What is the Pupil Premium?

The Pupil Premium Grant is funding provided to state-funded schools in England to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged learners.

The following groups of pupils are eligible for the Pupil Premium:

• Pupils who are recorded as eligible for free school meals, or who have been eligible at any point in the past six years (FSM Ever 6), including eligible children from families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)

• Children looked after by a local authority

• Previously looked-after children, including those adopted from care or subject to a special guardianship or child arrangements order

How many students at Coombe Dean are eligible?

Current number of eligible Pupil Premium learners (academic year 2025–26):

• Year 7 – 30

• Year 8 – 31

• Year 9 – 45

• Year 10 – 37

• Year 11 – 35

This represents 20.5% of the total Year 7–11 cohort at Coombe Dean School.

The total Pupil Premium funding allocated to Coombe Dean School for the academic year 2025–26 is approximately £190,000. Further detail can be found in our Pupil Premium Strategy document.

Core challenges identified

At Coombe Dean School, we have identified five core challenges facing our disadvantaged learners, or the school in meeting their needs. These challenges are addressed through our Pupil Premium Strategy.

The headline challenges are:

• Attendance

• Progress and attainment

• Poverty-proofing access to school, the curriculum, and extracurricular activities (including parental engagement)

• Behaviour, self-regulation, and metacognition

• Staff continuing professional development

Impact and outcomes are monitored and reviewed regularly.

To see our Review of the Impact of Pupil Premium funding for 2024–25, please refer to Section B of the 2025–26 Pupil Premium Strategy.

Coombe Dean School’s Pupil Premium Team

All staff at Coombe Dean School are fully committed to closing the attainment and progress gaps that exist between eligible learners and their peers. As educators working in non-selective state education, we are driven by the belief that a child’s socio-economic background should not pre-determine their outcomes or life chances.

In pursuit of social justice and equality of opportunity, we continually challenge ourselves to ensure that we do all we can to close attainment and progress gaps between disadvantaged learners and others.

Key staff with responsibility for leading improvements in outcomes for disadvantaged learners are:

• Mr Charlie Jacks – Assistant Headteacher (Pupil Premium Strategic Lead)

• Mrs Caroline Granville – Headteacher

• Ms Natasha Dulson – SENDCo

What are the documents below?

There are four documents available below. To help you find what you are looking for, a brief summary of each is provided.

1. Pupil Premium Strategy 2025–26
   This document provides a detailed overview of Coombe Dean School’s approach to spending Pupil Premium funding. It outlines identified challenges, intended outcomes for disadvantaged learners, and planned use of funding. Section B reviews the impact of spending in the previous academic year.

2. Tackling Disadvantage (Tiered Model) Snapshot 2025–26
   This document offers a concise overview of how Pupil Premium funding is used, structured around the headings Teaching, Targeted Academic Support, and Wider Strategies.

3. Pupil Premium Pledge 2025–26
   This document is aimed at parents and carers. It outlines the support available to families of students eligible for the Pupil Premium and is shared via email to increase awareness and uptake.

4. Pupil Premium Policy 2025–26
   This policy outlines the school’s approach to Pupil Premium spending, key roles and responsibilities, and how funding use is monitored and reviewed.