Undertaken by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), curators of the Teaching and Learning Toolkit, the analysis coincides with the launch of a new suite of resources to help schools’ Pupil Premium work this year.
The breakdown of a representative sample of 300 schools’ Pupil Premium strategy statements from the last academic year reveals that 75% cite attendance and 74% reading as the main barriers to attainment for pupils eligible for the funding.
School attendance has been an on-going challenge since the pandemic, with the latest figures showing a persistent absence rate of more than 24%. The EEF findings come a day after the Education Select Committee published the findings of its inquiry into school attendance.
The attainment gap between rich and poor has widened since the pandemic and the cost of living crisis is also pushing more families into poverty. Around 2.2 million pupils were eligible for Pupil Premium funding in January 2023, an increase of around 2% on the previous year.
The EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit brings together research summaries to provide insights into the impact and cost of different interventions to support disadvantaged pupils. The toolkit is designed to support teachers and school leaders who are making decisions about how to improve learning outcomes.
The EEF’s analysis finds that 88% of the statements analysed referred to using EEF resources to guide Pupil Premium spend.
The new suite of resources includes an updated version of The EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium, a document for school leaders looking to maximise the impact of their spending.
The guide provides step-by-step, time-saving advice on how to develop and implement an effective Pupil Premium strategy and promotes a tiered approach, focusing on three areas:
- High-quality teaching (including recruitment and retention strategies).
- Targeted academic support (such as small group tuition).
- Wider strategies (such as support for attendance).
The resources also include guidance on using evidence to inform planning, quick links to research findings, and discussion prompts and advice for governors on how to champion purposeful Pupil Premium spending in their context. They also bust common myths about the Pupil Premium.
Professor Becky Francis, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, said: “Education inequality in England is entrenched, and there is a stubborn link between socio-economic background and education outcomes.
“The Pupil Premium is one of the most important tools we have to address this. But getting the most out of this funding requires careful consideration and planning.
“We hope these resources can support school leaders in taking a structured, evidence-informed approach – and that they help to improve outcomes for those children who need it most.”
- Schools can access the new resources via https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/guidance-for-teachers/using-pupil-premium