Grant Spending

The Pupil Development Grant (PDG) is funding given to schools and educational settings.

PDG funding aims to raise the attainment of children and young people from low-income households. It does this by reducing the barriers that they often face to achieving their full potential. It is also given for care-experienced or looked after children (LAC). The PDG is a key resource for realising the Welsh Government’s ambition of high standards and aspirations for all.

The PDG is provided to schools and settings for children and young people aged 5 to 15. Use of the grant should focus on the following key areas:

  • high-quality learning and teaching
  • Community Focused Schools
  • early childhood play, learning and care
  • high aspirations supported by strong relationships
  • health and wellbeing
  • leadership
  • Curriculum for Wales and qualifications
  • supporting post-16 progression

The Early Years PDG (EYPDG) gives similar support to children aged 3 and 4 in schools and nurseries. This funding is used to support:

  • emotional and social wellbeing
  • physical development
  • speech, language and communication

How the PDG grant is allocated
The amount of PDG and EYPDG funding given to local authorities, schools and settings is based on the number of:

  • children and young people aged 5 to 15 in a school or setting (for example educated otherwise than at school (EOTAS) or pupil referral unit (PRU) who are
  • eligible for free school meals (eFSM) based on the latest school census (PLASC) data
  • children and young people who are looked after, based on the Children Looked After Census
  • children aged 3 to 4 in a school or non-maintained setting (for example nurseries) who are eligible for free school meals (eFSM) based on the latest school census (PLASC) data

Funding is given on a financial-year basis, based on the number of eligible children and young people. Funding is based on the criteria above, not academic ability.

2023-24 Allocation

PDG £143,750
EYPDG £41,400

Pupil Development Grant Spend 2023-24

Activity Success Criteria Grant Cost
Teaching Assistant to support pupils throughout the school with SPLD/Basic Skills and carry out assessments to monitor progress. Effective assessment data collated and analysed to monitor progress.
Pupils supported increase their reading age by the end of the year to close the gap between their chronological age and reading age.
Pupils supported increase their spelling age by the end of the year to close the gap between their chronological age and spelling age.
Pupils supported increase competency and confidence in Oracy, Reading and Spelling.
PDG £19,326.00
Teaching Assistant to run daily Nurture Group for pupils in KS2 to improve self-esteem and literacy/numeracy skills. Pupils show increased self-esteem/self-confidence
Pupils increase their Reading/Spelling ages
Pupils have a better understanding of phonics and spelling patterns.
Pupils increase the amount of high frequency words they can recognise and write by the end of the year.
Pupils supported improve their number skills and increase their ALFIE score by the end of the year.
PDG £23,373.00
Digital Lead to provide Digital Enrichment sessions for Year 2-6 classes Pupils demonstrate high levels of engagement in learning.
Pupils and staff develop their digital competency.
Teacher confidence in teaching using Apple software increased
Pupils able to present their learning in new ways.
PDG £3,242.00
Provide authentic learning experiences to enrich curriculum, and develop problem solving and collaboration in Years 1 to 6. Children’s engagement and motivation and enthusiasm will be evident.
Pupil absence reduced as a result of enjoyment in learning.
Children develop new knowledge and skills and have new experiences which will support their learning.
PDG £15,000.00
Purchase subscriptions to digital technology platforms to support pupils with home learning and basic skills. Children to develop their Spelling, Reading and Numeracy skills through subscriptions to online platforms.
Children regularly accessing programmes both in and out of school.
Improvement in spelling and reading
PDG £15,000.00
Phase leaders to monitor impact of intervention groups, listen to learners, observe learners. Impact of interventions and activities reviewed and progress measured.
Successful interventions continue, review and change less successful interventions.
PDG £5,564.00
Teaching Assistant to take on the role of Family Support Worker. Engage with families and support where possible. Developed relationships with families.
Staff updated on family situations – school have better understanding of challenges facing these families
Parents have greater understanding of how they can support their children at home.
Families/Parents provided with emotional support.
Pupils feel safe knowing that there is a strong relationship between home and school.
PDG £11,687.00
2x KS2 Teaching assistants to deliver ELSA sessions to support children in need of emotional support. Pupils in need of emotional support identified.
Pupils feel safe and secure and have emotional needs met.
Targetted intervention improves pupils’ emotional and social skills, self-esteem, confidence and wellbeing.
Idenitified pupils supported with bereavement, behaviour and anger.
PDG £16,518.00
Pupil Learner Review meetings – Year 1 to 6. Teachers to be released to meet with their children to reflect on progress, strengths and areas for development. Teachers know their learners very well.
Targets set for individual pupils’ needs.
Pupil/Teacher trust/relationship built on
Pupils receive verbal feedback on next steps
PDG £7,704.00
Host men Behaving Dadly’/Dads & Lads Programme – 2 cohorts of 7 dads. Parent Child relationships strengthened
Parent-Teacher relationship/engagement strengthened.
PDG £500.00
Cooking Ingredients for ‘Cook with your Kids’ Parental Engagement Sessions and class cookery sessions. Parent engagement and involvement re-developed following pandemic
Pupils understand how to be healthy/eat healthily.
Pupils develop cooking, numeracy, literacy skills
Authentic Context for learning provided.
PDG £1,500.00
Teaching Assistant to deliver outdoor learning/problem solving/gardening sessions for groups across FP and KS2. Pupils have increased opportunities to learn outdoors
Pupils’ wellbeing improved
Pupils’ problem solving skills and teambuilding developed and applied.
PDG £3,042.00
Teaching Assistant to provide communication/team building intervention activities, spelling support and Lego Therapy. Pupils have increased opportunities to learn outdoors
Pupils’ wellbeing improved
Pupils’ problem solving skills and teambuilding developed and applied.
PDG £13,375.00
Purchase Lego/Communication/ collaboration/oracy/team building equipment to enable intervention. Lego therapy promotes social interaction, turn-taking skills, sharing, collaborative problem-solving and the learning of concepts. It will be used to target goals around social skills, language and motor skills. PDG £300.00
Provide musical keyboard lessons for all pupils in Years 4,5&6. Children will have a better understading of the notes on a keybooard, be able to read basic music and play songs. PDG £780.00
Subsidise Year 6 FSM pupils to attend Llangrannog Residential trip. Most pupils enhanced their problem-solving abilities, gained confidence through participation in adventurous activities, and nurtured their social skills. PDG £988.00
Teaching Assistant to deliver ELSA, BPVS and Lego Therapy sessions for children in the Foundation Phase. ELSA helps pupils understand and regulate their emotions, improve their social skills, and enhance their overall emotional literacy. BPVS helps pupils by identifying their language development levels, detecting potential delays and ultimately facilitating the improvement of their communication skills based on a comprehensive assessment of receptive vocabulary. Lego therapy promotes social interaction, turn-taking skills, sharing, collaborative problem-solving and the learning of concepts. It will be used to target goals around social skills, language and motor skills. PDG £6,040.00
Pupil Learner Review meetings – Reception. Teachers to be released to meet with their children to reflect on progress, strengths and areas for development. Reception staff will be released to spend quality time with all pupils in Reception to build relationships and gain a knowledge of groups of learners. Staff will complete pupil learning reviews for each pupil to show progress made and targets to move learning forward. EYPDG £642.00
Authentic learning experiences for Early Years children. Pupils will engage in a variety of real life, authentic learning experiences which will make learning fun, exciting, engaging and relevant for the pupils. It will prepare pupils for the real world. EYPDG £5,000.00
Early Years Resources The learning environment in Early Years will be improved for pupils to boost and engage pupils. Natural resources will be purchased to encourage creativity and imagination. EYPDG £598.00
Resources for parent workshops Nursery and Reception. Parents will have an understanding of what is taught in Nursery and Reception and how it is taught. Parent Child relationships strengthened
Parent-Teacher relationship/engagement strengthened. Parents will be supplied with a resource pack to support pupils at home.
EYPDG £300.00
TL ELSA, BPVS and Lego Therapy 25% ELSA helps pupils understand and regulate their emotions, improve their social skills, and enhance their overall emotional literacy. BPVS helps pupils by identifying their language development levels, detecting potential delays and ultimately facilitating the improvement of their communication skills based on a comprehensive assessment of receptive vocabulary. Lego therapy promotes social interaction, turn-taking skills, sharing, collaborative problem-solving and the learning of concepts. It will be used to target goals around social skills, language and motor skills. EYPDG £6,040.00
Teaching Assistant to develop reading and literacy skills in the Foundation Phase. All pupils in Reception will have phonic and name writing support once/twice a week during Autumn Term. All pupils in Reception will receive reading and writing support once/twice a week during Spring and Summer Term. All pupils in Reception will be assessed on a regular basis using PM benchmarking toolkit to ensure pupils are reading at an independent level. EYPDG £13,103.00
Family Learning Together Day. All pupils from Nursery to Year 2 will participate in a Family Learning Together Day event with parents and teachers. Parent – Teacher relationship developed / improved. Parents will receive a pack of resources to support their child at home with Literacy and Numeracy skills. EYPDG £5,000.00
Additional Teaching Assistant in the Nursery to increase the ratio of children to adults. Pupils in need of emotional support identified by ALNCo
Pupils feel safe and secure and have emotional needs met.
Targetted intervention improves pupils’ emotional and social skills, self-esteem, confidence and wellbeing.
Idenitified pupils supported with bereavement, behaviour and anger.
EYPDG £4,337.00
Teaching Assistant to provide FP Nurture Intervention – Maths, Numeracy, Basic Skills, Wellbeing Nursery Rising 3 staff ratios. 6 pupils will receive nurture intervention 20 minutes daily. EYPDG £6,380.00
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