Covid Catch-Up Premium Summary
Academic Year 2021-22
Introduction:
This document outlines how Louth Academy has used Covid Catch-up Premium funding to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on students and staff at the Academy. The Academy believes in an evidence-based approach to mitigating the impacts felt by staff and students through the pandemic. The Education Endowment Fund has published a document entitled “The EEF Guide to supporting School Planning: A Tiered approach to 2021. “to provide guidance on how Academies can respond to the current situation.
The document proposes a tiered model that focuses upon high quality teaching, targeted academic support and wider strategies to aid school leaders’ existing school improvement planning efforts. As a result, the strategies proposed in this document will focus on these three tiers.
The actions outlined within this document are intended to highlight how Covid Catch-up Premium funding has been utilised and is not an exhaustive list of all the actions currently in place to prioritise students and their pandemic recovery at the Academy.
EEF Strategy 1 - Teaching and whole school strategies (supporting great teaching; assessment and feedback)
- A wide range of additional staff training has been provided with a focus on effective assessment and curriculum design so that teachers more effectively identify gaps in knowledge, and are able to amend subject curricula to take account of, and respond to lost learning.
- Ongoing CPD on the use of Microsoft Teams for both ‘live’ and ‘Blended’ lessons to ensure high quality continuity of education for individuals who are isolating, or during periods or national lockdown.
- Increased provision for external CPD to aid staff in developing their classroom practice to provide a high-quality educational experience for all students.
- Revision sessions held over Microsoft Teams to further increase the range of additional opportunities available to students to develop their knowledge and understanding of key concepts.
EEF Strategy 2 - Targeted approaches (small group tuition; intervention programmes; extended school time)
- A large number of targeted students in years 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be invited to access to the School Led Tutoring Programme. This strategy means students are entitled to receive additional tuition in English and/or Maths in small groups of 3 students per tutor. Students complete 50 minutes of tuition per week over a 12-week period.
- English, Maths and Science intervention with subject specialists using Academy Intervention Tutors in years, 9, 10 and 11.
- Increased teaching provision in none-core subject areas to ensure students have access to high class delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum.
- Appointments of additional support staff to provide greater capacity for ‘in class’ support for students.
- Catch up and revision sessions run after school, during lunch times and through holiday periods. These sessions are taught by subject specialists and focus on key knowledge, concepts and skills. There is a particular focus on delivering the Recovery Curriculum.
- Reading Plus software has been used with targeted cohorts of students to improve reading speed, fluency and comprehension.
EEF Strategy 3 - Wider strategies (access to technology; supporting parents and carers)
- Over 30 Webcams have been purchased to support remote education when isolating, or during periods of national lockdown.
- Provide reconditioned PCs for all students without home access.
- Addition Counselling in place to provide individual support for mental health and wellbeing is needed to support increased need.
- Revision guides have been purchased for English, Maths and Science.
- Aspirational Education motivational session with Maximize your Potential was delivered to raise aspirations amongst students. In addition, a webinar was held with parents and carers to enhance the role they play in their child's education.
- Targeted Pupil Premium students in year 6 have been given new books to engage them with reading before arriving at the Academy in year 7.
