Pupil Development Grant (PDG) Strategy Statement
This statement details our school’s use of the PDG for the 2024 to 2025 academic year. It outlines our strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the effect that last year’s spending had within our school.
School Overview
| Number of pupils in the school | 91 |
| Proportion of PDG eligible pupils (%) | 39.6% |
| Date this statement was published | September 2024 |
| Date this statement will be reviewed | September 2025 |
| Statement authorised by | Mrs. Carolyn Jones |
| PDG lead | Mrs. Carolyn Jones |
| GB lead | Mrs. Melanie Davies |
Funding Overview
| Detail | Amount |
| PDG funding allocation this academic year | £33,350 |
| Early Years PDG | £10,350 |
| Total budget for this academic year | £43,700 |
Part A: Strategy Plan
Statement of Intent
| At Maesmarchog Primary school, our vision is to provide an environment that is inclusive and nurturing and which supports and challenges our learners to achieve their full potential. We work together as a learning community to enable our pupils to become ambitious capable learners, ethical informed citizens, healthy confident individuals and creative enterprising contributors in an ever changing society. We encourage our learners to take an active part in their learning journey through pupil voice, where they use their voice in decision making about their own learning, the school environment and the wider community. Use of the Pupil Development Grant supports these aims to be inclusive for all children and increase opportunities for additional learning opportunities, increase pupil wellbeing and ensure experiences inside and outside the classroom are fully inclusive. PIAP Targets R1 Ensure that leaders use evaluation and improvement processes effectively to ensure that the teaching and learning experiences provided for pupils meet their educational and developmental needs. R2 To provide a purposeful and engaging curriculum that develops pupils’ skills progressively. R3 Make effective use of assessment information to inform teaching and to support pupils’ progress in lessons and over time. R4 Improve attendance, particularly for vulnerable learners. |
Maesmarchog Primary School
PDG Action plan 2024-2025
This strategy statement will outline why we have decided to allocate funding into specific strategies and how these strategies will help to raise aspirations and promote pupils progression.
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.
| PDG/EYPDG Action: To develop pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy | PDG/EYPDG Teaching Assistant to support targeted FSM pupils throughout the school on individual targets, Language, Literacy and Communication and Numeracy and mathematics |
| Intended outcome | Success criteria |
| To improve pupils’ literacy skills with a focus on phonological development and reading skills in the first instance which will then impact on pupil’ writing We need to strengthen pupils’ literacy skills in particular, develop pupils’ awareness of phonics to support them with their reading and writing. Pupils need to experience a language rich environment that immerses them in the written and spoken word. Furthermore, we need to evolve the way we teach so that teachers explicitly teach phonics skills and provide opportunities for pupils to practice these skills and apply them independently. | All staff will deliver highly effective teaching of phonics and reading.Many foundation learners with achieve marked progress with their phonological awareness.Many foundation learners will be able to use their knowledge of phonics to support them with their reading skills.Most efsm pupils will make effective progress in the development of their reading skills. |
| To improve children’s understanding of mathematical concepts through a concrete, visual, abstract approach and apply across the curriculum In line with the school’s vision for the new curriculum, we need to strengthen pupils’ ability to use mathematics through applying their numeracy skills across the curriculum. | Many teachers will understand and implement the development of conceptual understanding of number through concrete, visual and abstract approaches. Many e-FSM pupils will be able to: represent mathematical concepts in multiple ways (concrete, visual and abstract)use precise mathematical language to explain their mathematical thinkingidentify efficient strategies for calculationstransfer their mathematical skills in other areas of learning at a level appropriate to their age and ability |
| To support pupils’ emotional and well-being needs |
Activity in this academic year
This details how we plan to spend our PDG this academic year to address the challenges listed above.
Learning and Teaching – Budgeted cost – £32,350
| Activity | Evidence that support this approach |
| All staff to continue to receive professional learning on the effective delivery of Read, Write, Inc. including a focus on effective teaching strategies and assessing / measuring progress. School ‘Reading Leader’ to receive professional learning and coaching from Helen Harris (RWI) to support their ability to effectively lead the delivery of the programme. Opportunities to be provided for staff to observe effective practice in the delivery of high-quality phonics teaching through observing model lessons. Staff to receive ongoing coaching in the effective delivery of the programme from the school’s Reading Leader and coaching from the programme consultant as part of ‘Development Days’. | Evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation highlights that the development of pupils’ phonics has ‘very high impact for very low cost based on extensive evidence’ (an additional 5 months progress over the academic year). Significant evidence exists which highlights that the embedding of a systematic approach to the teaching of synthetic phonics has a considerable impact on pupils’ progress with reading and ability to access the wider curriculum. Evidence from monitoring shows that learners across the school need support to improve phonics to support their reading skills. |
| All staff to receive professional learning focused on developing understanding of different mathematical concepts using verbal, concrete, visual, digital and abstract approaches. Senior leaders to provide opportunities for staff to collaborate (internally and with other schools) sharing examples of learning experiences to support the development of pupils’ conceptual understanding and to consider how progression will be ensured. Senior leaders to provide opportunities for staff to share effective practice through observations. | Evidence from classroom observations and listening to learners monitoring highlights that while concrete, visual and abstract methods are starting to have an impact on learners’ mathematical understanding, most pupils still need to develop how they are using precise mathematical language to explain their work. They also need to develop depth of conceptual understanding and be able to apply this across other areas of learning. |
| To establish and develop the language of numeracy throughout the curriculum. Identify groups of learners who are eligible for FSM .Set up a groups identifying the lower ability pupils in mathematics. Provide intervention groups to support these learners. Implement white rose maths strategies under the direction of the class teacher. Support the learners in developing their mathematical vocabulary to explain the mathematical concepts. Identify current attainment. Monitor progress at regular intervals. | Learning walks Listening to learners Assessment tracker Online numeracy assessments |
| Targeted Interventions Continue to fund Teaching Assistants to provide targeted intervention to targeted pupils to support their progress with basic skills and their wellbeing. | Teaching assistants are necessary to deliver a range of interventions necessary to enable e-FSM pupils to make progress. |
Community Schools Budgeted cost – £8,000
| Activity | Evidence that support this approach |
| To continue to provide Nurture / ELSA to support e-FSM learners. Identify learners across the school who has SEBD using Boxall profile. To establish Stay and Play sessions to support learners in the Early years. | Evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation highlights that the development of pupils’ social and emotional learning has ‘moderate impact for very low cost based on very limited evidence’ (an additional 4 months progress over the academic year). From school monitoring it is evident that Nurture and ELSA sessions have a measured impact on e-FSM learners. Boxall results show progress for the learners in development of social and emotional skills. |
Wider Strategies Budgeted cost – £3,000
| Activity | Evidence that supports this approach |
| Residential visit & educational visits for e-FSM pupils | It is evident that access to out of school learning experiences are important for building resilience and widening experiences for all learners. Enabling e-FSM pupils to attend residentials to ensure they are exposed to team building and outside adventure activities that they would not otherwise have the opportunity to access. This impacts learners by improving confidence, self-esteem and attitudes to learning. |
Part B: Review of outcomes in the previous academic year
PDG Outcomes – Most pupils who are eligible for FSM make effective progress from their starting points.
| Supporting learners to improve literacy skills | Most learners improved their reading age from the same point last year, however, this progress is not impacting on pupils’ writing skills. See RWI assessments See reading assessments |
| Supporting learners to improve mathematical skills | Many learners made progress on national tests, however they are not able to apply their skills across other areas of learning. See results of personalised assessments |
| Supporting learners with Wellbeing / Emotional difficulties | Most learners who attend Nurture and ELSA support programmes make significant progress when assessed using Boxall profile, therefore this needs to continue |
| Supporting learners with ALN | Most e-FSM learners have made progress in relation to their outcomes. Many learners have been supported by integration / reverse integration. |
| Funding for residential visit | Funding used to ensure e-FSM learners were able to access residential visit and trips was invaluable for them, as they were able to experience activities that they would not usually be able to |