School Policies
Click on the name of the policy to download the document
Admissions Policy and other forms for 2013-14 can be selected below:
- Admission Policy 2013-14
- Admissions Form 2013-14
- 6th Form Admissions Policy 2013-14
- Information for Year 7 parents EIA
- School Prospectus EIA
Other Policies regarding issues related to staff available on request.
Pupil Premium
Every child with his/her individual needs and gifts is a unique gift from God. All members of staff and governors accept responsibility for ‘socially disadvantaged’ pupils and are committed to meeting their pastoral, social and academic needs whilst at Oaklands. This is an essential, integral part of the nature of a Catholic school community.
As with every child in our care, a child who is considered to be ‘socially disadvantaged’ is valued, respected and entitled to develop to his/her full potential, irrespective of need.
2011-2012 the school received £41,000 of Pupil Premium funding for approximately 60 children identified through for free school meals (FSM) provision, or 12 per year group. The funding also includes revenue for looked after children.
The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible and their wealthier peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. The Pupil Premium is allocated to children from low-income families who are currently known to be eligible for FSM in both mainstream and non-mainstream settings and children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months.
The governors at Oaklands believe that this money should be spent on the students to which it is intended. Some of the money is directed strategically, where best value is achieved by adding the money to existing funding streams. This will directly benefit students who are attracted the premium, particularly if FSM children are over represented in these areas.
The governors also determined that some of the money is to be used operationally to meet the day to day needs of students that attract the provision. The school welcomes the additional finance and maintains that over time this should make a difference to the lives of financially disadvantaged Oaklands students. Like all students at Oaklands FSM children are important, however the school believes that FSM students should not be stigmatised by overt identification.
How the money is distributed in 2011-12.
Strategic
£ 10,000 was allocated alongside additional school funding to maintain smaller class sizes in KS3 and KS4 in Maths English and Science.
£8,000 was allocated to be used alongside additional school funding provide additional adults in the classroom.
£2,500 was allocated to provide the capacity to analysis the data necessary to track FSM children holistically.
Operational
£1,000 was set aside to contribute towards software that can track the learning and progress of specific groups of pupils. The forensic analysis that this software provides also staff to personalise teaching and provide group intervention to ensure that students on examination courses are supported to gain the best outcomes they can.
£1,500 was set aside to contribute to on line learning content including ‘Clipbank’ and ‘I am learning’
£2,000 was set aside to support homework for FSM children. Firstly through the electronic recording of homework and secondly to run the after school home work club
£3,000 Has been used to extend the reach of specialist nurture groups and mentoring groups. The school recognised that there are a higher density of FSM students within SEN provision and specialist nurture groups These students need additional support in school or on entry to the school in order to enable them to adjust to the demands of secondary school and to make significant gains in their learning to catch up to the appropriate standard of expected attainment against their ability.
£2,000 Was placed into our equipment capitation provision. This money has been used where there is an identified barrier for learning, this could be a simple as the school having to purchase pens and paper or uniform for a student through to the provision of ICT equipment . All teaching staff are be required to identify additional provision for Pupil Premium students, over and above what would be expected for non premium students
The remaining has been used alongside additional school funding in the following ways:
- 50 additional staff hours to support students gain higher grades in English and mathematics at KS4.
- Additional costs associated with additional examination entries in order to support students in attempting examinations more than once.
- Booster Classes during out of school hours
- Improving whole school literacy
Our current outcomes for FSM students are very positive:
| 2010- 11 | National | National FSM |
Oaklands FSM |
Oaklands All |
Comment |
| 5+A*-C in En and MA | 57% | 35% | 50% | 74% | |
| English A*-C | 46% | 50% | |||
| Maths A*-C | 42% | 50% | |||
| Expected progress In Maths at KS4* | 64% | 45% | 33% | 73% | |
| Expected progress In English at KS4* | 71% | 55% | 50% | 80% |
| 2011-12 | National | National FSM |
Oaklands FSM |
Oaklands All |
Comment |
| 5+A*-C% In En and MA | 57% | NYA | 50% | 74% | |
| English A*-C | 46% | 71% | |||
| Maths A*-C | 42% | 57% | |||
| Expected progress In Maths at KS4** | 64% | 45% | 42% | 79% | FSM gap closing |
| Expected progress In EnglishKS4** | 71% | 55% | 69% | 82% | FSM gap closing |
*Based on 3 levels of progress
** National figures not yet available
Plans for 2012 -2015
In addition to the recurrent costs associated with existing commitments the school is going to make the following guarantee to FSM children.
- Access to homework club
- Access to breakfast club and a free school breakfast
- Extra curricular support in Maths and English at KS4 for students not making sufficient progress.
- Curricular support in Maths and English at KS3 for students not making sufficient progress.
- Access to ICT facilities out of school hours and in some instances loaning of school ICT equipment
- Free school meal
- A mentor/peer mentor if suitable
- Access to Health Suite before school
- Subsidy for trips and visits subject to the school policy
- Equipment subsidy
- IAG over and above that received by non FSM children
- Additional text books on request (Books remain property of the school)
- Access to parental support programme
- Access to holiday booster or revision support
- Uniform support
- Subsidy for transport to holiday booster sessions
- Parental administrative support at critical points for example, examination time and parents evening.
- Funding for specialist events to raise aspirations at KS4.
Parents who wish to know more about the Pupil Premium should contact the school.
Reporting to parents
The Local Governors Body at Oaklands will ensure that there is an annual statement to parents on how the Pupil Premium funding has been used to support teaching and learning of groups of students, reference will be made to this in the Oaklands News which is distributed in paper form and electronically

