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ST ILLTYD’S PRIMARY SCHOOL


Pupil Development Grant Strategy Statement 

2023-2024


This statement details our school’s use of the PDG for the 2023 to 2024 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

Detail

Data

School name

St.Illtyd’s Primary School

Number of learners in school

184

Proportion (%) of PDG eligible learners

28%

Date this statement was published

01.03.2024

Date on which it will be reviewed

September 2024

Statement authorised by

Adele Matthews (Acting Head Teacher)

PDG Lead

Head Teacher

Governor Lead

Mr J Rawcliffe 


Funding Overview

Detail

Amount

PDG funding allocation this academic year

£67,850

EYPDG

£5,750

Total budget for this academic year

£73,600

Total planned spend for this academic year

£73,600


Part A: Strategy Plan Statement of intent

  • FSM and other vulnerable learners feel safe, happy and secure with high levels of wellbeing. They receive appropriate academic and/ or wellbeing intervention and support in order to achieve their full potential.

  • Improved outcomes and increased attainment for targeted learners

  • Teaching and learning is suitably adapted and appropriately differentiated to meet the needs of learners.

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. 


Total budgeted cost £67,850


PDG


Intended Outcome

Success Criteria

Funding Source

Planned spend

TA to support wellbeing and deliver interventions with a focus on LLC.

Improved wellbeing via good teaching of self-regulation.  Improved Language, Literacy and Oracy skills

PDG Grant funded post

£31,845

TA post to support wellbeing and deliver social and emotional interventions

Learners will emotionally develop.  Wellbeing of learners will be improved and learners' ability to self-regulate will be developed

PDG Grant funded post

£22,487

To improve reading fluency and comprehension skills via Reading Eggs online platform

High quality learning and teaching showing improvement in reading fluency and comprehension skills

PDG

£1,162

Staff to attend Pie Corbett training to improve LLC standards in Lower School

Improved language and literacy planning and teaching in Lower School.  Improved learner standards, evident in books

PDG

£464

To use Jigsaw platform to plan for wellbeing and self-regulation

A whole school approach for embedding good wellbeing through teaching and all aspects of school life.  Improvement in self-regulation

PDG

£1,506

Staff to uphold their Thrive accreditations to improve emotional development

Universal provision for wellbeing will be evidenced and supported by the adoption of the Thrive approach.  Learners will thrive, learn and emotionally develop

PDG

£1,810

To use Play Sports to develop learners' emotional and collaboration skills

Learners will thrive, learn and emotionally develop.  Learners will begin to self-regulate and work cooperatively and contribute individually.  Learners will be supported and encouraged to develop personally

PDG

£3,599

To raise standards in Reading through the RWI programme

High quality teaching and learning through a structured reading programme.  Reading progress monitored half termly and reading interventions deployed.  Family engagement through regular 'read at home' activities

PDG

£1,620

To encourage parental engagement through the SeeSaw online platform

Families engaged in children's learning and involved in school life.  Portfolios of learners work which encompasses the four purposes shared with families

PDG

£1,012

To improve reasoning and problem solving through White Rose Mathematics subscription

High quality teaching and learning of Mathematics.  Learners are able to reason and problem solve with lessening support.  Classroom assistants deployed effectively

PDG

£345

To provide engagement and enrichment opportunities for learners, by supporting payment of bus transport

Learners will receive engagement and enrichment opportunities to enhance the curriculum offer

PDG

£2000


EYPDG


Total budgeted cost £5,750

Total budgeted spend £5,848

Intended Outcome

Success Criteria

Funding Source

Planned spend

Reception class supported to deliver high quality teaching and learning

Improvement in Early Years oracy skills development.  Capacity in core literacy and numeracy skills achieved through high quality teaching and learning

EY PDG  Grant funded post

£5,010

To provide Early Years POPAT training to improve Oracy skills

Improvement in Early Years oracy skills development

EYPDG

£135

Provide balance bikes to improve physical development in the Early Years

High quality teaching and learning in physical development

EYPDG

£541

To deliver authentic mathematics teaching and raise standards in early years through Hamilton Trust subscription

Learning and teaching are of a high standard, to include integral and cross curricular skills.  Learners able to engage in 'real-life' maths and transfer skills to the home environment

EYPDG

£162 (Exceeds budget by £98)


Activity in this academic year 

This details how we intend to spend our PDG this academic year to address the challenges listed above.

As a school we have agreed to:

 • Identify groups of learners and track their progress in reading, writing and numeracy. 

 • Use the school’s assessment system to identify barriers to learning, plan for next steps and monitor the impact of intervention.

• Plan and deliver effective interventions to meet the needs of vulnerable learners and their families across all phases. 

• Ensure that learners and families are supported to ensure they have the information and resources to succeed.


Part B: Review of outcomes in the previous academic year 2022-2023


PDG outcomes

This details the impact that our PDG activity had on pupils in the 2022 to 2023 academic year. 

Activity

Impact

Improving the Learning Environments with a particular focus on KS2 initially.

Classrooms are beginning to adopt a natural, calm environment.

Contribution for trips for classes to cater for engagement opportunities.

Supported learning beyond the school boundaries including sporting events, panto visits and immersion activities.

Class allocation of £250x8 to spend on immersion day activities to enhance and support engagement in learning focused on key areas of wellbeing in the autumn term. Wellbeing web criteria focus.

Enhanced curriculum offer, increased pupil engagement and developed ideas for extended writing.

Thrive re-accreditations across the school and training annually 

Enhanced provision for wellbeing intervention.  Supported the graduated approach.

Family thrive training

SB completed training.

Workshops delivered to the first cohort of families - postponed due to illness.

Grant Allocated post for increase in VB hours to support Reception and Early Language Acquisition. 

Enhanced opportunities to enhance early acquisition of language through modelling, intervention and 

Release time for Jigsaw Wellbeing PLC X3 Days Staff Cover (HJ) (SD) (DD) (MW)  (GP)

Jigsaw embedded as a well-being curriculum.  Consistent approach across the school.

Helen Bowen - Consultancy to support promotion of O/W/R/ across the school. 

Systematic approach to the teaching of writing and genre mapping.  Improved consistency across the school and opportunity to map progression of skills.

Children will engage with Commando Joe's initiative across the school with the aims to promote better physical health and physical literacy. 

Physical Literacy a Wellbeing Web/Pupil Voice and Blaenau Gwent priority. Expectation to see children better able to engage in PL and health related exercise improving general health and attitudes to health.

Play Sports Engagement weekly and lunch time for physical literacy

Improved gross motor skills, competence, motivation and engagement to promote physical fitness and wellbeing. Collaborative working and team building. 

Jen Summers Outdoor Learning and Block Play

Improved teaching, learning and pedagogy for wellbeing.

Jen Summers Assessment and Observation early years training

Focus to improve teaching, learning and pedagogy for wellbeing, literacy and numeracy for these identified vulnerable cohorts. Teachers new to year groups so benefit from bespoke PL opportunities to enhance for vulnerable learners.

Resources to support EY development of language and gross motor skills  i.e. Write Dance/Pie Corbett Talk for Writing. Promotion of Physical Literacy skills to promote wider skills development. 

Focus on Talk for Writing across Foundation Phase.  A systematic approach to the teaching of oracy and writing.

STEM WVEP - time release for coordinator to support PL in other schools and events at school to promote skills and knowledge for lifelong learning.

Key skills developed and enhanced through engagement of learners.  Staff upskilled in the delivery of STEM.

Edukey ALN Platform

Enhanced communication and support for our ALN learners in view of equity and inclusion. Improve recording and reporting with communication and evidence for multi services use.

Mathletics Platform

Blended learning  provision to support and maintain basic mathematical skills and engagement in learning.  Increased independence and consolidation of skills.

Sign Language Training for TAs from CSG Meetings

Support available to learners identified as having hearing impairment.  Positive reinforcement of Curriculum for Wales Expectations.

Wellbeing Lead Hannah Jones to attend Wellbeing EAS Cluster Events. Non contact time for WSA pilot and time to meet with AoLE Team. 

Whole school strategic direction for Health and Well-Being.  Impact closely monitored using robust systems. 


Further Information 

At St.Illtyd’s Primary, we strive to build relationships and break down barriers in order to support and collaborate with family networks. We are keen to work with Mental Health In-Reach Practitioners and external agencies. Senior leaders focus on inclusion, equity and wellbeing. They keep abreast of developments in these areas and how to tackle aspects of poverty by: 


  • Develop partnerships with advice agencies such as Citizens Advice Cymru who can provide free, confidential advice to help families claim their entitlements and help them resolve legal and financial problems 

  • Provide information for children and families about school uniform grants.

  • Supporting families with pre-loved uniforms available to all and reducing the stigma around second hand clothing.

  • Avoiding changes to the uniform, reducing the need for unnecessary items such as blazers, caps etc and not expecting learners to wear items with a school badge. 

  • Providing all learners with a book bag and any resources needed to support their learning

  • Working in partnership with the Institute next door known as ‘Clwb LLan’ to the children to offer workshops for families, food packages and advice.

  • Reviewing the school year with affordability in mind. 

  • Spacing out events and activities and monitoring the number of charity days / PTA events held. 

  • Reviewing what resources are needed from home to complete homework/ projects and take part in events and activities. 

  • Recycling lost property/ items of uniform that are no longer needed. 

  • Not discussing any costs or debts with learners or sending debt letters home with learners. 

  • Free school lunches for all learners (Infants 2022-23 & all learners 2023-24). 

  • Promoting the PDG access grant and eligibility for free school meals regularly in school communications.


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