The Swan School statement on how it is using the 16-19 Tuition Fund from September 2021

The ESFA has made funding available to colleges to support students who have hadn their learning affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. The Tuition Fund is ring-fenced for schools, colleges and all other 16 to 19 providers to mitigate the disruption to learning arising from coronavirus.

The funding can be used to provide small group tuition for 16-19-year olds on a study programme where their learning has been disrupted and they have a GCSE Maths and / or English grade of 4 or below at age 16.

Although the support is targeted based on prior attainment in maths/English, the funding is not limited to support in these subjects, and will be provided according to need across a variety of subjects.

It is also for students who have a grade 4 or English and/or maths, are from an economically disadvantaged background and would need catch-up support. These are defined as students from the 27% most economically deprived areas of the country based on the index of multiple deprivation.

Support is being prioritised where students will benefit most from small group tuition, and particular regard is being given to the requirements of disadvantaged students and students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

• Support for SEND and High Needs Students

Implementation

The Swan School will use the funding as follows:

• Employment of a Pastoral Support Champion specifically focused on disadvantaged and vulnerable 16-19 year olds impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
• Offering a comprehensive, enriching, elective programme focusing on life skills
• Offering small tutor groups with bespoke pastoral care
• Increasing the hours of some existing tutors and learning support staff
• Small groups will contain no more than 5 learners (or 7 learners in exceptional circumstances), with the ambition of having no more than 3 learners in each group
• Support will be offered and provided based on the individual needs of each student
• Support sessions will be prioritised for the following students: Those with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan; Those 16-18 year old learners with a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND); Those who have a grade 4 or below in GCSE Maths and/or English; Those students most disadvantaged (from the 27% most economically deprived areas of the country based on the index of multiple deprivation); Those classed as vulnerable or impacted most by the pandemic.

The Swan School Commitment

The school is committed to a no detriment approach to learners, to ensure no student is disadvantaged by the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. The school will ensure that the tuition fund is used in accordance with the Government’s guidance on the 16 to 19 Tuition Fund by:

• Producing this statement setting out how the fund will be used to support the
  most disadvantaged students
• Publishing this statement on the website
• Maintaining small class sizes with above minimum guided learning hours
• Notifying the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) of any underspend from the Fund for it to be reclaimed.