
It outlines our pupil premium strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the effect that last year’s spending of pupil premium had within our school.
School Overview
| Detail | Data |
| School name | St. Christopher’s Catholic Primary Academy |
| Number of pupils in school | 192 |
| Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils | ~14.9% |
| Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers | 2025/2026 to 2027/2028 |
| Date this statement was published | December 2025 |
| Date on which it will be reviewed | December 2026 |
| Statement authorised by | Mr. Karl Babarczi (Headteacher) |
| Pupil premium lead | Mr. Karl Babarczi (Headteacher) |
| Governor / Trustee lead | Mrs Carol Rodrigues |
Funding Overview
| Detail | Amount |
| Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year | £43,935 (Estimate based on ~29 pupils @ £1,515) |
| Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year | £0 (If applicable) |
| Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable) | £0 |
| Total budget for this academic year | £43,935 |
Part A: Strategy Plan
Statement of Intent
At St. Christopher’s Catholic Primary Academy, our mission is to ensure that every child, regardless of their background or barriers to learning, can “aspire to be outstanding in every way, with Christ at the centre.” Our motto, “Love One Another,” underpins our inclusive culture where differences are respected and celebrated.
The focus of our pupil premium strategy is to support disadvantaged pupils to achieve that goal, including progress for those who are already high attainers. We will consider the challenges faced by vulnerable pupils, such as those who have a social worker and young carers. The activity we have outlined in this statement is also intended to support their needs, regardless of whether they are disadvantaged or not.
High-quality teaching is at the heart of our approach, with a focus on areas in which disadvantaged pupils require the most support. This is proven to have the greatest impact on closing the disadvantage attainment gap and at the same time will benefit the non-disadvantaged pupils in our school. Implicit in the intended outcomes detailed below is the intention that non-disadvantaged pupils’ attainment will be sustained and improved alongside progress for their disadvantaged peers.
Our strategy is also responsive to the specific feedback from our recent Ofsted inspection (December 2024), particularly regarding reasoning in mathematics and presentation standards. We will ensure that disadvantaged pupils are prioritised in these whole-school improvement areas.
Our approach will be responsive to common challenges and individual needs, rooted in robust diagnostic assessment, not assumptions about the impact of disadvantage. To ensure they are effective we will:
- Ensure disadvantaged pupils are challenged in the work that they’re set.
- Act early to intervene at the point need is identified.
- Adopt a whole school approach in which all staff take responsibility for disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes and raise expectations of what they can achieve.
Challenges
This details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified among our disadvantaged pupils.
| Challenge number | Detail of challenge |
| 1 | Maths Reasoning & Problem Solving: Internal assessments and the recent Ofsted report (Dec 2024) indicate that while fluency is strong, some pupils, including those eligible for PP, lack confidence in explaining their reasoning and applying skills to complex problem-solving scenarios. |
| 2 | Oral Language & Vocabulary: Observations and entry data indicate that a proportion of disadvantaged pupils enter school with lower language skills than their peers, which impacts reading comprehension and their ability to articulate learning in Key Stage 2. |
| 3 | Writing & Presentation: As noted in recent monitoring, consistency in handwriting and presentation is variable. Disadvantaged pupils sometimes struggle to take pride in the presentation of their work, which correlates with lower stamina and accuracy in extended writing tasks. |
| 4 | Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH): Our assessments and observations indicate that some disadvantaged pupils face challenges with resilience and self-regulation, which can affect their readiness to learn and their ability to cope with the demands of the school day. |
| 5 | Enrichment & Cultural Capital: Due to financial constraints, some disadvantaged pupils have fewer opportunities to access wider enrichment activities (trips, music, sports) outside of school, limiting their cultural capital and confidence compared to their peers. |
Intended Outcomes
This explains the outcomes we are aiming for by the end of our current strategy plan, and how we will measure whether they have been achieved.
| Intended outcome | Success criteria |
| Improved maths attainment for disadvantaged pupils, specifically in reasoning. | KS2 maths outcomes in 2027/28 will show that disadvantaged pupils achieve in line with or above national averages.
Lesson observations will show pupils confidently explaining their mathematical reasoning. |
| Improved oral language skills and vocabulary among disadvantaged pupils. | Assessments and teacher observations will indicate improved vocabulary usage.
Disadvantaged pupils will perform in line with peers in the Phonics Screening Check and KS2 Reading tests. |
| High standards of presentation and writing stamina established. | Book scrutinies will demonstrate high-quality presentation and handwriting across the curriculum for disadvantaged pupils.
Writing outcomes at the end of KS2 will show a narrowed gap between PP and non-PP pupils. |
| To achieve and sustain improved wellbeing for all pupils, particularly our disadvantaged pupils. | Sustained high levels of wellbeing demonstrated by qualitative data from student voice, parent surveys, and teacher observations.
Reduction in low-level behavioral incidents related to emotional regulation. |
| Disadvantaged pupils have full access to a broad and balanced curriculum and enrichment. | 100% of disadvantaged pupils will access school trips, residential visits, and extra-curricular clubs (subsidised where necessary).
Pupil voice will reflect a high level of engagement in the “Mini Vinnies” and other school leadership roles. |
Activity in this Academic Year
This details how we intend to spend our pupil premium (and recovery premium funding) this academic year to address the challenges listed above.
Teaching (for example, CPD, recruitment and retention)
Budgeted cost: £22,000
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| Embedding Maths Mastery with a focus on Reasoning: Purchase of enhanced mastery resources (e.g., White Rose / NCETM materials) and CPD for staff on “teaching for mastery” to specifically address the Ofsted recommendation to provide opportunities for pupils to explain their reasoning. | The EEF guidance reports that mastery learning approaches have a high impact (+5 months). Strengthening reasoning helps pupils apply fluency to complex problems. | 1 |
| Whole-school Focus on Handwriting and Presentation: Implementation of a consistent handwriting scheme and staff training to ensure high expectations are maintained in all books. | Explicit instruction in handwriting is supported by the EEF ‘Improving Literacy’ guidance, as fluency in transcription frees up working memory for composition. | 3 |
| Oracy and Vocabulary CPD: Training for staff on explicit vocabulary instruction (e.g., ‘Word of the Day’, Tier 2 vocabulary focus) across the curriculum. | Oral language interventions have a high impact on reading and writing outcomes (+6 months progress, EEF). | 2 |
| Review of Curriculum Coherence: Release time for subject leaders to monitor lesson implementation and ensure knowledge is built systematically (addressing Dec 2024 Ofsted feedback). | High-quality curriculum design ensures that pupils build schemas of knowledge over time, crucial for those with lower starting points. | 1, 2, 3 |
Targeted Academic Support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)
Budgeted cost: £12,000
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| Small group interventions for Maths: Targeted support for pupils identified as falling behind in maths fluency, delivered by TAs/Teachers using structured programmes. | Tuition targeted at specific needs and knowledge gaps can be an effective method to support low attaining pupils or those falling behind (+4 months, EEF). | 1 |
| Speech and Language Support (NELI or similar): Deployment of trained support staff to deliver language interventions for reception and KS1 pupils identified with language deficits. | Early intervention in oral language is critical for reading comprehension. The Nuffield Early Language Intervention is proven to be effective. | 2 |
| Handwriting Clinics: Short, regular small-group sessions for pupils with fine motor skill difficulties to improve transcription fluency. | Targeted motor skills support improves writing stamina and legibility, boosting confidence in writing tasks. | 3 |
Wider Strategies (for example, related to attendance, behaviour, wellbeing)
Budgeted cost: £10,000
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
| Enrichment Fund: Ring-fenced budget to subsidise school trips, residential visits (Year 6), and music lessons for disadvantaged pupils to ensure no child misses out due to financial barriers. | Participation in the arts and sports supports personal development and builds cultural capital, which is linked to academic success. | 5 |
| SEMH Support / ELSA: Training for a Teaching Assistant as an ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) to provide check-ins and support for pupils with anxiety or resilience issues. | Social and emotional learning approaches have a positive impact on academic attainment (+4 months) and overall wellbeing. | 4 |
| Attendance Monitoring & Support: Dedicated admin time to track attendance of PP pupils and provide early help/communication to families to prevent persistent absence. | The DfE guidance highlights that good attendance is essential for attainment. Early intervention with families is key. | 4, 5 |
Total budgeted cost: £44,000
Part B: Review of outcomes in the previous academic year
Pupil Premium Strategy Outcomes
This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on pupils in the 2024 to 2025 academic year.
- Attainment: Internal data and statutory assessments from 2025 indicate that disadvantaged pupils at St. Christopher’s continue to make good progress. The gap between PP and non-PP pupils in Reading has narrowed compared to previous years.
- Ofsted Inspection (December 2024): The school retained its Good Inspectors noted that “Pupils feel safe and trust all the adults in school” and that “The school helps pupils learn about the world in which they live.”
- Areas for Development: The inspection highlighted that sometimes pupils are not given enough opportunity to explain their reasoning in maths, and presentation standards were variable. These findings have directly informed the strategy for 2025-28, with a renewed focus on handwriting and mathematical talk.
- Enrichment: Pupil premium funding successfully supported 100% of disadvantaged pupils to attend the Year 6 residential and all class trips, ensuring full inclusion in the life of the school.
- Attendance: Attendance for disadvantaged pupils remained broadly in line with national averages for the group, though we continue to monitor this closely to prevent persistent absence.
Externally Provided Programmes
Please include the names of any non-DfE programmes that you purchased in the previous academic year. This will help the Department for Education identify which ones are popular in England.
| Programme | Provider |
| Times Tables Rock Stars | Maths Circle Ltd |
| White Rose Maths | White Rose Education |
| Twinkl Phonics | Twinkl |
