Our Pupil Premium Promise

Support for Pupil Premium students, Service Children & Young Carers

 At The Blandford School, we believe that all students should have high aspirations and achieve their full potential, regardless of any barriers they may have. Our Pupil Premium Promise aims to help students succeed through government funding and targeted support. Please see below for more information.

If you need to speak to someone about your child regarding Pupil Premium, Service Children or Young Carers, please email Hollie Lorberg at hlorberg@blandfordschool.org.uk or for admin related queries such as uniform or super market vouchers, Lynn Mead at lmeade@blandfordschool.org.uk. 

 Pupil Premium – Frequently Asked Questions 

What is Pupil Premium Funding? 

The aim of Pupil Premium funding is to raise the achievement of students who fall under the Pupil Premium category.

 Which students are considered to be Pupil Premium?

• Students who receive, or have received in the last 6 years, free school meals.
• Students whose family are, or have been in the last 4 years, serving in the armed forces.
• Students in the care of a Local Authority and children who have ceased to be looked after by a local authority in England and Wales because of adoption, a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order.

How much money does the school receive? 

This varies year on year. Please see the Annual Pupil Premium report for full details on how the funding is allocated.

 How is the money spent?  

Full details are included in the Annual Pupil Premium Report but examples of how the money is spent include:

• Additional one-to-one or small group tuition by teachers after school or tutors;
• Provision of extra revision resources, including examination papers;
• Provision of music lessons;
• Support with costs for vocational courses;
• Additional literacy support;
• Help with the cost of attending school trips;
• Targeted careers advice;
• Targeted nurture groups such as for Service Children and Young Carers;
• Help with the cost of school uniform, stationery, and other items of equipment;
• Provision of a homework club;
• Targeted sessions with AFC Bournemouth for personal skills.

How do we know the money is being used effectively? 

Members of the school’s Senior Staff Group monitor the progress of all students within the Pupil Premium group and identify individual interventions which will help improve achievement and narrow the gap between the Pupil Premium students and non-Pupil Premium students. Meetings take place every 2 weeks to review individual progress, attendance and other key factors to ensure that suitable support is identified and offered – including, when appropriate, working more closely with students’ families. The impact on progress is shown in the Pupil premium report.

What do I do if I need help with uniform or equipment? 

Please email Lynn Meade at lmeade@blandfordschool.org.uk who will organise with Ragtags (a uniform provider) which uniform piece you would like to collect. All such requests will be treated with the strictest confidence.

 How can I claim free school meals for my child? 

If you think you may be eligible to claim Free School Meals, please contact Dorset County Council

Tel: 01305 221090

Email: freeschoolmeals@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

My child isn’t entitled to Free School Meals – is there any other way you could offer support? 

We have some limited funds available to offer support to those families not in receipt of free school meals, but who may require assistance from time to time. Please contact your child’s Head of Year in confidence if you think we can help.

My child is a Young Carer, what support is available? 

If your child is a Young Carer, please email Mrs Hollie Lorberg

(hlorberg@blandfordschool.org.uk) to let us know, so that we can provide support if needed at school. We work closely with the MyTime Young Carer’s charity who have excellent resources at www.mytimeyoungcarers.org. We also regularly run a support group every other week, open to all young carers.

We have transferred to the area and my child is a Service Child, what support is available? 

On the first day your child will have an induction with a member of staff at the school and will be buddied up with another student to show them where to go during the school day. We aim to complete a check in after they have some time to settle and contact you with any concerns. We will also be starting a Service Children group once a half term to check in with students and so they can have some social time getting to know each other. If you would like any support or have any queries related to Service Children, please email Mrs Hollie Lorberg (hlorberg@blandfordschool.org.uk).