We run catch-up programmes for students in Literacy (English) and Maths. We get to know students as soon as they join us in Year 7 and use a range of diagnostic tests to help us identify who will benefit from this input.

Students allocated a place on the ‘Fresh Start’ Literacy intervention will work in a small group for 4 hours a week. This time is spread across different lessons so that they are still able to access the full breadth of the Academic Curriculum. Students will usually be working on this programme for around half the school year in the first instance. Where it is needed we will continue work with students beyond the end of Year 7.

A further group of Year 7 students are offered support through an online Reading support programme with some time during registration, and time spent on this at home.

Year 7 Catch-up Premium 2019-20

The school received £14,800 to support students in Year 7 who had not achieved the ‘expected standard’ in English and Maths at the end of Year 6.
In the 2019 cohort 56 students were identified in need of catch-up in Literacy. These students were supported on one of two programmes:

26 students were provided with small group intervention using the Ruth Miskin ‘Fresh Start’ programme delivered by our Literacy Intervention Co-ordinator with support from additional Learning Support Assistants. This programme provided 4 hours each week for every student, with the initial 10 weeks being completed just before the March lockdown. These students were provided with additional online reading support and printed materials and tutor support during the lockdown to sustain the progress they had made.

A further 30 students were provided with an online reading development programme which supplemented home study with weekly supported sessions in school. This provision was maintained throughout the first lockdown period.

In addition to the Literacy interventions a cohort of 27 students below expectations in Maths. These students received two intensive support sessions each week within their Maths lessons, working with an LSA to support specific needs as identified by teacher assessment. This cohort continued to receive online support during the first lockdown with LSA contact and online learning.

All these students were supported on the return to school in September and at the first internal tracking point of Year 8 just 4 students remained below expectations in English, and 1 in Maths.

The catch-up funding has provided funds for:

• Staff costs: Literacy Intervention Co-ordinator salary and proportions of LSA salaries
• Learning Resources: Ruth Miskin
• Fresh Start materials
• Online Resources: PowerUp! and TT Rockstars subscriptions

We also run a Maths catch-up programme with a mixture of small group and online work.