Closing the attainment gap

Supporting the attainment of all our pupils is a key priority for our school. At Firfield, we believe in quality first teaching to support the needs of all our pupils. Class teachers are trained to adapt lesson planning and apply scaffolds to ensure the learning is accessible to all pupils. Additional specialist advice is sought when appropriate to support SEND, EAL and disadvantaged pupils.

SEN: A child has special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) if they have a learning difficulty and/or a disability that means they need special health and education support.

EAL: A child for whom English is an additional language (EAL). A pupil recorded as having English as an additional language if they are exposed to a language at home that is known, or believed, to be other than English.

Disadvantaged Pupils: Disadvantaged pupils are defined as pupils who have been eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) at any point over the last 6 years; pupils who have been looked after continuously for at least one day in the last year; and pupils who have left through a formal route such as adoption.

Lower Attaining/ Lower Prior Attainment: A term used to refer to the current achievement of a pupil, which is below the level expected of average pupils. The term lower attaining (LA) is used to indicate the current state, rather than implying anything about a child’s potential (Watson et al, 2005).

Within your subject, how do you monitor to ensure that SEND, EAL, Disadvantaged or Lower Attainment pupils are accessing the full curriculum and making progress?

How can you support SEND, EAL, Disadvantaged, or LA Pupils in your class/subject?

Following lockdown and remote learning provision, how well are the pupils progressing in your subject? How do you know? Areas of strengths, areas of improvement?