What is ‘Catch-up premium’?
Children have experienced unprecedented disruption to their education as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The government announced additional funding to support children and young people to catch up. This includes a one-off universal ‘catch-up premium’ for the 2020 to 2021 academic year to ensure that schools have the support they need to help all pupils make up for lost teaching time.
Schools’ allocations will be calculated on a per pupil basis, providing each mainstream school with a total of £80 for each pupil in years reception through to 11.
How will the funding be used to support my child in school?
Here at St Patrick’s, we aim to ensure your children continue to be provided with a broad and balanced, age appropriate curriculum.
Alongside this, we are working very hard to ensure any gaps in knowledge and learning are identified and addressed. To support this process, assessments were carried out during the first half of the autumn term to provide a clear picture of where exactly each child in school was up to with their learning.
A new record keeping / tracking system is being developed in school for use throughout the academic year. This will support in continuing to identify and track gaps in knowledge as well as your child’s progress towards catching up.
Support staff have been carefully deployed based in individual, small group and whole cohort identified needs. Provision is regularly reviewed and adapted as needs are addressed and additional needs begin to emerge.
We recognise that children may experience additional difficulties in relation to mental health and well being, due to the impact of COVID 19. To support the children at this time, we have planned extra ‘theme days’ in school which will provide opportunity to explore social and emotional issues and wellbeing, giving children strategies to support them as we continue in this strange ‘new normal’.
In addition to this, we are also working hard to provide extra support to those children who need it through drop in support 1:1s, art therapy, lego group and nurture based learning.
As well as supporting learning in school, we are working very hard to develop our remote learning offer, which can be used in the event of local restrictions, or with individual pupils who are isolating.