Schools across the country which have helped improve the life chances of disadvantaged children were celebrated on 12 May 2016 at the 2016 Pupil Premium Awards.
The winning schools were announced in London by Education and Childcare Minister Sam Gyimah, who praises winners and urged other schools to follow in their footsteps.
From the 21 finalists across 4 categories, 2 schools from London, 2 from the North East and 1 from the South West were named as national winners. They were presented with awards by respected education expert Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the OECD, who chaired the judging panel.
All finalists have consistently shown high levels of attainment or significant rates of improvement among their disadvantaged pupils over time, and demonstrated innovative and effective use of the pupil premium.
One of the successful schools, Greenfylde C of E First School in the South West, winner of the infant, first and key stage 3 schools category, ensures disadvantaged pupils have the broadest range of opportunities, including educational visits and experience of the arts. Alongside this, access to after school clubs and breakfast clubs has improved attendance and confidence.
Northern Saints Church of England Primary School, Sunderland, joint winner of the key stage 2 category, demonstrated innovation by forming partnerships with local museums. The school used heritage materials and resources to develop disadvantaged pupils’ problem-solving skills on visits to the Victorian school and Edwardian bakery.
The pupil premium is worth £2.5 billion this year and has enabled schools to provide vital support to some of the most vulnerable children in their care. Figures show the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has narrowed since 2011, the year the pupil premium was introduced.
Education and Childcare Minister Sam Gyimah said: The winners of the 2016 Pupil Premium Awards have shown just what this funding can achieve for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, whether it is raising their confidence or developing key skills.
The winning schools deserve to be singled out for particular praise, but all of the finalists have shown innovative and effective uses of the funding. I hope more schools will take inspiration from what they have achieved today and follow in their footsteps.
This year’s judging panel was made up of outstanding headteachers, including former award winners.
For the first time, the awards have been sponsored by a wide range of organisations from the arts, culture, science and technology sectors, which will provide award-winning schools with exciting and culturally enriching opportunities for pupils and teachers. The ceremony was run in partnership with TES.
All of the finalists have shown an impressive level of innovation – some schools have chosen very personalised interventions, others a more whole-school approach – but all have set high expectations for their pupils and teachers.
