The EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium

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Step 2

Use reliable research evidence to support your strategy

Now it is time to access reliable research to help you choose approaches that are most likely to work in your school. A strong Pupil Premium strategy is built on the best available evidence.

Collecting data about the attainment and progress of pupils eligible for the Pupil Premium can help schools identify priorities and target additional support. However, school data cannot tell you which approaches or programmes are most likely to be effective to address the needs of your pupils.

So, alongside the expert knowledge you have of the pupils in your care, you should also use high quality external evidence to inform your decision-making.

Step 2 can support you in developing the ‘activity in this academic year’ section of DfE’s Pupil Premium strategy template.

A tiered approach to spending

Schools should use their Pupil Premium to address challenges their disadvantaged pupils face as identified in Step 1. Activities to develop high-quality teaching, targeted academic support and wider strategies should guide your exploration of the evidence.

High Quality Teaching should be a top priority for Pupil Premium spending. Making sure an effective teacher is in front of every class, and that every teacher is supported to keep improving, is key.

Targeted Academic support can have a strong positive impact on learning, and is an important part of any Pupil Premium strategy.

Wider barriers to learning are important to consider as part of your Pupil Premium strategy. While many challenges may be common between schools, the specific features of the community your school serves will affect which approaches you prioritise in this category.

The tiered approach aligns with the Department for Education’s template for creating a Pupil Premium strategy as well as its ‘menu of approaches’.

Many strategies will overlap across the tiered approach, and the balance between the three approaches will vary from year to year as your school’s priorities change.

This planning tool section introduces key findings from high quality evidence-informed resources. Click the headings below to explore high quality research and evidence-informed resources to inform the approaches that you adopt.

High quality teaching

Making sure an effective teacher is in front of every class, and that every teacher is supported to keep improving, is especially important for socio-economically disadvantaged pupils.

Activities could include:

Targeted academic support

High quality teaching should reduce the need for extra support for all pupils. However, it is likely that some pupils will require additional support in the form of high quality, structured interventions to make progress, or to catch up with their peers. Small group and one-to-one interventions provide the opportunity to apply effective teaching strategies with a more intense focus on a smaller number of learning goals. They can be powerful tools, but must be scheduled and aligned with the curriculum carefully.

Use of Pupil Premium extends to high attainers. So it can—and should—be spent supporting programmes and interventions for these eligible pupils.

Activities could include:

Wider strategies

Significant non-academic challenges—such as attendance, behaviour, and social and emotional learning—can have a negative impact on academic outcomes for some disadvantaged pupils. Addressing wider barriers to learning is an important part of any Pupil Premium strategy.

Activities could include:

Take action

Do take a look at our ‘evidence brief’ as you consider potential approaches to your Pupil Premium spending.

Don’t search for evidence to justify things you are already doing.

Do build a rich evidence picture – the EEF is a great place to start, we have brought together the best available evidence for you.

Don’t take headline results at face value—critically examine the quality and context of the research.

Do consider whether a new approach will suit the needs of your pupils and is feasible to implement in your school.

Don’t buy into untested programmes which may not have the impact you hope for.