BURNT Mill Academy has been awarded once again for its work with disadvantaged youngsters.

The school, in First Avenue, Harlow, was awarded £5,000 as a qualifier in the Pupil Premium Awards earlier this year, putting it among just 27 secondary schools nationally to reach the finals.

It has now been awarded a further £50,000 as an East of England finalist in the national awards.
Pupil Premium is additional funding given to schools to raise the attainment of disadvantaged students and to close the gap between them and their peers.

Helena Mills, head of BMAT schools, said: “I was delighted to receive recognition for all we do at Burnt Mill to ensure children who don’t have the same advantages as others get the chance to really succeed.

“The Government gives us additional funding for children who are on free school meals already and we use this as a way of ensuring they can get tutored, reading books and go on trips; things sometimes their families may not be able to afford.

“With this additional funding, we will be able to ensure we offer even more opportunities for our children.

“As a free school meal child myself, I know what it is like to want to do something but not be able to afford it. It is the reason we insist here at Burnt Mill that every child gets the opportunity to learn how to play a musical instrument, go on at least one trip abroad and get tutoring if they need it.”

The school, which has a third of its students in the Pupil Premium category, has closed the gap between the number of students achieving five or more A* to C grades at GCSE from poor or affluent backgrounds from 24% last year to just 12% this year.