Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG)

Notes 2018/2019/2020

The Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) is directly linked to the number of pupils who receive free school meals (FSM) at the school. Any expenditure from the grant is aimed at raising the standards of pupils who are at risk of underachieving because of poverty and deprivation.

The Sutton Trust is a charitable organisation that investigates the effect of additional support aimed at raising the standards of pupils who are at risk of underachieving because of poverty and deprivation. Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe has adopted a range of strategies recognised by the Sutton Trust as strategies that reinforce the school's aims.

The school has used a wide variety of strategies, specifically to support pupils who face the challenge of poverty and deprivation, including:

• Appointing a Literacy (Welsh and English) and Numeracy Assistant to design and distribute programmes and activities for targeted pupils including pupils who receive or are eligible to receive FSM.

• Developing leaders to promote pedagogy and ensure effective staff development within the school. The aim is to ensure that all staff understand the need to overcome the barriers faced by our pupils within society. Specific INSET sessions are held on improving the quality of teaching in these aspects annually.

• Releasing 3 members of staff (pastoral leader, KS3 and 4 class teachers) to plan and monitor an intensive mentoring programme with specific interventions to support pupils, including pupils who receive or are eligible to receive FSM, to raise standards in all key stages.

• All members of staff to prepare a robust mentoring programme to support our pupils' academic progress, including pupils who receive or are eligible to receive FSM, to raise standards in all key stages.

• Releasing KS3 Literacy (Welsh and English) and Numeracy Co-ordinators, who are experienced teachers, to work with specific groups of pupils on intervention strategies for literacy and numeracy.

• We have designated an additional learning class in Mathematics, English and Welsh so that we can develop a number of smaller classes. The classes include a number of pupils who are at risk of underachieving because of poverty and deprivation and we therefore expect them to realize their potential.

• Close collaboration with our primary partner schools on agreed strategies to raise our pupils' literacy and numeracy standards.

• We have identified a group of KS4 pupils who are at risk of being Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) when they leave school at 16. The majority of these pupils are at risk of underachieving because of poverty and deprivation. They receive regular mentoring sessions to support them to cope with the requirements of various courses, as well as encouraging them to raise their motivation levels to succeed academically.

• Providing the 'Improvement Room', which is an additional inclusion area to allow pupils with behavioural and emotional needs to receive additional support to succeed.

• Financial support for FSM pupils to attend extracurricular courses and music lessons to ensure participation in order to raise standards.

• Funding an 'Inclusion Officer' in order to provide a very successful inclusion resource which plays a key part in providing continuity in the education of our more vulnerable pupils.

• We monitor attendance closely, and introduce a wide variety of strategies which include targeting specific pupils who are at risk of underachieving because of poverty and deprivation.

• The school's PDG and EIG plans are regularly appraised by the Local Authority.