Covid Catchup Funding

Additionally, the DfE has set out the following Curriculum Expectations to ensure that all pupils, particularly disadvantaged, SEND and vulnerable students, are given the catch-up support needed to make substantial progress by the end of the academic year:-

Education is not optional – all pupils receive a high quality education that promotes their development and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

The curriculum remains broad and ambitious – all pupils continue to be taught a wide range of subjects, maintaining their choices for further study and employment.

To support in achieving these expectations, the school will follow a three tiered approach that focuses upon

1. High quality teaching
2. Targeted academic support
3. Wider strategies

A key element of the school’s recovery strategy offers additional opportunities for children to:

• Attend additional sessions – both 1:1 and small group
• Benefit from additional support and guidance from qualified staff
• Receive a bespoke package of support in each subject area/ year group

To view the 2020-21 Recovery Documents please use the following links:

Strategy and Recovery Overview 2020-21

Catch Up Funding Plan 2020-21

Remote education – all the following key expectations need to be met:

• Teach an ambitious and broad curriculum in all subjects and make use of existing flexibilities to create time to cover the most important missed content.
• Subjects to ‘fill in the gaps’ in core knowledge, for example through an emphasis on reading.
• Aim to return to the school’s normal curriculum in all subjects.
• Plan based on the educational needs of pupils.  Curriculum planning should be informed by an assessment of pupils’ starting points and addressing the gaps in their knowledge and skills.
• Develop remote education that is integrated into school curriculum planning.  Schools should set out how they will allocate the additional funding to support curriculum recovery this academic year.

The school will endeavour to provide suitable equipment to enable remote learning to take place. The school have secured additional laptops from the DFE to support all disadvantaged learners. Regular safe and well checks have enabled us to identify students who are in need of additional support and ensure this support is in place to enable all learners to learn beyond the classroom.

Wales High School’s Risk Assessment for Livestreaming School Content can be found Here

Holiday Schools – Wales High School has made full use of additional funding opportunities to support disadvantaged learners during the school holidays.

• Year 6 Summer School – In early 2021 the government announced plans to provide schools with funding to run a summer school. We offered a 2 week summer school for Year 6 pupils who were due to transition to us in September. Invitations were initially sent to all disadvantaged children, those with additional needs and those who were identified as benefiting from additional opportunities to visit the school. Over the course of the 2 week school, just over 250 Year 6 children participated in the summer school programme.
• KS3 & KS4 Summer School – Through successful funding applications to the Rotherham HAF (Holiday, Activity & Food) Programme we secured funding to provide a summer school to support our disadvantaged KS3 and KS4 students. We also invited children who we knew did not engage during lockdown, children identified in Y10 (moving into Y11) as being in need of additional support, and vulnerable children. We provided a full package which included, collection and drop off by school minibus, bespoke package of academic support, breakfast, snack at break time and a 2 course lunch. Every child attended 3 sessions during the day. Over the course of the week, just over 300 pupils attended our Summer Programme.
• Christmas School 2021 –  We were once again lucky to secure funding from the Rotherham HAF Programme to run a school over a 4 day period at Christmas. All eligible children were invited and 90 children attended. As with our Summer School, transport, 3 meals a day and a range of activities enabled those involved to have an excellent 4 days in school. In addition, all FSM families were provided with a hamper of food to support over the Christmas period.
• Easter School 2022 – 130 children joined us for our Easter HAF programme over a 5 day Easter School. The HAF programme aims to promote healthy food and activities for all young people.  The Easter activities included wellbeing/ craft activities, Arts, Sports, Cooking, Baking, Drama, First Aid, and so much more!
• Summer School 2022 –  155 children joined us for the Summer HAF programme over a 10 day period, packed with activities, visits and fun experiences. Our staff provided a wide range of activities to keep the children busy – from boxing, mountain biking, baking and building games, bird houses and toys to craft, arts and challenge based activities. One of this summer’s favourite activities was the school orienteering activity where students had the opportunity to explore the whole school site! Some of our Summer HAF cohort visited the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, the cinema and Costco! As this summer’s programme took place  during one of the hottest weeks of the summer holiday we even invited the Ice Cream Van to visit us!
• Christmas School 2022 – we hope to once again support our community by offering a Christmas School for 2022. And further information will follow once this is confirmed.

Further Opportunities – The school will always strive to provide additional opportunities to support our students. We hope to be able to secure additional funding to run holiday schools at Christmas, Easter and during the Summer Holidays.

This page is under review and will be updated shortly.