There is a National gap between the attainment of students from disadvantaged backgrounds when compared with students who are not regarded as disadvantaged. This gap is also prominent, nationally, for student progress, attendance and behaviour. There is additional funding for students classified as disadvantaged, that is any student who has been in receipt of free school meals at any point in the last 6 years (Ever 6).
At George Salter Academy figures for disadvantaged are in the 60th – 80th percentile of schools nationally. Despite the best efforts of parents and carers this can lead to students missing out on some of the essentials of education such as some aspects of independent study, some trips and educational experiences which can impair student progress. We also know from research that the gap has widened because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We believe passionately in our mission to ‘defy disadvantage’, to be ‘ambitious for every student’ and to develop learners who are able to determine their own lives and change our world for the better.
We are committed to an equality of opportunity in our curriculum offer. All our students access the same breadth and depth of courses, core knowledge and skill development in a well sequenced and coherent curriculum.
Following consultation we have articulated our academy values as Ambition, Belief and Courage and these are the essential focii of our Character development programme known as the Salter Scholar. Through this programme we ensure all students benefit from a character rich offer which includes student leadership, additional qualifications, visits, guest lectures and much more. We are proud that in 2022 over two thirds of our pupil premium students graduated as Salter Scholars. We will aim to ensure there is proportionality for pupil premium students on all trips, in all sports teams, in productions, in extracurricular activities and in our setting.
At George Salter we acknowledge the importance of narrowing the cultural capital gap. First and foremost we recognise that etymology is cultural and we plan strategically to narrow the vocabulary gap, develop a love of reading and promote the power of oracy, at not all student may have the same opportunities as cultural capital in a timely and strategic manner. In all curriculum maps departments have highlighted opportunities to develop cultural capital: including but, by no means limited to, visits, guest lectures, cross curricular links, subject content.
By their very nature pupil premium groups can vary significantly from year to year so a direct comparison between year groups is difficult. In 2022 there were 78 pupil premium students in the Year 11 cohort which represented 38% of the whole year group; of these, four were more able. Attainment is good and improving: in 2022 Basics 5+ improved by 12% to 45% and Basics 4+ by 13% to 64% since the previous inspection. Although invalidated, our 2022 analysis shows that the gap to expected rates of progress is closing and in some instances such as PP girls overall and in the English P8 bucket, is positive.
We are certainly not content with these results and our drive in 2022/23 is to continue to tackle in school variation through an unrelenting focus on the curriculum intent and implementation and embedding inclusion in our wider curriculum. Our stakeholder consultation undertaken in July 2022 and referral to the EEF Toolkit will inform our strategic planning for 2022/23.
We will reflect closely on the progress our students make at each assessment milestone and will put in to place actions to close any gaps that are developing between the performance of pupil premium and non-pupil premium students.
To find more out about how George Salter Academy used the money it received in 2018/19 for pupil premium and since 2020/21 for all students as part of the recovery premium please view the documents at the bottom of the page.
Please click here to view the latest Stakeholder Consultation.
| Criteria | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2021/22 |
| Total number of pupils on roll | 1019 | 1028 | 1022 | 1320 | 1364 |
| Total number of pupils eligible* for PPG | 430 | 415 | 394 | 387 | 503 |
| Amount of PPG received per pupil | £935 | £935 | £935 | £935 | £955 |
| Total amount | £402,050 | £395,625 (incl. 4 looked after children @ (1,090) | £368,390 | £349,690 | £382,955 |