2023/24 Grant Expenditure
All grant expenditure is designed to support specific areas of the school’s work, against local, regional and national priorities.
How our grants are spent
At Lewis School Pengam, our plan for using grant allocations from the Welsh Government is integrated into our school improvement plan (SIP). Our four overarching priorities (2024 – 2027) linked to
- Securing pupil progress;
- Pupil wellbeing and support;
- Developing teaching and leadership
- Progressing the reform agenda
The total number of pupils on school roll for September 2023 is 606.
The school’s FSM population is 23%.
The school’s PDG and EIG plans are supported by advice from the EAS, regularly scrutinised by the Governing Body and monitored by the local authority.
Education Improvement Grant
The Welsh Government has awarded schools in Wales additional financial support, through an Education Improvement Grant (EIG) to help improve educational outcomes for learners. The grant has enabled us to continue supporting various national priorities, including improving numeracy and literacy skills, reducing the impact of deprivation, addressing barriers to learning and ensuring high-quality teaching and learning.
Pupil Development Grant
The Pupil Development Grant (PDG) is designed to support improving outcomes and provision for students eligible for free school meals (eFSM) and children looked after (CLA). The PDG is intended to help overcome this additional barrier which prevents learners from disadvantaged backgrounds achieving their full potential. Our total allocation is £158,700.
Our PDG is spent in the following ways for 2023-24:
- 4 senior members of staff tasked with ensuring the effectiveness of teaching and additional literacy and numeracy provision and intervention for e-FSM pupils and vulnerable pupils
- 2 members of staff to provide additional interventions for e-FSM and vulnerable pupils
- 1 member of staff to provide engage with families, provide additional wellbeing support and to ensure high pupil attendance
- 1 member of staff with responsibility for improving attendance, engagement, behaviour and motivation
- 1 member of staff to ensure that high quality teaching and learning in communication lessons delivers good outcomes for learners in literacy skills
- Associated release times for teaching and support staff in order to develop and ensure strategic common approach for reducing the impact of disadvantage on attainment
The strategies implemented by the school are drawn upon the most effective practice and educational research from organisations such as Sutton Trust and Education Endowment Fund, which includes well-evidenced interventions as part of a whole-school strategy.
Recruit, Recover, Raise Standards Grant
The Recruit, Recover, Raise Standards Grant (RRRS) is designed to support improving outcomes and provision for students in examination year groups, who have been particularly affected by the time missed in school owing to the Coronavirus. The grant is intended to support rapid ‘catch up’ for these students.
Our RRRS is spent in the following way for 2023-24
- Appointing additional teaching staff to focus on improving standards in literacy and numeracy, as well as attendance and wellbeing;
- Allocate academic tutors to identified students in Year 11, 12 and 13 to support learning and wellbeing;
- Invest in an online platform to support progression routes (pre and post-16);