Affordable schools
Help & Support
It is our aim to ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to participate, learn and thrive, regardless of any barriers to learning!
We recognise that the impact of poverty is one of the most significant barriers to overcome and work hard to ensure that we provide a universal, equitable approach which ensures access for all!
Whilst Pupil Premium funding is allocated to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds have the support to accelerate their progress and achieve their full potential, this is not a personal budget for individual pupils. Instead, leaders are responsible for making evidence-informed decisions which allow us to meet this aim!
This funding is just a part of what we do! We have also taken time to consider how our policies/procedures support our most vulnerable families. We have broken this down into 4 key areas of school life:
- - Resourcing the school day
- - Enrichment and opportunities
- - Healthy body, healthy mind
- - Securing positive partnerships
The tables below show common barriers that many families may be facing, including how we have considered these and amended/implemented what we do, to account for the impact of poverty.
Resourcing the school day
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Common barriers |
Considerations made/support in place |
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Uniform: Expense of compulsory school uniform
No pre-loved uniform available
Lack of washing facilities in the home
Sanctions in place for students who do not bring their PE kit to school or do not have the correct uniform, leading to pupils feeling disengaged
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- The school uniform includes non-branded items that are readily available in a wide range of shops (e.g. black trousers/ white shirt/ black shoes).
- Uniform policy keeps use of branded uniform items to a minimum and simplifies uniform requirements (e.g. black leggings rather than a specific type/ trainers or shoes).
- Uniform supplier arrangements give the highest priority to cost and value for money.
- Parents/carers are provided with the contact details for the pastoral link to their child’s year group (Head of Year), where they can communicate challenges which they have around resources, uniform, equipment, etc…
- Uniform donations and/or funding is utilised to support families in need.
- Second hand uniform is made available through partner organisations. https://lchcharity.co.uk/school-uniform/
- The ’standards store’ is available daily for all students to borrow uniform and/or equipment, without cost or consequence.
- PE kit is available for all students to borrow during PE lessons.
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Equipment: Expense of day-to-day resources (pens, pencil cases etc)
Expense of resources linked to the curriculum/enrichment (e.g. money for cookery ingredients/ special kit for an after-school sporting activity)
Expense of textbooks and revision resources linked to the curriculum
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- The ’standards store’ is available daily for all students to borrow uniform and/or equipment, without cost or consequence.
- All resources required for access to the curriculum are provided (e.g. food/ novels/ etc…), at no cost to parents/carers.
- Specialist equipment is provided by school, should students need this for learning (e.g. calculators/ glue sticks/ colouring pencils/ sports equipment).
- Textbooks are provided by school, where necessary within learning.
- Basic equipment provided for most vulnerable families, through partner organisations.
- Sanitary products are readily available within school.
- Revision resources are made available to students at a discounted cost.
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Homework: Homework requires a suitable place to work, resources from home or digital access
Homework requires specific/ time consuming support from an adult (e.g. projects)
Broadband issue or getting enough easy access to the internet
Time to complete the homework or competing family needs (e.g. caring role)
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- The home learning policy has been reviewed with an understanding of what is being asked of pupils and parents. Considerations have been made based on the amount of, duration of and time-frame available for homework, for each year group. Home Learning Policy
- Knowledge organisers are in place, which allow parents/carers to support children with homework tasks.
- Students have access to electronic devices and areas within school to complete home learning after-school or during social times.
- In some circumstances, students may be lent a device for the duration of their time at Babington.
- Teachers will utilise more than just online resources to communicate homework tasks where required.
- Dedicated support is in place to identify and support young carers within school, including reasonable adjustments where required.
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Enrichment & Opportunities
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Common barriers |
Considerations made/support in place |
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Cost: High-cost school trips which place pressures on pupils from lower income families
Level of cost associated with after school clubs/ curriculum/ enrichment/ materials
Cost of travel, or travel logistics, to and from after school activities
Students may miss out on regular physical exercise opportunities, due to affordability
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- A proportion of funding is allocated toward helping all students to access higher-cost activities (e.g. by subsidising the cost).
- Wherever possible, cost saving measures are identified and applied to reduce overall affordability (e.g. transport sharing/ becoming host venue).
- Partnered with local charities/organisations which can provide additional activities and/or finance/supplement the cost of activities. https://lchcharity.co.uk/school-trips-funding/
- A robust extra-curricular programme is in place and available to all students, at no extra cost to parents/carers. - Fixtures and other physical exercise opportunities are funded by school (including transport/ equipment/ membership costs), ensuring that all students have access to these.
- Specialist equipment is provided by school, allowing all students to access opportunities (e.g. calculators/ glue sticks/ colouring pencils/ sports equipment).
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Access: Families not given enough notice when trips, extra-curricular activities and fundraising events are organised
Parents may not have regular online access, or be time poor, so struggle to sign up for activities within allocated time frames
Families may struggle to prioritise the competing needs of several family members
Access to activities and enrichment experiences during the school holiday
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- Trips, extra-curricular activities and fundraising events are communicated in a timely manner and through a single communication platform.
- A range of lunchtime clubs are on offer to students, at no extra cost to parents/carers.
- The cost of visits and activities are spread using Parent Pay and payment plans.
- A minimum expectation of applications for each trip are taken up by vulnerable pupils (representing our context) and this is monitored on a case-by-case basis.
- No sign-up is required for clubs and activities (before 4pm), meaning that these are readily available to all.
- Information and sign-up links for opportunities led by external organisations are shared with all parents/carers, including those within the school holidays (e.g. holiday club activities (e.g. HAF).
- The take up of enrichment and extra-curricular activities is monitored, to ensure equitable access to the opportunities on offer.
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Stigma: Pupils may be anxious about the cost of some activities because they know this may place financial pressures on their family
Lack of consideration about experiences and cultural capital which pupils bring to learning in the classroom (e.g. asking children to write about what they did at the weekend/ during the holiday/ etc…)
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- Extra-curricular opportunities are advertised to all pupils, with clear messaging around cost.
- Parents/carers are provided with the contact details for the pastoral link to their child’s year group (Head of Year), where they can communicate challenges which they have around resources, uniform, equipment, etc…
- Pastoral teams develop strong knowledge of/relationships with parents/carers and will offer direct support where appropriate.
- Staff receive regular training on the context of the school and consider this when planning learning. |
Healthy body, healthy mind
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Mental/physical health: Mental health can be a sensitive subject to discuss, especially in families where mental health is presenting challenges
Mental health is seen as the cause rather than the effect of living in poverty
Home circumstances as contributing factors to pupil mental health and wellbeing (e.g. lack of sleep, overcrowding in houses, washing facilities, warmth, low energy due to lack of meals/ etc…)
Recognising emerging issues in the early stages
Families having insufficient, timely access to services and specialist support
Lack of opportunity to access regular physical exercise
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- Mental health is recognised as a ‘key challenge’ and a strategic approach is taken to support with this.
- Staff receive regular training which allows them to consider the ‘root causes’ of any negative behaviours/lack of concentration (e.g. if a pupil presents as angry establish whether they are hungry/ if a pupil presents as tired understand whether they are able to get a good night’s sleep) and action appropriately.
- All staff have access to and are trained on the use of safeguarding systems (CPOMS), allowing them to regularly update information and bring together bits of the ‘jigsaw’ which may be an indicator of vulnerability.
- Pastoral teams develop strong knowledge of/relationships with parents/carers and will offer direct support where appropriate.
- There is strong mental health awareness across the school and opportunities to talk regularly with pupils about their experiences of school life, including cost of living are in place.
- Funding is utilised to provide direct access to mental/physical health support within school (i.e. mental health first aiders/ in-school counselling).
- Pastoral teams have good knowledge of the support available through external organisations (e.g. CAMHS) and are able to support parents/carers with referrals where necessary.
- Partnered with external organisations who provide specialist mental/physical health support (e.g. MHST) and/or offer advice support.
- Dedicated support is in place to identify and support young carers within school, including reasonable adjustments where required.
- The curriculum provides access to two hours of core PE per week, for all year groups.
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Food: Families not taking up entitlement to free school meals (FSM) because of poverty related stigma
School systems and processes inadvertently exposing pupils who are in receipt of FSMs
Pressures around food affordability cause stress and anxiety
Families getting into debt with school lunch payments, placing additional negative pressures on the relationship between the family and the school
Pupils display negative behaviours and lack of concentration because of lack of breakfast/ feeling hungry/ tired/ etc…
Families having insufficient, timely access to services and specialist support
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- Student voice is obtained and considered within (e.g. student council) meal choices, the lunchtime environment and processes.
- Meal choices have been carefully considered to ensure that all students have access to a healthy diet.
- Breakfast club is available to all students on a daily basis and with no cost for parents/carers.
- A ‘meal deal’ ensures that a healthy, balanced meal is affordable for all
- The catering team are trained to play a frontline role in pastoral care/wellbeing support and, where appropriate, communicate observations quickly to school leaders, so that necessary support can be provided.
- All staff have access to and are trained on the use of safeguarding systems (CPOMS), allowing them to regularly update information and bring together bits of the ‘jigsaw’ which may be an indicator of vulnerability.
- Links and information about FSM eligibility are available to parents/carers through the school website.
- Partnered with local charities/organisations who are able to provide support with food poverty (e.g. food banks/ food parcels).
- A relational approach is used when contacting parents to discuss any challenges around food and eating in school.
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Securing positive partnerships
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Poor relationships between families and schools (e.g. legacy disagreements)
View of schooling and value placed on education due to life experiences/ current challenges
Chronic & acute illness, family responsibilities, home situation, trauma
Parents/carers may not be readily available, or more ‘hard to reach’ due to work schedules (e.g. shift work or working multiple jobs)
Parents not aware of the support available
Anxiety and Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)
Housing and food insecurity
Challenges with transportation (including cost)
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- Share information (e.g. holiday & food activities) with all families.
- Whenever possible, communicate through a mix of methods (letters, emails, texts, in person…).
- Communicate information at the earliest opportunity, well ahead of any deadlines.
- Where necessary, utilise translation services to support parents for whom English is not the first language.
- Use home visits as an opportunity to establish relationships, provide face to face communication around school support and services and identify vulnerabilities so the school can understand/intervene early.
- Open the doors to school early (8am) to support parents/carers with other commitments.
- Provide ‘meet and greets’ for both the student and parents/carers of students who may struggle with coming into school.
- Offer face to face meetings with parents/carers throughout the school year, including the involvement of external agencies/support (e.g. family support worker/ social worker), where and when necessary.
- Parents/carers are provided with the contact details for the pastoral link to their child’s year group (Head of Year), where they can communicate challenges which they have around resources, uniform, equipment, etc…
- Pastoral teams develop strong knowledge of/relationships with parents/carers and will offer direct support where appropriate.
- Dedicated support is in place to identify and support young carers within school, including reasonable adjustments where required.
- Develop the school website to include a prominent space for a wide range of information relating to ‘help and support’, including signposting to organisations and services.
- Support parents/carers with referrals to relevant outside agencies who can support them.
- School improvement strategies always consider the context of the school and take into account the needs of our most vulnerable families. This includes consideration of any additional support that may be required.
- Support parents with careers advice and guidance by signposting to relevant services.
- Provide a programme of opportunities to engage with parents, across a range of different areas (e.g. supporting your child at home/ progress checks/ accessing support/ etc…)
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