Grant Expenditure

Our intention is that all learners at Corpus Christi Catholic High School, irrespective of their background or the challenges they face, are safe, happy, proud, loving and able to flourish in both their school life and beyond.  Our strategy is driven by pupil need, not labels. 

A key focus of this strategy is to support socio-economically disadvantaged pupils to achieve our aspirational intentions for them, including progress for those who are already high attainers. We will define what we consider to be meant by “vulnerable pupils” and provide both our FSM and disadvantaged pupils, and those facing socio-economic disadvantage throughout the ‘current cost of living crisis’ and we will work to ensure that they all receive a broad and balanced curriculum that allows all to make excellent progress and achieve their highest attainment across all curriculum areas.

We also recognise that disadvantage affects pupils in a myriad of ways including marginalisation, lack of cultural capital for schema-building which can often, but not always, be linked to lower levels of oracy and a limited vocabulary. These limiting issues can all lead to negative perceptions of themselves as learners and of their place in school. Such negativity may have been compounded in the past by experience of lower expectations due to self-imposed or otherwise, labels. 

We will also consider the challenges faced by extremely vulnerable learners, such as those who have a social worker, are or have been in the care of the Local Authority/or those who are young carers. We will map intersectionality to ensure that the most disadvantaged do not slip through the cracks and instead receive the best care and education we can provide. 

We want our learners to have wide and far-reaching aspirations as a result of the knowledge and experiences that we have given them throughout their time at Corpus Christi.  The activities we have outlined in this statement are also intended to support all learners needs, regardless of whether they are disadvantaged or not. 

High-quality inclusive teaching is the keystone of our strategy, with a focus on key curriculum areas in which disadvantaged learners require the most support. High quality inclusive teaching is proven to have the greatest impact on closing the disadvantage attainment gap and at the same time will benefit the non-disadvantaged learners in schools 

“Good teaching is the most important lever schools have to improve outcomes for disadvantaged students.” – Educational Endowment Federation

Implicit in the intended outcomes detailed below, is the intention that non-disadvantaged learners’ attainment will be sustained and improved alongside progress for their disadvantaged peers. 

How are our grants spent?

At Corpus Christi Catholic High School, our plans for grant allocations from Welsh Government are integrated into our School Improvement Plan (SIP). For the period 2022-23 our over-arching priorities are linked to:

  • Catholic ethos and care, support and guidance
  • Quality of learning and teaching
  • Achievement and standards
  • Well-being and inclusion
  • Developing staff Professional Learning opportunities
  • Covid recovery

Our Pupil Deprivation Grant is spent in the following ways for 2022/23

  • Curriculum design and implementation, including a programme of professional development to raise standards and improve outcomes
  • High quality teaching resources and interventions to raise attainment with a key focus on literacy, as well as numeracy and digital competency
  • Measures to support wellbeing, boost motivation and improve attendance
  • Provide research on school led literacy professional learning to ensure high-quality teaching.​ 
  • Provide parents with additional support materials.​ 
  • Same-day in-class intervention.​ 
  • Teacher-led targeted group teaching​ 
  • Specific intervention programmes led by both teachers and teaching assistants.
  • KS4 Maths and English form time intervention ​ 
  • Deployment of TAs ​ 
  • Targeted report system ​ 
  • Deployment of cover supervisors to support within lessons. ​ 
  • Delivery of the THRIVE & ELSA programmes
  • School Chaplaincy/Pastoral Support/ School counsellors
  • Targeted Academic Support
  • Resourcing the Well-being and Inclusion Hub
  • Supporting the implementation of the ALNET through staff training and development
  • Enrichment and alternative provision opportunities
  • Breakfast club for FSM pupils
  • Nurture Support Groups - ALN Provision – CPD training for staff / Universal and Targeted Provision/IDP’s
  • TLAC provision linked to whole staff Professional Learning
  • Attendance strategies – Attendance Team/School Active Travel/EBSA Lead (Emotional Based School Avoider)/Partner Primary Officer/Careers Advisors

Accelerated Learning Programme/ExCEL Programme

The Accelerated Learning Programme Grant (ALP) is designed to support improving outcomes and provision for all vulnerable learners at Corpus Christi. The aim of ExCEL is to build pupils' confidence, raise their aspirations and help them to make progress.

In 2022-23 our ALP/ExCEL is spent on:

  • An accelerated learning programme to support academic progress in every year group through small group learning with a designated progress recovery lead
  • Additional teaching days for subject specialists to work with identified pupils, with a particular focus on learners in examination years.
  • Other sessions focus on supporting Attitude to Learning, literacy, and numeracy across KS3 and KS4.
  • The programme will also look to provide new support strategies delivering thrive/ELSA, mental health support and interventions to support poor attitude to learning.
  • The ExCEL Programme will continue to make strong links with ALN and Pastoral teams to ensure learners get the appropriate intervention and support they need.