Covid-19 Catch Up

In June, the Government announced funding to support children's return to school with the aim that school's will implement approaches to help children "catch up" in their learning.

The catch-up premium is funded on a per pupil basis at £80 for children in years 1-6. This is based on the previous year's census, meaning we are predicting Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School will be in receipt of £21,200. School leaders will decide how to allocate these funds so they have the most impact on children's learning. The Education Endowment Foundation has published a support guide for schools with evidence-based approached to catch up for all children.

There are two broad aims for "catch up" at Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School

• Achievement outcomes at the end of 2020-21 for all year groups will show children have made at least expected progress from their starting points.
• Children's emotional well-being will be effectively supported.

At Corpus Christi, this money will be used in order to provide:

• Additional support staff to provide additional academic support to children through interventions or allowing us to reduce the size of the teaching group, so support is targeted within lessons.
• Resources to promote phonics and early reading.

Catch up at Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School is

(for all children)

• Working through well sequenced, purposeful planned learning. For example, our English plans are being adapted to focus on missed objectives and consolidate the basics. Interesting and exciting texts are used as as starting point to embed reading skills and as an inspiration for writing.  In maths, we will utilise White Rose Maths as the spine of learning and we have then focused on revising pre-learnt skills and moving the learning on. In KS1, ReadWriteInc is followed to practice and embed phonics.
• Focus on consolidation of basic skills. The core skills which enable successful learning will require increased curriculum time across all year groups. These include: handwriting, spelling of high frequency words, basic sentence punctuation, times tables recall, basic addition & subtraction fact recall and reading skills relevant to age.
• 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. We aim to keep a broad and balanced curriculum, but reading and writing skills will be consolidated and practiced in these areas.
• 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.
• Time spent on mental health, wellbeing and social skills development. This will be at the core of all catch up work as many children will have not been in formal school setting for a number of months. The introduction of Corpus Christi University supports children's confidence, resilience and independence.

(For some children)

• Additional support and focus on basic core skills. Supported by additional staffing utilising catch up premium – dependent on need as identified through ongoing assessment.
• Additional time to practice basic skills. This again will be dependent on need of children in order 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.