Pupil premium menu
Research about, and resources for, three key approaches to tackling disadvantage
As a teacher you want the best for every one of your students, regardless of their background.
But too often, stubborn disadvantage makes it difficult.
It’s a complex problem to untangle. Knowing where to start can be tricky.
This week’s highlights from the We Are In Beta Community will help you chunk it up and break it down.
They will give you strategies to adopt, resources to adapt and a community to ask.
We - schools - Are In Beta - always learning (when we focus on what makes the biggest difference for our Pupil Premium learners).
This week
🍽️ DfE PPM menu of approaches: the good, the bad and some handy links
📅 National Pupil Premium Conference 2026: shape the lineup
💼 Jobs with members of the We Are In Beta Community.
🍽️ DfE PPM menu of approaches
There are lots of frameworks that aim to distill what works to help you make the biggest impact.
But few are as succinct as the menu of approaches in the DfE’s “Using pupil premium: guidance for schools leaders”1.
It has two big advantages and one main drawback.
Advantages:
Based on the evidence, it identifies three key approaches, which - if you tackle them well - will help you close the gap.
It provides you with the beginnings of a toolkit you can use to evaluate how well you are providing for your disadvantaged students against 16 sub-items across the three main three approaches.
Drawback:
Each of those 16 areas could be a full time job on it their own. If you are in charge of one of them in your school, the framework doesn’t provide you with much further reading to help find great practice or people to learn from.
The solution:
I’ve turned the DfE’s menu of approaches into a living library of practice and people by linking you to the five years of research we’ve done into high performing schools (with large numbers of PPM students), who are tackling the 16 areas successfully.
How to use it:
Read the menu of approaches, which is useful in and of itself anyway, to ask yourself: how we doing in these areas?
Follow the links I’ve embedded below to find all kinds of good stuff: lists of schools with high levels of PP, drives of resources and directories of providers.
Share this with the colleague(s) in your school who oversees the areas with each approach in the menu.
Pupil Premium menu of approaches: 2.0 (with handy links)
👩🏽🏫 High quality teaching
Developing high-quality teaching, assessment and a broad and balanced, knowledge-based curriculum which responds to the needs of pupils
Professional development to support implementation of approaches, for example, training provided by a DfE validated systematic synthetic phonics programme, mastery based approaches to teaching or feedback
Mentoring and coaching for teachers
Supporting the recruitment and retention of teaching staff, for example, providing cover time to undertake professional development such as National Professional Qualifications (NPQs)
Technology and other resources that support high-quality teaching, for example software to support diagnostic assessment.
🎯 Targeted academic support
Peer tutoring
Targeted interventions to support language development, literacy and numeracy
Targeted interventions and resources to meet the specific needs of disadvantaged pupils with SEND
Teaching assistant deployment and interventions, for example by supporting high-quality provision within the classroom or delivering structured interventions
Extended school time, including for summer schools
🛡️ Wider strategies
Supporting pupils’ social, emotional and behavioural needs
Supporting attendance
Extra-curricular activities, including sport, outdoor activities, arts and culture, for example music lessons and school trips
Breakfast clubs and meal provision
Communicating with and supporting parents
📅 National Pupil Premium Conference 2026: shape the lineup.
To prepare for this conference in partnership with E-ACT, we have read hundreds of Pupil Premium spending Plans to find out what the highest performing schools in the country are doing to get the best outcomes for their disadvantaged students.
It’s allowed to find strategies they are using to beat the odds.
It’s allowed invite them to share what they are doing across:
high quality teaching
targeted academic support and
wider strategies.
It’s allowed us build an incredible lineup, you can learn a huge amount from.
But, we - both the We Are In Beta team and speakers alike - want to make sure it delivers for you.
So… what do you want them to share in their talks?
Research? Strategies? Implementation? Spend? Evaluation?
Not only will this make sure it meets your needs, it will also put you to the front of the queue when tickets go on sale.
AND give you access the biggest discounts.
💼 Jobs with members of the We Are In Beta Community.
If you want to get your vacancies seen by the 23k school leaders and teachers who receive We Are In Beta newsletters across curriculum, pastoral and more, let us know here and we’ll send more info.
System / MAT Leadership
Assistant Strategic Leader for Inclusion - (Prince Albert Community Trust, Birmingham) - Apply here.
Lead Practitioner Mathematics - North East - (Oasis Community Learning, Lincolnshire) - Apply here.
Lead Practitioner of English - North East - (Oasis Community Learning, Lincolnshire) - Apply here.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) - (King’s Group Academies, Portsmouth) - Apply here.
Head of Financial Reporting - (United Learning Trust, Peterborough) - Apply here.
Trust Procurement Leader - (Prince Albert Community Trust, Birmingham) - Apply here.
People Partner (Berkshire Cluster) - (King’s Group Academies, West Berkshire) - Apply here.
Trust Director (Governor) - (Fairfax Multi Academy Trust, Birmingham/Solihull) - Apply here.
Trust Member (Governor) - (Fairfax Multi Academy Trust, Birmingham/Solihull) - Apply here.
Senior Leadership
Assistant Principal - SEND & EAL - Fulwood Academy (Dunstone Education Trust, Lancashire) Apply here.
Assistant Headteacher SENDCo - Harris Church of England Academy (Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust, Warwickshire) Apply here.
Intervention Lead - Hartland High School (Greenshaw Learning Trust, Reading) Apply here.
Head of Specialist Resource Provision – Vision Impairment - Woking High School (Woking High School Academy Trust , Surrey) Apply here.
Middle Leadership
Head of Spanish - Oxted School (Howard Partnership Trust, Surrey) Apply here.
Head of Modern Foreign Languages - Oxted School (Howard Partnership Trust, Surrey) Apply here.
Head of Science - Maternity Cover - Yate Academy (Greenshaw Learning Trust, South Gloucestershire) Apply here.
Second in Charge (2iC) - Westminster Academy (Westminster Academy Trust, Westminster) Apply here.
Head of Maths - Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (Aldridge Education, Brighton and Hove) Apply here.
Head of Humanities - Alvaston Moor Academy (Archway Learning Trust, Derby) Apply here.
Lead Professional (Head of Department) Business - Q3 Academy Langley (The Mercian Trust, Sandwell) Apply here.
Director of Sport - Cleeve School (Gloucestershire) Apply here.
Head of Classics - Harris Academy Chafford Hundred (Harris Federation, Thurrock) Apply here.
Faculty Lead for Creative Arts - Hadleigh High School (Penrose Learning Trust, Suffolk) Apply here.
Head of Year - St Gregory’s Catholic School (Kent Catholic Schools’ Partnership, Kent) Apply here.
Head of Year - Gloucester Academy (Greenshaw Learning Trust, Gloucestershire) Apply here.
Assistant Head of Year - Stoke Damerel Community College (Greenshaw Learning Trust, Plymouth) Apply here.
Teaching
Classroom Teacher (main pay range) - Nishkam School West London (Nishkam Schools Multi-Academy Trust , Hounslow) Apply here.
Maths
Teacher of Maths - Les Quennevais School (Les Quennevais School, Jersey) Apply here.
Teacher of Maths - Fulwood Academy (Dunstone Education Trust, Lancashire) Apply here.
Maths Teacher - Thurstable School (Essex) Apply here.
Teacher of Maths - Westminster Academy (Westminster Academy Trust, Westminster) Apply here.
English
Teacher of English - Claydon High School (Penrose Learning Trust, Suffolk) Apply here.
Teacher of English - East Bergholt High School (Penrose Learning Trust, Suffolk) Apply here.
Teacher of English - Nishkam School West London (Nishkam Schools Multi-Academy Trust , Hounslow) Apply here.
Teacher of English - Fulwood Academy (Dunstone Education Trust, Lancashire) Apply here.
Teacher of English - Q3 Academy Langley (The Mercian Trust, Sandwell) Apply here.
English Teacher (Mat Cover) - Coombe Wood School (Greenshaw Learning Trust, Croydon) Apply here.
Science
Teacher of Science - Westminster Academy (Westminster Academy Trust, Westminster) Apply here.
Teacher of Science - Alvaston Moor Academy (Archway Learning Trust, Derby) Apply here.
Teacher of Science (Biology) Maternity Cover - The Long Eaton School (Archway Learning Trust, Derbyshire) Apply here.
Teacher of Science - Fulwood Academy (Dunstone Education Trust, Lancashire) Apply here.
Teacher of Science (covering maternity leave) - King’s Academy Easthampstead Park (King’s Group Academies, Bracknell Forest) Apply here.
Teacher of Science - Saint Benedict Catholic Voluntary Academy (St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, Derby) Apply here.
Teacher of Science - Oxted School (Howard Partnership Trust, Surrey) Apply here.
Teacher of Science - Maternity Cover - Yate Academy (Greenshaw Learning Trust, South Gloucestershire) Apply here.
PE
Teacher of Girls’ PE - Holmleigh Park High School (Greenshaw Learning Trust, Gloucestershire) Apply here.
Teacher of PE (Female) - St Gregory’s Catholic School (Kent Catholic Schools’ Partnership, Kent) Apply here.
Design & Technology
Teacher of Design & Technology - Alvaston Moor Academy (Archway Learning Trust, Derby) Apply here.
Teacher of Design & Technology - with the ability to teach Child Development or Engineering Design - Challney High School for Girls (Chiltern Learning Trust, Bedfordshire) Apply here.
Business and Computing
Teacher of Business and Computer Science - Alvaston Moor Academy (Archway Learning Trust, Derby) Apply here.
Teacher of Business Studies - Oxted School (Howard Partnership Trust, Surrey) Apply here.
Citizenship and Politics
Teacher of Citizenship & Politics - Carshalton High School for Girls (Girls Learning Trust, Sutton) Apply here.
Languages
Teacher of Spanish - Oxted School (Howard Partnership Trust, Surrey) Apply here.
Drama & Oracy
Part time Teacher of Drama 0.8 Maternity Cover - St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School (Voluntary aided school, Medway) Apply here.
Drama & Oracy Teacher - Broadwater School (Greenshaw Learning Trust, Surrey) Apply here.
Operations and support roles
If you are looking for operations and (pastoral and learning) support roles, there are 40+ of them in here 👇
On a personal note.
This week, I am grateful to my Out of Office (OOO) responder (and others’ capacity to be sympathetic)
Here’s what it said:
Thanks for your email. I am in hospital with my daughter.
I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
I’m someone who likes to get back to people quickly when they need something.
So I worry about what they might think if I can’t.
Turning on my OOO had two big benefits:
It allowed to focus on what it most important right now (navigating a 4th pneumonia related visit this year - all should be fine, by the way)
It led to dozens of well wishes from people in and around the community, which reinforced benefit No. 1.
It’s reminded me of the time I first had to teach a lesson when I was under the weather.
I was nervous my more challenging students would use it as opportunity push the boundaries (I wasn’t very good at the time).
Do I tell them? Do I not? Do I let my guard down? Do I keep it up?
I asked my mentor what he’d do.
“Tell them”, he said unequivocally.
Then something unexpected happened.
Their instincts to be sympathetic kicked in and it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable teaching days of the year.
The lesson? Be open, honest and transparent and others will do their best by you.
If you’re off next week, have a great half term.
I’ll be back in your inbox here in November.
Thanks for reading.
@NiallAlcock and the We Are In Beta team
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