Oakdale Infant School We Love Learning!
Covid-19 Catch up strategy 2020-2021
In June 2020, a £1 billion fund for education was announced by the government.
[Link]
The catch-up premium is funded on a per pupil basis at £80 per pupil. This is based on the
previous year’s census and does not include Nursery numbers, meaning Oakdale Infants’
School will be in receipt of £23680 (which is £80 per pupil). The spending of this money is
down to schools to allocate as they see best.
At Oakdale, we define “catch up” as providing all children with the support they need,
when they need it, following the ongoing disruption caused by the pandemic. We are clear
that this might be support for their social and emotional wellbeing as well as meeting
learning needs, both in the immediate future and over time.
Most children’s needs will be met with high quality whole class teaching. Some children,
however, will need additional small group or individual support to thrive. Our plans are
therefore designed to give us the capability to meet the diverse needs of our pupils, known
and currently unknown, in the short, medium and long term.
Spending:
At Oakdale, this money will be used to:
fund additional teaching and support staff, including Nurture, for children who have
been identified as needing support to “catch up” socially, emotionally or academically.
purchase curriculum resources and materials that support pupils to get “back on track”
in the classroom and remotely, in the event of partial or full closure. These include,
reading resources, access to online learning materials, subscriptions, laptops and I-Pads
provide staff with training, for example in reading, metacognition, supporting social and
emotional needs, teaching online and using new online platforms.
train support staff in delivering high quality phonics, maths and reading interventions.
Aims
The broad aims for “catch up” at Oakdale are:
Every child receives the support they need, when they need it, in line with our core value
of “equity.”
The mental health needs of pupils that have arisen as a result of the pandemic are met
and supported by the school.
Our pupils retain a strong attachment to Oakdale and are supported in maintaining
healthy learning behaviours.
Pupils make at least expected progress.
Attainment at age expected (and above) continues to improve.
Catch up at Oakdale is:
(For all children)
Time spent on mental health, wellbeing and social skills development. This will be at the
core of all catch up work as children will have not been in a formal school setting for a
number of months and their experiences throughout the pandemic will vary widely.
Focus on consolidation of basic skills. The core knowledge and skills which enable
successful learning will require increased curriculum time. These include: speaking and
listening, reading, handwriting, spelling of high frequency words, basic sentence
punctuation, times tables recall, basic addition and subtraction fact recall and reading
skills relevant to age.
Working through well sequenced, purposeful learning schemes. For example, our
school-created learning journeys are being adapted to focus on missed objectives and
consolidate the basics in the core subjects.
Additional lesson time on core teaching. Reading, writing and maths teaching will
require increased teaching time in order to cover missed learning – particularly in the
autumn term. In order to keep a broad and balanced curriculum, some subject areas
may be taught as blocked days rather than weekly lessons or moved to the summer
term.
Particular focus on early reading and phonics. This is always a focus in the school and
will continue to be so in order to develop children’s reading ability and vocabulary.
Assessment of learning and of basic skills to identify major gaps. Teachers will work to
identify gaps in learning and adapt teaching accordingly.
(For some children)
Additional support for social and emotional wellbeing. We have provided extra resource
to our Nurture Team to provide some children with individual support.
Additional support and focus on basic core skills. Supported by additional staffing and
access to technology, utilising catch up premium – dependent on need as identified
through ongoing assessment.
Additional time to practice basic skills. This again will be dependent on specific needs
to re-establish good progress in the essentials (phonics and reading, increasing
vocabulary, writing and mathematics) and there will be flexibility on timetables to allow
this.
Additional support to access resources for learning. Pupils have the resources they need,
including access to technology.
Catch up at Oakdale IS NOT:
Solely focused on academic progress and achievement
Cramming missed learning
Pressuring children and families, affecting mental wellbeing
Teachers’ time spent highlighting missed objectives
Teachers’ time spent ticking off assessment points and extra tracking
Summary of expenditure and Impact for 2020-2021
Action Intended What’s the evidence and Cost Impact
outcome(s) rationale for this choice?
Additional staff Extended Nurture Some pupils affected by £6750 Pupils settled and re-
costs: provision for pupils pandemic require established positive
needing support additional small learning behaviours.
with mental health group/individual support
and wellbeing
All pupils must have
High quality remote
Development of access to high quality
learning offer.
Remote Learning remote learning
offer
Additional teaching Pupils supported by
Data indicates in some
and resources for qualified teachers,
instances, vulnerable
vulnerable learners led by inclusion lead.
learners most impacted
Pupils made
by lockdowns.
enhanced progress.
Staff training Quality first Leadership monitoring £4180 Internal data shows
teaching for all and needs of pupils. average progress of
pupils to swiftly almost all pupil
identify and redress groups was
gaps in learning expected or
achieving a accelerated across
balance of pace the school (Year 2
and depth. FSM/PP slightly below
expected)
New School support staff Support staff have £5,100 High quality
Intervention have the resources previously delivered interventions in
programmes in and training to interventions. They are place. Pupils making
maths and close gaps for well trained and know our improved progress.
reading, groups of learners pupils. It is a sustainable
including over time. model which will build
phonics, plus capacity within our
training and setting.
resources
Enhanced Pupils and staff We needed more £7650 All pupils/staff have
provision: have resources laptops/i-pads to support the resources they
they need to intervention teaching; need to close gaps
Laptops/tablets
support mental assessment materials to in learning.
Curriculum and health, wellbeing identify gaps in learning;
assessment and learning online reading and EAL
materials amongst pupils. resources to support All pupils have
learners in school and access to
Subscriptions to
remotely; workshops and experiences that
online learning
experiences to support support
Workshops wellbeing of all pupils, development of
particularly most cultural capital.
disadvantaged by
lockdowns.
