Pupil Premium

Ridgeway Academy and Ambition Education Trust is committed to ensuring all students have equity in their educational experience.  As a school we recognise that inequalities in society are sometimes embedded historically and must be addressed.  Poverty, disadvantage and other forms of inequality are all examples of what needs to addressed.  Accessing education is an essential part of this.

a commitment to protecting children from poverty is…more than a slogan or a routine inclusion in a political manifesto; it is the hallmark of a civilised society

– UNICEF (2012)

Pupil Premium Government Grant.

We receive a grant from the government every year which we use in order to meet these key objectives

• Raise progress, narrow and close the gap between the achievement of these students and their peers (measured in gap between PP and non-PP, particularly in English and maths)
• Increase social mobility, add cultural capital and address any underlying inequalities between children eligible to pupil premium and others, improving engagement with education. So that we can make a significant impact on students’ education and lives.

Students are eligible to receive the Pupil Premium grant fall into four groups:

• Students entitled to receive free school meals (FSM)
• Students that have been entitled to FSM during the last six years (Ever 6)
• Children in care or looked after (CLA) or who have ceased to be looked after by a local authority in England or Wales because of adoption, a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order.
• Service children.

Key Staff:

Mrs Emma Kemp – kempe@ridgeway.aetrust.uk

Mrs Lez Rossington – Rossingtonl@ridgeway.aetrust.uk

How do I apply for Pupil Premium?

The Pupil Premium is a grant of money available to schools if students meet one of the criteria listed above.  The grant is then paid directly to the school to use to improve academic attainment of students.

To apply for free school meals, you must go to the following Hertfordshire County Council website click here

If you have been successful in the application, Hertfordshire County Council will contact the school.  It is also useful if you contact the school to make them aware of the application as we sometimes do not receive notifications in a timely manner.

What support is on offer from school?

Based on current research we currently have an individual support package which varies from student to student.  We do not follow a blanket approach as each student needs support in different ways.

Support can vary from providing equipment or school supplies, books and lesson resources, funding or partly funding educational trips or supporting with uniform.

For more information or an informal discussion about supporting your child, please contact Mrs Kemp or Mrs Rossington.

Is there financial support for uniform purchase?

We currently offer a £50 voucher per child, per academic year, that can be used at Smarty’s uniform shop to purchase branded uniform only.  This can not be used to purchase shirts, unbranded trousers etc.

If you are unsure if you have used or received your voucher please contact Mrs Rossington.

What support is there for trips and visits?

Opportunities for students to develop and extend their wider knowledge areas have for external opportunities been show to improve student outcomes.  As such we try to fully fund trips which foster the values of the school.

At Key Stage 4, where the trip is compulsory for the course we will fully fund this.  The only trip that is specified as being compulsory is the GCSE Geography NEA fieldwork.

Overall, extensive research has shown that trips and visits have a high cost with less impact on raising achievement.  We are committed however, to partially funding additional extra-curricular trips, this is limited to one trip a year.

Is there any financial support for purchasing a device in year 7?

Parents of children eligible for Pupil Premium funding should contact Mrs Kemp or Mrs Rossington should they require support to access the scheme and we will advice you of the available options.

Please see the blended learning page for more information.

Pupil Premium Financial Support Request

Please click here to access our Pupil Premium Financial Support Request form.

Review Documentation

Please see the PDF attachments for a detailed breakdown of how PP funding is allocated across a range of initiatives at Ridgeway Academy.

Ridgeway Academy Pupil Premium Strategy Statement 2024-25

We are particularly proud of our individually tailored provision to identify and meet the barriers to progress of each of our Pupil Premium students.