Year 7 Catch-up Funding – Literacy and Numeracy

The Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium gives state-funded schools, including special schools, such as Bedelsford School, additional funding to support year 7 pupils who did not achieve the expected standard in reading or maths at the end of key stage 2 (KS2). The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) pays catch-up funding directly to academies on 1st March of every year.

Year 7 Catch-up Funding 2019-20

Please note the Year 7 catch-up fund ceased in July 2020. 

Intended Outcomes:

Bedelsford School received £5415 in March 2020 from ESFA. This money was used to fund the training of a Makaton trainer. The Makaton trainer trained all teachers to Level 1 Makaton. The Makaton trainer also introduced Makaton workshops for parents and carers, where they had the opportunity to practise and develop their ability to use Makaton with their children. The funding also supported the training of teachers to use PODD and Hi-Tech resources in the secondary department of the school.

A range of resources and highly differentiated equipment were purchased to support children’s functional use of HI Tech AAC. The effectiveness of these resources was evidenced in their developed communication skills and built on through their speech and language therapy programmes. Personalised sensory resources were also purchased for the sensory learners, and these highly differentiated resources supported the children on the sensory pathway to transition successfully from one activity to the next throughout the day.

The school also plans to further develop communication by installing communication switch devices on the doors of all classrooms. The money has also been allocated to fund the ‘Singing Hands Christmas Show 2020’, as well as further support the children’s wellbeing by extending the use of Happiness Bags to semi-formal learners. The Happiness Bags will include OT based sensory resources that support the children to self-regulate in unfamiliar settings, including times when they have to attend medical appointments. The children’s emotional wellbeing will be further supported by having them attend daily virtual music sessions, where they have the opportunity to meet, and sing, with their friends, including those who are in different class ‘bubbles’ or those who are remaining at home, throughout the pandemic period of 2020-2021.

Numeracy and cognition will be further developed through the purchase and development of Numicon and provision of a Lego Coding club and strategies for our Formal learning pathway.

Impact:

Fully trained Makaton Trainer onsite, who is responsible for delivering Makaton training to children and staff. Successful Makaton workshops have taken place, where parents and carers have been supported to achieve Level 1 Makaton. PODD and High-Tech resources have been replenished and the number of pieces of equipment increased in Year 7 classes to enable progress to be evidenced for children’s ILI’s and EFL observations and learning journeys. Use of Numicon and Lego will be embedded in teaching of Formal learners and will have provided structured learning on a regular basis to enable increased progress and skill development evidenced through EFL and individual learning intentions.

Year 7 Catch-up Funding 2018-19

Intended Outcomes:

Bedelsford School received £2916.00 in March 2019 from ESFA for 2018/19 financial year. This money was used to develop and fund a sensory space for a group of four students in which they can develop their Literacy, Communication and Numeracy skills, as well as fund additional reading support for 3 students and to enable students to access a community sensory soft play centre.

Impact:

Sensory space installed and used successfully by the four children mentioned above, as well as the other children from the semi-formal and formal curriculum pathways. A library has been installed in an areas of the school, and is accessed by the children in Year 7, by way of timetabled sessions. The children attended a local soft play centre on a regular basis; this activity supported the children’s physical and sensory needs, and progress was evidenced in their physio and OT programmes, and was evidenced as part of the EHCP annual review process showing progress specifically in reading for formal learners and engagement in cognitive and communicative development activities for those children following a pre-formal curriculum.