Education is the cornerstone of personal and societal development, yet many students in secondary education across our city face significant barriers that hinder their academic success. The Pupil Premium funding aims to close the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. However, despite all efforts, several persistent barriers continue to impact the education of disadvantaged students. This charter outlines these barriers and proposes actionable solutions to ensure every child receives an equitable and high-quality education.

1. Socio-Economic Challenges

Barrier: Socio-economic challenges remain one of the most significant barriers for pupils eligible for the Pupil Premium. These challenges often result in limited access to educational resources, inadequate study environments, and higher levels of absenteeism.

Solution:

• Enhanced Funding Allocation: Ringfence Pupil Premium funding to provide additional support for essential resources such as textbooks, technology, and extracurricular activities.

• Community Partnerships: Establish partnerships with local businesses and charities to offer supplementary support, including free tutoring, school supplies, and after-school programmes.

• Parental Engagement programmes: Develop programmes aimed at engaging parents in their child's education, providing them with the tools and knowledge to support learning at home.

2. Academic Support and Intervention

Barrier: Disadvantaged pupils often require more academic support to reach their full potential, yet they frequently receive less personalized attention due to resource constraints.

Solution:

• Targeted Tutoring programmes: Implement targeted tutoring programmes within schools, focusing on core subjects such as mathematics, science, and English.

• Early Intervention or baseline Strategies: Identify pupils at risk of falling behind early and provide timely interventions to address academic weaknesses.

• Professional Development: Offer professional development for teachers on effective strategies for supporting disadvantaged pupils.

3. Mental Health and Wellbeing

Barrier: Mental health issues are prevalent among disadvantaged pupils, often exacerbated by socio-economic stressors. These issues can significantly impact their ability to learn and thrive in a school environment.

Solution:

• Mental Health Services: Ensure every school has access to qualified mental health professionals to provide counseling and support.

• Wellbeing programmes: Integrate wellbeing programmes into the curriculum that teach coping mechanisms, resilience, and emotional regulation.

• Safe Spaces: Create safe spaces within schools where pupils can go to decompress and seek support when needed.

4. Attendance and Engagement

Barrier: Poor attendance and engagement are common among Pupil Premium students, often due to external pressures and lack of motivation.

Solution:

• Incentive programmes: Develop incentive programmes that reward good attendance and engagement with opportunities such as trips, internships, and extracurricular activities.

• Mentorship programmes: Pair pupils with mentors who can provide guidance, support, and positive role models.

• Engaging Curriculum: Adapt the curriculum to be more engaging and relevant to students' lives, incorporating real-world applications and diverse perspectives.

5. Aspirations and Expectations

Barrier: Lower aspirations and expectations among or towards disadvantaged pupils can limit their academic achievements and future opportunities.

Solution:

• Career Guidance: Offer robust career guidance services that expose pupils to various career paths and higher education opportunities.

• Role Models and Success Stories: Bring in successful individuals from similar backgrounds or alumni to speak and inspire students.

• Extracurricular Opportunities: Expand extracurricular offerings to include a wide range of activities that help students discover and develop their interests and talents.

• Admission process: Understand barriers to admission that can hinder education or career advancement. 

• Changing attitudes of educators: Offer CPD to ensure low expectations of and aspiration for students is not becoming a barrier. 

6. Access to Extracurricular Activities

Barrier: Disadvantaged pupils often have limited access to extracurricular activities due to financial constraints and lack of transportation.

Solution:

• Subsidised programmes: Provide subsidies for extracurricular activities, ensuring all pupils can participate regardless of their financial situation.

• Transport Solutions: Arrange transport options for pupils who live far from school or have difficulty getting to after-school activities.

• Inclusive Clubs and Societies: Encourage the formation of inclusive clubs and societies that cater to diverse interests and abilities.

• PP Funding: Ringfence funding for PP to ensure resources are proven to close the attainment gap.

Our Mission

Addressing the barriers faced by disadvantaged students in secondary education is critical to fostering a more equitable and inclusive educational environment. By implementing these solutions, we can ensure that every child, regardless of their socio-economic background, has the opportunity to succeed and thrive. Together, we can close the attainment gap and build a brighter future for all our pupils.

Join us and as educators we can change the landscape and ensure that every pupil in this city has the opportunity to reach their full potential.