Academic attainment levels have, historically, been lower among children from under-served backgrounds for a variety of complex reasons.
As part of our Best Start in Life strategy (formerly know as the Foundation Fund), we are delivering a three-year Primary Empowerment Programme. The programme provides additional support with reading, writing, mathematics and oracy, as well as emotional and behavioural support to seven primary schools in Bath and North East Somerset which, together, teach 40% of the region’s most under-served children.
The schools receive training, guidance and support from specialist organisations to improve learning and wellbeing outcomes for these children and supply the teachers with the tools they need to provide ongoing support.
Primary Empowerment schools also receive a range of targeted support around reading, writing and maths provision. This is often in the form of additional staff, for example, Reading Teaching Assistants and one-on-one phonics tutoring, as well as funds to buy more high-quality books to facilitate reading at home as well as in the classroom.
The provision of these additional resources and training for teachers has seen the Primary Empowerment Programme accomplish a range of positive results, whilst helping to equip them with the skills and strategies that will best support their pupils to thrive.
