Year 7 Literacy and Numeracy
Catch Up Premium 2020/2021
Introduction
The Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium is a sum of money allocated to Yr 7 students who have not reached the expected standard in reading or maths at the end of KS2.
Uplands is a Secondary Special School which delivers education to students with Severe or Profound and multiple Learning difficulties and or a diagnosis of Autism.
All students upon entry are working below age related expectations. Consequently Uplands have received literacy and numeracy catch-up premium for all Yr 7 students in the academic year 2019/2020
How the catch-up premium was spent (£8000)
All students upon entry to Uplands have very complex learning profiles, often with associated anxiety related behaviours, particularly for students who have a diagnosis of ASC. This results in students not being ready to learn when they arrive at the start of September.
We consider that the best way to ensure year 7 students make outstanding progress is to use the literacy numeracy catch-up premium to support a smooth transition into the school. Uplands have a dedicated team which supports transitions, including those students transitioning into year 7. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic planned transition support was adapted but included who;
- -Some visits to Yr 6 students in their current learning environment to;
- to Understand the individualised needs of students
- Understanding their communication needs
- Understanding their sensory needs
- Be able to suggest a suitable House which the student will enter at Uplands
- Work with the feeder schools to identify specific barriers to learning
- Work with the Uplands leadership team to suggest suitable class groups
- Attend Annual reviews of yr 6 students (where necessary)
- Produce 1 page profiles to best inform teachers of students’ individual needs
- Creation of a transitions video to support Yr 6 students
- Arrangement of virtual video meetings with Yr 6 families
- The creation of welcome packs which were delived to all Yr 6 students during a period of school closure
- A dedicated Transitions team
In addition to the above the funding we received from the Catch-up fund contributed towards;
- Supporting the maintenance of a reading scheme which;
- Enabled us to provide staff training on the use of the reading scheme and Benchmarking
- Paying a TA 1hr per week to maintain the library and to train staff in Reading Benchmarking
How last year’s allocation made a difference?
- Yr 6 students have had a positive transition into year 7 despite the limitations Covid 19 presented
- As a result of the transition team’s work, all students, now currently in Yr 8 were placed in the correct classes and no ‘in year’ movement occurred as a result of not being in the correct learning environment
