Equity in Education
Equity in Education (EiE) at ECC
Exmouth Community College is a thriving and ambitious school at the heart of its community. At ECC, Pupil Premium students are known as EiE (Equity in Education) students; we believe this positive framing mirrors the vision and culture of our school community. Pupil Premium students are those who are in receipt, or have been in receipt, of Free School Meal funding within the last six years.
As well as those students who are in receipt of PP funding, other groups of students included in our EiE vision are:
- Children in Care – students who are looked after by the Local Authority.
- Post Looked After Children – students who left the care system within the last six years.
- Service Children – where one or both parents serve in the armed forces, or have done within the past six years.
- EAL (English as Additional Language) students – where the first language is not English.
- Young Carers – students who have significant caring responsibilities for a parent or a sibling in their home.
Our priority as a school is to enable our students to flourish through our core values of Belonging, Ambition and Responsibility (BAR): we want all our students to raise their BAR and to flourish.
Belonging:
- We focus relentlessly on developing our EiE students as individuals: their talents, their academic endeavours and acknowledge and address the unique barriers they face.
Ambition:
- We develop EiE pupils as leaders in our community: we believe in them. We prioritise them at every opportunity, proactively encourage them to take on leadership roles and ensure they develop the skills for them to be successful.
Responsibility:
- We instil a strong sense of responsibility in all our students, encouraging them to act with integrity, kindness, and respect. We empower students to make informed choices and take ownership of their actions.
What is the Pupil Premium?
PP funding is given to schools to work with students who have been in receipt of Free School Meals (FSM) within the last six years. PP money is additional funding designed to help Equity in Education (EiE) students to achieve their full potential.
Service Children receive additional funding also, known as Service Pupil Premium.
PP funding is not ring-fenced for individual students; rather, it is held in a central pot that is used to best support the individual needs of students.
ECC’s Equity in Education (PP) Strategy can be viewed below and on the Key Statutory Information page.
Accountability
As a school, we hold accountability for how we spend our PP funding. As schools can spend PP funding however they best see fit, they are held accountable for the decisions they make through:
- Annual Ted Wragg Trust Schools Reviews.
- Performance tables which report directly on the academic performance of PP funded students compared with their peers.
- The Ofsted Inspection Framework, under which inspectors have an area of scrutiny designed to assess the impact of a school’s inclusion policy.
How can I see if my family is eligible for PP funding?
All students who are in receipt of an FSM can access PP funding.
Your family may also be entitled to if they receive:
- Universal Credit (provided your annual net earned income is under the current threshold)
- Income Support (IS).
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA).
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (IRESA).
- The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit.
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to a Working Tax Credit and your annual gross salary is under the current threshold)
- Working Tax Credit run-on (the payment you get for a further 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit).
You can check your family’s eligibility by applying to the Devon Citizens Portal. This is the quickest and easiest way to apply and will result in you getting an instant decision. Alternatively, you can call the Education Helpline on 0345 155 1019.
If you think you are eligible for any of the above, please do let us know via admin@exmouthcollege.devon.sch.uk so we can ensure that your child is receiving all the funding they are entitled to.
Once confirmed that an FSM application has been successful, please contact helen.embley@exmouthcollege.devon.sch.uk with a screenshot of the approval, so this can be added to our system.
How does ECC support Children in Care?
The College also makes provision for children in the care system, working with the local authority, social services, and other agencies to plan provision and create the best outcomes for these young people.
Ensuring our CiC students are heard and are advocated for, is Mrs H Embley. To contact her, please email helen.embley@exmouthcollege.devon.sch.uk. She is based in The Study Hub and the English Faculty. Her support is:
- Being the ‘go-to’ person for our CiC students.
- Working closely with families.
- Working closely with external agencies.
- Ensuring ECC is ‘best practice’ for CiC PEP meetings.
- Mentoring CiC students.
How can I see if my child qualifies as a Young Carer?
A young carer is someone aged 18 or under who helps look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. If you’re a young carer, you probably look after a family member or friend of the family.
The Lead for Young Carers at ECC is Mrs Dumpleton, who can be contacted via email on rhiannon.dumpleton@exmouthcollege.devon.sch.uk. I can talk you through the process if you / your child or young person is not already registered as a young carer, as well as answer any questions or concerns you have related to your/ their caring role.
If you’re not sure if you are a young carer, you can also give Devon Young Carers a call and chat about your situation. The number is: 03456 434 435 or email them at: youngcarers@devoncarers.org.uk
To find out more about what young carers do, visit: https://www.westbank.org.uk/pages/category/young-carers