Thread by @Martell_Tom

The Pupil Premium - a thread.

Here are some insights based on our experiences at @ShottonResearch using the @EducEndowFoundn's ideas to help 100s of schools develop their strategies.

First, what is it?

The PP is money given to schools for each eligible pupil. Primaries get about £1,400, while secondaries get about £1,000.

More money is given for children in care.

How can the money be spent?

School leaders have a lot of discretion AND accountability.

Plans should be published by the end of December, but I'm yet to meet a school aware of the new 'menu' approach.

gov.uk/government/pub…

Here's the menu that schools are expected to choose from, which is structured around the EEF's tiered model.

gov.uk/government/pub…

Before looking at the menu details, I want to address the myths, misconceptions and half truths that have built up over time.

Some myths are about the pupils; others are about the policy.

- Pupils are diverse with varying capabilities and needs
- Don't learn in fundamentally different ways to their peers
- Many are high attaining
- Many have high aspirations

Be professionally curious about pupils and avoid assumptions.

@Shabnamagram
tes.com/magazine/teach…

The PP does a decent job - on average - of identifying the intended pupils, but the it can be ineffective for individuals so schools can use their discretion

@DECE_DU has also found that the longer a pupil is eligible for FSM the poorer their outcomes.

tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…

In the early days of the policy, there was an emphasis on accounting for every penny and doing lots of additional things.

The 2015 @TheNFER evaluation found that there were interesting differences in how schools spent the money.

nfer.ac.uk/supporting-the…

Building on the NFER evaluation and the wider evidence, the EEF introduced their tiered model and argue that:

"Trying to implement a small number of priorities well is much more promising than a ​‘laundry list’ approach."

educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/eef-blog-…

For me, there are two key insights from the EEF's tiered model.

1. Get the balance right balance BETWEEN the different tiers. Very roughly, a 2:1:1 ratio seems about right.

2. Within each tier, focus on QUALITY and avoid the laundry list.

The requirement to publish a statement online by the end of December can separate PP strategy from whole school strategy.

In the most effective schools, the school strategy and the PP strategy are one and the same. This is reflected in who is responsible for the plan.

Side note, this separation comes from the fact that the money is not built into the main funding formula. As @Samfr explains, this is deliberate to try to distribute disadvantaged pupils more evenly between schools and avoid 'cream-skimming'.

tes.com/magazine/analy…

Before, getting into my own take, this post from @marcrowland73 is a great primer on thinking about your strategy. Marc has lots experience of helping schools to think about their plans and there's lots of accumulated wisdom here.

researchschool.org.uk/unity/news/add…

The EEF's tiered approach focuses on:

1. High-quality teaching

2. Targeted academic support

3. Wider strategies

But schools' priorities are often very different to this.

Earlier this year, the @suttontrust and @TheNFER asked school leaders about their MAIN PRIORITY.

Grouping the leaders' responses by the EEF's model, the interest in targeted interventions is clear so let's start here...

First, the golden rule of interventions is that they need to be much better than whatever pupils are missing. This is obvious but routinely overlooked.

Seriously, if pupils are leaving lessons, there should be no doubt that they are doing something much more useful.

Second, get the right pupils on the right intervention at the right time.

We know some pupils struggle because they can't see well. I spent yesterday testing Y7 and lots of the struggling readers needed glasses.

Understand your pupils - and find the ones who need glasses!

Similarly, when it comes to struggling readers - what exactly are they struggling with?

Pro tip: find out and don't assume.

Third, we often obsess about which programme to use: some are better than others on average, but it is often better to reinvigorate an existing one than look for the next big thing.

I love programmes and I'm always happy to discuss their evidence and use as objectively as I can.

What about the quality of teaching?

For me, a good starting point is to have a good way of thinking about teaching. I really like the @EvidenceInEdu model

Second, we need to create the conditions in which teachers can develop. @DrSamSims & @HFletcherWood have done some exceptional work on professional development and the need for a 'balanced design'.

This graphic is a helpful way to think of how PD fails.

educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evid…

In a nutshell, focus on a few key things and give lots of purposeful support.

But great teaching is conditional: it making hundreds of 'if this, then that' decisions - it's not just a list of things to do.

So it's risky to 'expect X in every lesson'.

researchschool.org.uk/shottonhall/ne…

What about the wider strategies?

I prefer to split this category in two. We need to get pupils ready to learn, like ensuring they are fed, can see the board, have the right equipment etc. Ultimately, we should also help pupils become responsible for their own readiness.

We can also enrich pupils' school experiences through trips, clubs, experiences, having lots of great books etc. This has inherent value and also gives pupils crucial background knowledge to get the most from lessons.

A nicer primer via @stelljo1 and @Tes tes.com/magazine/archi…

The wider strategies is probably the area we know the least about and there are lots of tempting distractions (this is more positive than saying too much to do and too little time).

We can't do everything, so ruthlessly priortise then monitor, evaluate and re-prioritise.

This is all great, but as PP expert Mike Tyson says - it's not enough to have a plan: you need to execute it brilliantly and adapt to changing circumstances.

The EEF's work on implementation is not sexy, but it is profoundly useful - read it.

educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evid…

Finally, the DfE template is a clear reporting tool, but it is not a great tool for thinking.

Avoid beginning by writing your plan in the document as it will end up as waffle.

There are some examples too, but I wouldn't prioritise reading them.

gov.uk/government/pub…

A good starting point for thinking is to make a list of everything you do in each tier across the whole school - don't wall off PP strategy from whole school strategy. You need an integrated plan. It helps to see it on one page.

Then talk about your ideas with colleagues.

Here's my final challenge: use evidence to inform your thinking, not to justify what you were always going to do.

I've read 1,000s of plans. I think less than 10% use evidence to meaningfully inform them.

Think hard and discuss your ideas - good luck!

educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/guidance-for-t…

Back to the start - like and share for a bigger sample.