Y7 Catch Up Funding

Year 7 Literacy and Numeracy Catch-Up Premium Funding

Funding Allocation

DfE Literacy and Numeracy Catch-Up Premium funding provides schools with additional funding for Year 7 students who do not achieve expected national standard in Reading and/or Maths in the National Curriculum Tests at the end of Key Stage 2. The ‘ring-fenced’ funds (£16,824 for St Gregory’s 2018-19) are provided to all state-funded schools with a Year 7 cohort and are to be spent on provision which enables the students to ‘catch-up’ with their peers during the first year of Key Stage 3.

How the allocation was spent

Literacy

In 2018-19, those pupils who arrived at St. Gregory’s  Catholic High School with a KS2 score of less than 100 in Literacy participated in the Catch Up programme. Pupils attended Paired Reading mornings before school, supported by the English Department and trained Year 9 and 10 coaches. The school also introduced the Accelerated Reader programme in February 2018, with 40 pupils embarking upon the nationally recognized programme. All Catch Up pupils also participated with Read Write Inc and the Reading Passport programmes. A specialist literacy team supported pupils to accelerate their progress.

Numeracy

In 2018-19, pupils identified as achieving a score of 100 or below followed a ‘Catch-Up’ programme specifically designed to address their individual learning needs and hence accelerate their Maths progress. Pupils who have numeracy difficulties attended Paired Maths, where each year 7 pupil was supported ‘one to one’ by a trained year 10 coach. All Catch Up pupils were also registered for SUMDOG and accessed support to use it in a pre school club, lesson time and at home. This ensured that pupils received bespoke intervention to accelerate progress.

Assessment

Literacy

Progress was monitored through reading ages, CATs tests, classroom assessment and testing. This was provided by the Literacy Coordinator, English Department, LRC staff and Learning Support. Pupils were assessed to monitor progress, analyse the impact of the interventions, determine if additional support was required.

Numeracy

Progress was monitored via continuous assessment throughout the year by the Maths Department. The Numeracy lead used assessment data to tailor a bespoke programme to ensure the pupils were benefitting from the focused interventions. Pupils were then summative assessed to analyse progress and to determine where further support is needed.

All catch up pupils completed a numeracy and literacy SATS paper at eh end of the programme to evaluate their progress and agree strategies to enhance progress in Year 8.

How the allocation made a difference to the attainment of pupils

Impact of the Catch Up programmes

Literacy

In Literacy, 2018, 81% of the catch up group made substantial accelerated progress, with 71% achieving the national standard for a secondary ready student. In 2019 66% met the national standard for a secondary ready student and all pupils made accelerated progress.  Of the remaining pupils, 87% made expected progress, 27% make good progress and 7% made outstanding progress respectively.

Numeracy

 In numeracy, 2018, 86% of the catch up group made substantial accelerated progress and achieved the expected national standard in Maths. In 2019, 71% achieved the national standard for a secondary ready student and all pupils made accelerated progress

How the allocation will be spent in 2019-20

Literacy

To continue to build upon the progress of the Literacy Catch Up programme has been adapted to allow for the roll out of the Accelerated Reader programme across the school. Those students who have moved into Year 8 and require additional support will remain on Accelerated Reader or attend weekly Reading Sessions with the Literacy Coordinator. Pupils still not at the national standard will attend a weekly one-to-one session for literacy support with a Y10 reading advocate.  All of the Year 7 Catch Up students will participate in the Accelerated Reader programme or a flexible, personalised Read Write Inc. programme. This will take place during timetabled English lessons. Some students will also attend weekly Reading Sessions or be part of the new Reading Advocates scheme with the Literacy Coordinator. The Reading Sessions and Reading Advocates programmes have been designed to assist with building a ‘Reading for Pleasure’ culture across the school.

Progress is monitored by teaching staff, LRC staff and by the Literacy Coordinator. In the summer of 2019, all the Year 7 Catch Up pupils and the Year 8 pupils sat the 2019 Summer KS2 SATs papers to monitor progress collectively.  A year 8 literacy support programme is in place to continue to support and progress pupils who need further support to accelerate progress in literacy

All Catch Up pupils are supported by our trained Year 9/10 advocates and young leaders who support staff and pupils. All Catch Up pupils are also aware of the necessity to spend at least 20-30 minutes a day at home reading a suitable publication of their choice.

Numeracy

To build upon the success of the Numeracy Catch-Up programme as described above, the funding is used to provide the same year-long programme of 1-1 of interventions, provided for students who achieved 100 or below in the 2018 KS2 SATs. As part of the intervention the teams will be using “SUMDOG” an interactive package which supports acceleration in numeracy.  All pupils are able to access “SUMDOG” at home and are invited to use this software during pre-school Numeracy Club. All pupils are also invited to attend “Paired Maths” where the year 7 pupil will be given one to one support by a trained year 10 pupil under the direct supervision of a Maths teacher.

Teaching staff will measure progress at the internal assessment points throughout the school calendar.  At the end of year 7, pupils will be summative assessed, using the KS2 SATs papers, to measure progress made and sign post further interventions necessary to continue to make progress.

For pupils who are still working towards the expected national standard in Maths or English, further support programmes are delivered in Y8. All pupils have been invited to attend Paired Maths one morning each week. During Paired Maths, the year 8 pupil receives one to one help of trained year 10 pupils under the direct supervision of a Maths Teacher.  They have also been registered for ‘SUMDOG’ and this programme is used during lesson time, and in the pre-school Numeracy Club. All pupils can also access this programme at home to further enhance engagement and progress in Maths.

All pupils will also have access to the Maths Rockstar app. A programme of sequenced times tables practice that may be used on-line or in the classroom in worksheet form. It improves speed and efficiency with mental calculations in an engaging and competitive format. It also offers a platform for parental support with basic numeracy skills and allows the teacher to monitor progress.