This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium funding to help improve the attainment of our disadvantaged pupils.

It outlines our pupil premium strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the effect that last year’s spending of pupil premium had within our school.

School overview

Detail	Data
School name	Horsforth School
Number of pupils in school	1423 (1841 inc. KS5)
Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils	16.2% (232 pupils / 270 inc. KS5)
Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers	2025-2028
Date this statement was published	31/12/25
Date on which it will be reviewed	01/09/2026
Statement authorised by	P. Bell
Pupil premium lead	B. Wilson/K. McFadden

 

Funding overview

Detail	Amount
Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year	£220,375.00

Statement of intent

Horsforth School priorities opportunity and achievement for all. This transcends across all our students, inclusive of their age, social background or any other characteristic. Pupil Premium progress, both academically and pastorally is a whole school priority for Horsforth School. No student should be disadvantaged in the pursuit of reaching their full potential.

We are a large secondary school in Leeds where establishing a culture of inclusion is at the heart of our whole school strategy. We engage positively with other successful organisations, including the Research School Network. A clear, shared understanding of strategic milestones and goals enable constructive conversations between school leaders, staff body and Trustees.

Through leadership capacity, there is a sharp focus on the quality of pupils’ academic outcomes and learning experiences. Our leadership team play a significant role in evaluating progress through ongoing, and crucially, supportive monitoring and quality assurance. We devote time through regular CPD to ensure our staff engage in professional development with the priority focus on vulnerable learners and inclusion.

In each year, Horsforth School offer targeted academic and pastoral intervention to close the gap, including those who are high attainers. Research from the EEF suggests the gap widens with age; by implementing evidenced-informed strategies from year 7, we hope to mitigate this. By using the funds this way, Horsforth School will increase pupils’ confidence, resilience, and encourage pupils to have aspirations for success.

The key principles behind our strategy are based on the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) who suggest that pupil premium spending is most effective when schools use a tiered approach, targeting spending across the following three areas below: Teaching, Academic Support, and Wider approaches.

High-quality teaching is at the heart of our approach, with a focus on areas in which disadvantaged pupils require the most support. This has proven to have the greatest impact on closing the disadvantage attainment gap and at the same time will benefit the non-disadvantaged pupils in our school. Our approach is proactive in response to common challenges and individual needs:

• • To ensure disadvantaged pupils are challenged in the work that they’re set
  • To act early to intervene at the point need is identified
  • To adopt a whole school approach in which all staff take responsibility for disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes and raise expectations of what they can achieve

 

Challenges this Academic Year 2025-26

Challenge number	Detail of challenge
1	Progress gap between PP and non-PP students has reduced from -0.84 to -0.69, however PP Progress 8 2023/24 was below the target of at least 0. The school disadvantage gap is 10.5 (2025) vs 12.41 (2024) and 11.99 (2023). 2025 attainment gap is 4.8 lower than the national attainment gap of 15.3 but a gap still exists.
2	Despite both PP and Non-PP attendance figures being above national average and gap in attendance for PP and non-PP reducing from 8.6%, the gap is 7.1%.
3	Ensuring that students are fully prepared for next steps.
4	The gap in reading, writing and communication skills highlighted through KS2 data, GCSE results and internal reading data between Pupil Premium and Non-Pupil Premium students.
5	Increased pastoral challenges to meet pupils’ needs.

 

 

Intended Outcomes this Academic Year 2025-26

	Intended outcome	Success criteria
1	Disadvantaged pupil progress to be equal or better to FFT50 and continue to close attainment gap.	GCSE results A8 scores and disadvantaged gap
2	Pupil Premium Attendance above the national average for Pupil Premium students and closing the gap to non-PP attendance.	Attendance tracking and interventions: Attendance data electronically stored through SIMs operating system
3	100% of students continue to leave Horsforth and into further education, employment or training – PP NEET 0% 2023, 0% 2024, 3.5% 2025.	Destination data Gatsby benchmarks Careers provision
4	High quality curriculum and successful implementation of whole school literacy strategy.	QA Evidence informed CPD 90% students achieving a 4+ in English 70% PP students achieving a 4+ in English Reading data Staff / Student voice
5	Leaders and staff provide highly effective pastoral support and an exceptional personal development curriculum.	QA of PSHCE programme Pastoral intervention tracking Progress Review data: ATL Behaviour and rewards data Monitoring extracurricular participation Student voice

 

 

 

Activity in this academic year

This details how we intend to spend our pupil premium (and recovery premium funding) this academic year to address the challenges listed above.

Teaching (for example, CPD, recruitment and retention)

Budgeted cost: £125,000.00

Activity	Evidence that supports this approach	Challenge number(s) addressed
Curriculum Offer: the curriculum is ambitious and is designed to give all students including,disadvantaged pupils the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.	The Education Endowment Foundation and Department for Education State a schools’ curriculum should be coherently planned and sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge to maximise progress.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Adaptive and Responsive Curriculum Offer: Personalised Leaning Passports	EEF Individualised Instruction: It is based on the idea that all learners have different needs, and that therefore an approach that is personally tailored — particularly in terms of the activities that pupils undertake and the pace at which they progress through the curriculum — will be more effective. On average, individualised instruction approaches have an impact of 4 months’ additional progress.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Purchase of standardised diagnostic assessments: Literacy Assessment Online. Training will be provided for staff to ensure assessments are interpreted correctly.	EEF research validates that standardised tests can provide reliable insights into the specific strengths and weaknesses of each pupil to help ensure they receive the correct additional support through interventions or teacher instruction.	1, 3, 4
Improving literacy in all subject areas in line with recommendations in the EEF Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools guidance.	Developing the skills of reading to learn and acquiring disciplinary literacy is key for students as they learn new, more complex concepts in each subject. Reading comprehension, vocabulary and other literacy skills are heavily linked with attainment in maths and English.	1, 3, 4
Whole school focus on enhancing the teaching and learning of assessment and feedback.	Education Endowment Foundation research asserts that investing in enhancing the impact of feedback is a very high impact for very low cost based on extensive evidence – six months impact. Effects are high across all curriculum subjects, with slightly higher effects in mathematics and science. There is evidence to suggest that feedback involving metacognitive and self-regulatory approaches can have a greater impact on disadvantaged pupils and lower prior attainers than other pupils.	1, 3, 4
Whole School implementation of consistent strategic approaches to Teaching and Learning: Learning Zones – Quiet Pairs and Purposeful Groups	EEF research evidence suggests that collaborative learning approaches can have five months impact. Pupils need support and practice to work together; it does not happen automatically. Professional development can support the effective management of collaborative learning activities. It is crucial that support is provided through well-structured and carefully designed learning activities to ensure that lower-attaining pupils are involved, challenged and learn successfully.	1, 3, 4, 5
Whole school investment in a universal behaviour approach and updated behaviour logging and tracking resource: Class Charts	EEF: behaviour interventions seek to improve attainment by reducing challenging behaviour in school. This includes Approaches to developing a positive school ethos or improving discipline across the whole school which also aim to support greater engagement in learning and universal programmes which seek to improve behaviour and generally take place in the classroom.	1, 2, 3, 5
Whole school focus on enhancing oracy strategies.	There is evidence to suggest that pupils from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be behind their more advantaged counterparts in developing early language and speech skills, which may affect their school experience and learning later in their school lives. The Education Endowment Foundation: The average impact of Oral language interventions is approximately an additional six months’ progress over the course of a year. Some studies also often report improved classroom climate and fewer behavioural issues following work on oral language.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Embedding Retrieval Practice linked to AFL.	The Education Endowment Foundation; The Learning Scientist; Rosenshine’s Principles in Action: Tom Sherrington: all show that retrieval is critical for robust, durable, long-term learning. Every time a memory is retrieved, that memory becomes more accessible in the future. Retrieval also helps us create coherent and integrated mental representations of complex concepts, the kind of deep learning necessary to solve new problems and draw new inferences. (Durrington Research School).	1, 3, 4
Literacy Across the Curriculum: Learning to Read, Reading to Learn, Disciplinary Literacy, and Reading for Pleasure.	EEF: Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools (Guidance Report, July 2018) EEF: Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2 (Guidance Report, Nov 2021) The Education Endowment Foundation; Closing the Reading Gap and Mastering the Fundamentals of Reading and Writing – Alex Quigley: It is important to identify the appropriate level of text difficulty, to provide appropriate context to practice the skills, desire to engage with the text and enough challenge to improve reading comprehension.	1, 3, 4, 5
Year 7 transition groups make incremental progress through summative assessments, increasing in performance reflected in their attainment percentage.	The Education Endowment Foundation: The best available evidence indicates that great teaching is the most important lever schools have to improve pupil attainment. We know that transitions between classes, year groups and settings are likely to be of significant importance in the lead up to the new academic year.	1, 3, 4
Evidence Informed CPD: Teachers to complete Disciplined Inquiries that are informed by school priorities.	CPD is planned and implemented in line with EEF Effective Professional Development recommendations: 1. When designing and selecting professional development, focus on the mechanisms, 2: Ensure that professional development effectively builds knowledge, motivates staff, develops teaching techniques, and embeds practice, 3. Implement professional development programmes with care, taking into consideration the context and needs of the school.	1, 3, 4
Specific whole school CPD focused on learning through the lens of SEND students to support with SEMH, literacy skills and support planning for students’ needs.	The Education Endowment Foundation SEND in Mainstream Schools summary of recommendations (environment, understanding, teaching, interventions, TAs) has been built into the CPD provided for staff.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5

 

 

 

Targeted academic support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)

Budgeted cost: £75,000.00

Activity	Evidence that supports this approach	Challenge  number(s) addressed
Connect Provision: Onsite curriculum and behaviour inclusion programme to support access to learning, engagement with SEMH needs and promote reintegration to full-time learning.	The Education Endowment Foundation: Behaviour interventions seek to improve attainment by reducing challenging behaviour in school. This includes more specialised programmes which are targeted at students with specific behavioural issues. The average impact of behaviour interventions is four additional months’ progress over the course of a year. Evidence suggests that, on average, behaviour interventions can produce moderate improvements in academic performance along with a decrease in problematic behaviours.	1, 2, 3
Early diagnostic testing of students in KS3 with targeted interventions implemented for key priority students. Students are provided with bespoke small group and/or one to one support to close gaps in reading and support with accessing the curriculum.	Reading comprehension strategies can have a positive impact on pupils’ ability to understand a text, and this is particularly the case when interventions are delivered over a shorter time span.	1, 3, 4
Adopting a targeted reciprocal teaching programme as a reading intervention for disadvantaged pupils who need additional help to comprehend texts and address vocabulary gaps.	Reading comprehension strategies can have a positive impact on pupils’ ability to understand a text, and this is particularly the case when interventions are delivered over a shorter time span.	1, 3, 4, 5
Implementing a carefully researched and targeted phonics programme to support the weakest readers to access the curriculum.	The Education Endowment Foundation: Phonics is a high impact for low-cost intervention. The teaching of phonics should be explicit and systematic and matched to children’s current level of skill in terms of their phonemic awareness, and their knowledge of letter sounds and patterns (graphemes).	1, 2, 3, 4
PP Mentoring scheme involving PP students across all year groups.	The Education Endowment Foundation: Peer tutoring approaches have been shown to have a positive impact on learning, with an average positive effect equivalent to approximately five additional months’ progress within one academic year. Studies have identified benefits for both tutors and tutees, and for a wide range of age groups. Though all types of pupils appear to benefit from peer tutoring, there is some evidence that pupils who are low-attaining and those with special educational needs make the biggest gains. Use of the new EEF guide, ‘Making a difference with effective tutoring’ to support successful implementation of tutoring at Horsforth School.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Year 11 – Departmental intervention in each subject, available by invite (targeted at underachieving PP students) or drop-in, and is led by subject specialists. Targeted English, maths, science and history intervention takes place for two hours a week as part of extended core subject curriculum time for all students and is led by subject specialists.	The Education Endowment Foundation – Extending School Time: Before and after school programmes with a clear structure, a strong link to the curriculum, and well-qualified and well-trained staff are more clearly linked to academic benefits than other types of extended hours provision.	1, 3, 4, 5
Free key resources and revision materials for all GCSE PP students.	Supported by above evidence and the impact of academic intervention.	1, 2, 3, 5

 

 

 

Wider strategies (for example, attendance, behaviour, wellbeing)

Budgeted cost: £75,000.00

Activity	Evidence that supports this approach	Challenge number(s) addressed
Assistant Headteachers for Vulnerable Learners deliver evidence informed CPD to implement the school strategy and EEF approaches for best supporting PP students.	CPD is planned and implemented in line with EEF Effective Professional Development recommendations: 1. When designing and selecting professional development, focus on the mechanisms, 2: Ensure that professional development effectively builds knowledge, motivates staff, develops teaching techniques, and embeds practice, 3. Implement professional development programmes with care, taking into consideration the context and needs of the school.	1, 2, 5
Vulnerable Learner Strategy Meetings: PP lead, SENCO and pastoral team leaders collaborate fortnightly on priority students where plans are implemented, monitored and assessed.	Double Disadvantage? Socio-economic inequalities in the SEND system (The Sutton Trust, October 2025) reaffirms evidence that highlights to over-represented PP students who are in the SEND cohort and “the need to attend to particular challenges faced by this group”. Understanding Attendance published by ImpactEd Group (July 2024) reports key themes of “developing a community around attendance” to ensure “a joined-up approach” with leaders working together to “remove external and internal barriers.”	1, 2, 3, 5
Parent Engagement events for with PP/SEND focus and priority.	Double Disadvantage? Socio-economic inequalities in the SEND system (The Sutton Trust, October 2025) reinforces that for Vulnerable Learners “to thrive in their education, a strong partnership is needed between school and home.”	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Pastoral Officer: Pastoral appointment who supports and diagnoses need for students including forming a strong relationship with home.	The Education Endowment Foundation: On average, individualised instruction (singular targeted approach to support students) approaches have an impact of 4 months’ additional progress. The average impact of the Parental engagement approaches is about an additional four months’ progress over the course of a year. There are also higher impacts for pupils with low prior attainment.	1, 2, 3
Extended Leadership Attendance Lead: Wellbeing Wednesdays	EEF impact on average of 4 months: Social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions seek to improve pupils’ decision-making skills, interaction with others and their self-management of emotions, rather than focusing directly on the academic or cognitive elements of learning.	1, 2, 3
Attendance: Pastoral team to support improving attendance for targeted students with bespoke interventions.	The Education Endowment Foundation and the Department for Education: The higher the overall absence rate across Key Stage KS2 and KS4, the lower the likely level of attainment at the end of KS2 and KS4.	1, 2, 3, 5
PP Attendance: The Pastoral team intervene daily with any unauthorised attendances. Attendance leaders are rigorous a monitoring and intervening.	The Education Endowment Foundation and the Department for Education: The higher the overall absence rate across Key Stage KS2 and KS4, the lower the likely level of attainment at the end of KS2 and KS4. Understanding Attendance report published by ImpactEd Group (July 2024) highlights the importance of “routines around attendance” and “a relational targeted approach” to reducing absences.	1, 2, 3, 5
Form tutor pastoral interventions to support positive behaviour for learning and attendance.	Understanding Attendance report published by ImpactEd Group (July 2024) affirms the significance of “embedding a sense of belonging” and ensuring approaches to “developing a community around attendance.”	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
ESNA group for Year 7 that helps support with transition from Primary School. Supporting with the regulating of emotions and building skills around communicating and teamwork.	The Education Endowment Foundation: ‘Social and emotional skills’ are essential for children’s development— they support effective learning and are linked to positive outcomes in later life. With the right support, children learn to articulate and manage their emotions, deal with conflict, solve problems, understand things from another person’s perspective, and communicate in appropriate ways. ImpactEd Group: Understanding Attendance (July 2024) shares findings that promote “embedding a sense of belonging” and implementing “communications, celebrations and targeted support”.	1, 2, 5
Super Curriculum opportunities.	EEF: Additional non-academic activities may also provide free or low-cost alternatives to sport, music, and other enrichment activities that more advantaged families are more likely to be able to pay for outside of school.	1, 2, 3, 5
Updates rewards initiatives to motivate students’ attendance, organisation and engagement through positive attitude to learning.	EEF: behaviour interventions seek to improve attainment by reducing challenging behaviour in school. This includes Approaches to developing a positive school ethos or improving discipline across the whole school which also aim to support greater engagement in learning and universal programmes which seek to improve behaviour and generally take place in the classroom.	1, 2, 5
Cultural Capital opportunities promoted through educational opportunities and personal development.	The Sutton Trust: Improving aspiration is widely linked to academic improvements and wellbeing. This can support societies with social mobility.	1, 2, 5
Super Curriculum and Cultural Capital: School Parliament relaunch with external speaker delivering assemblies to all and identified students with specific recruitment of PP students as representatives in each year group.	The Sutton Trust: Improving aspiration is widely linked to academic improvements and wellbeing. This can support societies with social mobility.	1, 2, 4, 5
PP students receive essential equipment for free including scientific and specialist materials upon request.	Key equipment to support learners to access the curriculum to reduce behaviour sanctions and “remove barriers to pupil attendance” (ImpactEd Group, Understanding Attendance, July 2024) because of the correlation in evidence between disadvantaged cohorts and challenges to engagement.	1, 2, 3, 5
Link and Connect Provision: Pastoral, wrap around care for the most vulnerable PP and SEND students and focusses on re-engaging school refusers and students who are PA; raising achievement and addressing progress gaps across the curriculum through timetabled intervention.	The Education Endowment Foundation: ‘Social and emotional skills’ are essential for children’s development— they support effective learning and are linked to positive outcomes in later life. With the right support, children learn to articulate and manage their emotions, deal with conflict, solve problems, understand things from another person’s perspective, and communicate in appropriate ways.	1, 2, 5

Total budgeted cost: £275,000.00

 

Pupil premium strategy outcomes

This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on pupils in the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Intended outcome	Success criteria
Disadvantaged pupil progress to be equal or better to FFT50.	PP outcomes 2024/25: 4+ 64%/5+ 46%/7+ 21% all above FFT50. Attainment gap -10.5 between PP and Non-PP. This is +4.8 on national gap in A8.
100% of students leave Horsforth and into further education, employment or training – PP 0% 2023 and 2024	Destination Data: 1% NEET, 3.5% PP (2 students)
Pupil Premium Attendance above the national average for Pupil Premium students.	Attendance data electronically stored through SIMs: 94.9% whole school (+3.6% on national), 88.9% PP (+2.7% on national)
High quality curriculum and successful implementation of whole school literacy strategy.	Students achieving a grade 4+ in English: 82% in 2023, 89% in 2024, 87% 2025 PP Students achieving a grade 4+ in English 66% 2023, 67% 2024, 75% 2025 Reading QA July 2025: 92.6% Secure Practice/ Practice to Share Oracy QA July 2025: 96.2% Secure Practice/ Practice to Share Y8/Y9 Average 18 months progress in reading data Y7 Average 15 months progress in reading data Horsforth School students leave with a reading age no lower than 20% from chronological age (July 2024 87.4%, July 2025 88.5%)
Increased Cultural Capital among Pupil Premium students and offering exceptional personal development opportunities.	Whole school fundraising and Enterprise event Whole school leadership opportunities All PP students prioritised for trips and funding provided for each year group Charity fundraising £25,000+ raised (£27,546)   Continuity and growth of parliament/student leaders: VL representation 2025 is 43% VL – 26% PP / 26% SEND

 

Achievement – GCSE Results Three-Year Trend:

	2024/25			2023/2024			2022/2023
Measure	PP Students	Non-PP Students	Gap	PP Students	Non-PP Students	Gap	PP Students	Non-PP Students	Gap
P8 score	N/A	N/A	N/A	-0.25	+0.44	-0.69	-0.09	+0.75	-0.86
A8 score	46.9	57.4	-10.5 (+4.8 national)	42.89	55.3	-12.41	45.51	57.5	-11.99

 

 

Attendance % – Three-Year Trend:

Group	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23
All	94.9 (+3.6 vs national)	93.9	93.7
PP	88.9 (+2.7 on national)	86.5	85.8
Non-PP	96.0	95.1	95.0
GAP	-7.1	-8.6	-9.2

 

Publicly funded schools in England get extra funding from the government to help improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. The evidence shows that children from disadvantaged backgrounds generally face extra challenges in reaching their potential and often do not perform as well as their peers. The pupil premium grant is designed to allow schools to help disadvantaged pupils by improving their progress and the exam results they achieve. The Pupil Premium group consists of students who are in receipt of free school meals (FSM), who have been in receipt of free school meals within the last six years (FSM Ever 6), who have been looked after continuously for the past 6 months (LAC) or who have been adopted from care. In addition, the school also receives a separate Service Children’s Premium, which applies to the children of parents or carers who are serving in the Armed Forces. The Service Children’s Premium is intended to support the pastoral needs of Service Children.

For the year 2025/26 the Pupil Premium has a value of £1075 per eligible pupil and £2630 for children classified as Child Looked After with three CLA students at Horsforth School. The Service Children premium is £350/student and there are five students at Horsforth School. There are currently 213 Pupil Premium Students at Horsforth School. Horsforth School is a comprehensive school with 16.2% of students entitled to the Pupil Premium.

Research from The Education Endowment Foundation has found that disadvantaged pupils have been worst affected by partial school closures, and that the attainment gap has grown. The economic impact of Covid-19 has also led to higher numbers of pupils qualifying for pupil premium. It is therefore more important than ever that we support students who qualify for the premium. “The attainment gap grows wider at every stage of education: it is already evident when pupils begin school, growing to 9.5 months by the end of primary school, and then more than doubling to 19.3 months by the end of secondary school.” (EEF, 2018). This is why at Horsforth School we implement targeted interventions in every year group for students eligible for the Pupil Premium funding. The school has a clear ethos of ‘Opportunity and Achievement for All’, which we want to foster both academically and pastorally to ensure all students reach their potential. We foster widder support through cultural capital opportunities for students to raise aspirations and possibilities – by doing this, coupled with high quality teaching and targeted academic intervention – the GAP which exists nationally, will be mitigated at Horsforth School.

The summer school ran for two periods of 5 days over the summer holiday – 26th – 30th July and 23rd – 27th August 2021.

All 285 of the new year 7 cohort were invited to attend. 223 students took part for at least one day and the numbers attending were as follows:

 

Date	Number Attended
Monday 26 July	140
Tuesday 27 July	135
Wednesday 28 July	133
Thursday 29 July	130
Friday 30 July	114
Monday 23 August	82
Tuesday 24 August	83
Wednesday 25 August	81
Thursday 26 August	83
Friday 27 August	69
Total	1050

Staffing numbers

The programme was led and developed by 2 members of school SLT.

In the first week, there were 5 members of teaching staff and 4 support staff. In the second week there were 4 members of teaching staff and 3 support staff. An additional member of staff from Horsforth Children’s Services attended each day of both weeks to sign the young people in and out, deal with queries from young people and parents/carers, organise the distribution of lunches and oversee the rooming/timetabling of the groups.

Preparation for the Summer school

In school staff attended several planning meetings lead by the leadership team. Plans were devised for providing a fun summer school with the added benefit of encouraging new peer relationships, time to integrate into their new school surroundings and meet key adults; something they had been unable to do earlier due to COVID restrictions, and give opportunities for literacy and numeracy catch up whilst a accessing a cross curricular programme accessible for all.

School staff worked in conjunction with the staff from Horsforth Childrens’ services to provide a programme of events, well resourced and planned, to support a successful year 6 o 7 transition for our pupils.

Prior to the start of the summer school, information was sent out to families explaining that although the summer school was a fun, voluntary activity, part of the purpose of the week was to get the young people ready for school and therefore we would be expecting them to follow school rules and procedures.

We worked with our partner primaries to ensure our most vulnerable families were targeted specifically and students encouraged to attend.

How the summer school worked

The day was designed to look very similar to a typical day in school with five periods in order to prepare students for this format in September. Students were randomly assigned into groups for Monday to Wednesday and then re-assigned randomly into new groups for the Thursday and Friday. This was to encourage the students to meet new people and form new friendships but also to minimise mixing and support our COVID risk assessment.

A carousel of activities was offered for the first four periods each day with the groups moving between classrooms to gain familiarity with the building. The first activities every day had a very specific numeracy and/or literacy focus linked to the KS2/3 curriculum. Subsequent activities then linked to various aspects of the curriculum whilst incorporating those maths and English skills needed to access the key stage 3 curriculum. Activities included Orienteering, science based challenges, arts and crafts, rounders, IT sessions, pottery, kite building and were planned and delivered by trained staff from various department areas from within the school.

The final session every day was an organised outdoor physical session where the groups took part in games and team challenges.

A lunch was provided each day and the young people were invited to choose what they would like before the summer school started.

Quotes from young people:

“I would definitely recommend the summer school to year 6 next year”

“I liked the orienteering best, now I know my way around”

“I was very scared at the start but now I am looking forward to starting in September”

Parent voice

“I just wanted to thank you for providing such a fantastic transition week for the children, XXX has thoroughly enjoyed it and is feeling more excited about starting school.”

“We are so grateful for this opportunity for XXX to get to know more of the school, his peers and teachers.”

Additional summer school days

An additional summer school was offered and promoted to those families of existing students in receipt of pupil premium funding.

Students from years 7 to 10 were invited into school over the summer holidays on either the 11th, 13th or 15th August for a tutoring session with a year coordinator, pastoral behaviour officer or leadership team member. The aim of the sessions were multifaceted to be able to support students with their studies but also a wellbeing check-in opportunity. Students, prior to leaving for the summer holidays were issued with a pack of summary work from the academic year that was drawing to a close. This enabled students to be able revisit any of the work they may have missed or wanted to further consolidate. When students visited in the summer, they were encouraged to ask questions or to go over any topics that they may have found challenging. Upon return to school in September, curriculum areas were asked to highlight their learning journeys to students so they can see how previously learnt content contributes to the next phase of teaching.

Parent/carers were contacted prior to the summer holidays to arrange appointments for the students to attend. If any student missed the appointment, phone calls home were made instead.

 

Summer Transition  Expenditure Summary
Staffing	£19,599
Catering	£5,850
Resources	£4,401
IT Equipment	£17,265
Premises	£6,210
Total Summer School Expenditure	£53,325

Overview

Detail	Information
Academic year that this summary covers	2025-2026
Date this summary was published	September 2025
Date this summary will be reviewed	Summer 2026
Name of the school music lead	Mr S Denson
Name of school leadership team member with responsibility for music (if different)	Mrs S Nowell
Name of local music hub	Horsforth Music Centre

 

Part A – Curriculum Music

Overview

The music curriculum at Horsforth is challenging. Students cover a variety of genres whilst working towards their GCSE qualifications. In year 9, students can specialise and take 3 music lessons every two weeks instead of just the usual one a week and in year 10, students take their GCSE options, increasing lessons to 5 every two weeks.

Students study Eduqas GCSE at Horsforth, and covering four main areas of study:

• • Area of Study 1 – Musical Forms and Devices
  • Areas of Study 2 – Music for Ensemble
  • Area of Study 3 – Film Music
  • Area of Study 4 – Popular Music

Music Curriculum Overview

Below is a summary of what students learn each half-term and which focus students are studying between composing, performing and analysis.

Year 7 Music Curriculum Overview

Title of Topic	Content	Focus of topic
		Compose	Perform	Analyse
HT1 The Elements of Music	Performing, composing with, and discussing the individual elements of music. Focussing on how the elements can be intertwined and why they are named as they are. Teaching of compositional techniques.	x	x	x
HT2 Keyboard skills	Introduction to the keyboard and notation skills through correct techniques that encourage long-term growth and pride in work.		x	x
HT3 Song writing	Students to compose using a variety of instruments within a pop-song structure. Introduction to lyric writing and vocal composition.	x	x
HT4 Guitar Skills	Exploration of guitar and bass through listening and performing to extracts of famous music, mostly popular music.		x	x
HT5 Ensemble music   Music Technology	Performance and composition unit where the focus is on exploration of musical sounds and genre. Unit is focused on singing alongside Taiko or African drums.	x	x	x
	Music technology introduction. Students will compose using a DAW on the Mac Mini computer suite.	x
HT6 Film music studies	Analysis and composition unit exploring the industry of film music. A multitude of composers are explored within and outside of students’ interest.	x		x

 

Year 8 Music Curriculum Overview

Title of Topic	Content	Focus of topic
		Compose	Perform	Analyse
HT1 Samba – The Music of Brazil	Performing, composing with, and investigating the genre of Samba. Opportunities to lead their own performances, creating new music and developing an understanding of rhythms outside of western tradition.	x	x	x
HT2 Musical Styles	Analysing and performing a selection of musical styles including western classical, reggae and Yin Yue.		x	x
HT3 Rock Band Skills	Performing extracts of a variety of songs on drums, guitar, bass guitar and vocals to create an ensemble performance and a solo performance.		x
HT4 The Blues	Analysis unit focusing on the history of blues alongside the structure and harmony that creates a 12 bar-blues. Improvisation using C-blues scale and a walking bassline.	x	x	x
HT5 Ensemble music     Music Technology	Performance and composition unit where the focus is on exploration of musical sounds and genre. Unit is focused on singing alongside Taiko or African drums.	x	x	x
	Second Music technology unit. Focus on sound effects, layering rhythms and creating ‘thicker’ texture in music.	x
HT6 In at the deep end	Performance unit providing culmination topic using the skills learnt across year 7 and year 8 to perform a song on a chosen instrument		x

Year 9 Music Curriculum Overview

Title of Topic	Content	Focus of topic
		Compose	Perform	Analyse
HT1 The Elements of Music	Performing, composing with, and discussing the individual elements of music. Students develop their understanding with a notation focus using time and key signatures, chord symbols, rhythmic notation and are introduced to the circle of fifths. AOS 1-4		x	x
HT2 Film and Video game music	Analysing and exploring film and video game music in increased detail from KS3. Understanding why it is composers use various techniques e.g fanfare, low strings vs high strings, is crucial development for foundation year to support for Component 3. AOS 3	x		x
HT3 Composition for GCSE	Composing unit focused on being able to explore and deepen our understanding of DAW software and creativity. Composing for a scene and for various chord sequences including the circle of fifths. AOS 1 and 3	x
HT4 Musical Forms and Devices	Analysis unit on musical forms and devices, focusing on how composers used structure to and ornamentation to develop their music. Set work 1 introduced. AOS1			x
HT5 Music for Ensemble	Performance unit music for ensemble. Students make their own jazz/blues trios, vocal ensembles, and quartets with a focus on textured music. African/ Taiko drums at a progressed level using cross-rhythms and formal structures. AOS2	x	x	x
HT6 Solo Performance	Performance focused unit giving students the chance to prepare for a solo performance at the end of the year. Culmination of work completed in peri lessons and drop-down performance weeks.		x

Year 10 Music Curriculum Overview

Title of Topic	Content	Focus of topic
		Compose	Perform	Analyse
HT1 Film and programme music	Analysis unit on AOS 3 using exam style questioning. Introduction to how to answer GCSE question papers and 10-mark questions on programmatic featured music. AOS 3			x
HT2 Popular music	Analysis unit introducing the final AOS and set work. Students explore full past papers and create class and individual WAGOL answers for retrieval examples later in the year. AOS 4			x
HT3 Performance skills	Students create both solo and ensemble performances for their first GCSE criteria-based performances. Alongside performances, students are given regular GCSE style questions to prepare them for their first full mock exam.		x
HT4 and 5 Free composition	Composition unit which culminates in 20 hours (approximately 10 weeks) of free composition time.	x
HT6 1 Set works	Analysis unit focused on learning how to play and remember the set works.			x
HT6 2 Performance skills 2	Performance unit where students choose their final solo and ensemble performance. Supporting Year 9 students in their end of year concert.		x

Year 11 Music Curriculum Overview

Title of Topic	Content	Focus of topic
		Compose	Perform	Analyse
Block 1 – 12 weeks Composition brief	Composition unit which culminates in 20 hours (approximately 10 weeks) of free composition time.	x
Block 2 – 6 weeks Performance hand-off	Performance unit which culminates in recording both performances.		x
Block 3 – Appraisal exam preparation	GCSE appraising exam preparation.			x

Part B – Co-curricular Music

Peripatetic (instrument) lessons

All students have access to peripatetic instrument lessons at Horsforth which take place during the school day. These lessons are on a rotating basis and allow students to integrate instrument study within their school week. Lessons take place once a week for twenty minutes on a one-to-one basis and students will be given tasks to complete to prepare and practice for their next lesson.

At GCSE all students are offered subsidised tuition in one instrument, with two thirds of the cost subsidised by the school. Non-GCSE and A-Level PP students are also offered a subsidised rate, and the cost is spread out throughout the year for all students. A-Level students have one lesson fully funded every week and are encouraged to take up a second instrument if they already have lessons in one.

Our instrument tutors are hired individually and work across a variety of top-level schools in Yorkshire. Alongside their teaching responsibilities, many of our Peri staff also work professionally as artists and composers.

Extra-Curricular

At Horsforth students are offered a variety of performance opportunities as part of instrumental and vocal groups. As of this year, we currently offer:

• • School Choir – Mixed voices at a variety of levels.
  • Close Harmony – Mixed voices singing challenging repertoire.
  • Ukulele Club – Aimed at year 7 and 8 students starting ukulele
  • Concert Band – Any instruments are welcome to take part
  • Theory Club – An opportunity to study music theory further
  • Rockband – Year 7 and 8 students creating performances in bands
  • Musical Theatre Club – Open for all students to perform
  • Pit Band – An invite only group of musicians

Instrument borrowing

We have a variety of instruments that can be borrowed by students to support in either starting a student’s musical journey or continuing it when their instrument is unavailable. This is intended for short- and medium-term use only and instrument borrowing is not a guarantee for all students.

If you wish to discuss borrowing an instrument, simply speak with Mr Denson or your class music teacher.

 

Part C – Musical Experiences

Concerts and performances

Through the school year we have three internal concerts which are ran by the music department. These are a winter showcase, easter eggstraviganza and a whole school musical in summer. These performances mostly feature our ensembles but also give the opportunity for a variety of solo moments. If you wish to take part in any of these events, please speak with Mr Denson or your class music teacher.

Alongside these internal performances, we have a variety of other opportunities:

Battle of the Bands – Performance night hosted at Horsforth School, led by sixth form students. This event is a competition and has a panel of experts from across Leeds who vote for their favourite group.

Live at the Wardrobe – This event, hosted by West Yorkshire Music Hub, is an opportunity for the winner of battle of the bands, to perform at the world-famous venue in Leeds city centre. Artists such as Amy Winehouse, Catfish and the Bottlemen and George Ezra have performed at the usually 18+ venue.

Candlelighters fundraiser – An event usually organised by year 9 music students with performances from all year groups to raise money for the incredible, candlelighters.
Performances in our local area – These performances change annually but the below list give a taste of the experiences our young people have:

• • Christmas Lunch with Carols – a performance at Weetwood hall
  • Masterclasses (past examples vocal, piano, guitar)
  • Choir and vocal workshop days
  • Performances at Local primary schools
  • Performances in assemblies

Trips

As a department, we are keen for our students to be exposed to as much live music and further education opportunities as we can. The list below consists of trips that either have occurred or are occurring within the next school year. Most of these trips are fully funded but there will be some trips where we ask for a financial contribution if necessary (additional funding is available for PP students).

• • Visits to Musicals
  • Live Orchestral performances
  • Tours, talks and performances at Conservatoires across the country
  • Visits to LS18 Rocks
  • Virtuoso performances

Music Technology

In March 2025, we were able to install 16 brand-new 2025 Mac Mini’s with the latest M4 processor. Alongside our Macs, students have access to midi keyboards and Focusrite Scarlett solo generation 3 boxes, allowing students to record three separate channels at once into a variety of DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations). Our technology facilities are regularly used by students in lessons and within their own break and lunch times.

 

In the future

A-Level and GCSE led extra-curricular

As our A-Level and GCSE intake has now grown we are looking to create more opportunities both to lead and take part in extra-curricular through some of our older students. Teaching music can be an extremely useful method for developing your own abilities and utilising these students will allow further opportunities for our younger students to take part in more specialised ensembles.

Trips and Events

As a newly boosted department with two full time music teachers, our capacity to organise and run trips has increased. As such, we are looking to expand our performance and trip rota to allow for more consistent opportunities for students with the intention to run more adventurous trips, potentially working towards visiting locations outside of the north of England and taking part in orchestra or choir tours.

Music schools and ensembles across Leeds

We already have a variety of students who are members of ensembles such as Opera North Youth Chorus, City of Leeds Youth Orchestra, LS18 Rocks and PJC Music School but many of these connections have taken place through pre-existing student connections. Over the coming year, we hope to build our connections with external organisations through co-ran events which will both boost our student offer and intake for these organisations.

Alongside this, we are attempting to further develop our relationships with local schools and hope that in the coming months, we can start to plan and deliver concerts across schools in the West Leeds area.

Further information

Below is further information on the organisations that we work with.

Horsforth Music Hub

Horsforth Music Centre runs on Saturday mornings at Horsforth School and provides a huge range of opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy making music. From early years groups and beginner classes to advanced adult ensembles, we have something for everyone. For full details see www.horsforthmusic.co.uk or give us a call or an email.

Located in: Horsforth School & Sixth Form at Horsforth

Address: Lee Lane East, Horsforth, Leeds LS18 5RE

Phone: 07545 603953

PJC Music School

PJC Music School is an independent music school based in Yeadon, with a wealth of experience and outstanding results. We specialise in Piano, Singing and Music Theory and teach students of all ages and abilities.

Location: PJC MUSIC SCHOOL, 36 Kirk Lane, Yeadon, LS19 7ET

Email: info@pjcmusicschool.com

Website: www.pjcmusicschool.com

LS18 Rocks

AWARD winning music school LS18 Rocks was launched in Leeds by professional musician Jonnie Khan to provide his one-to-one music students with a band setting that would enable them to perform collectively on stage. In 2023 we were awarded the title of Performing Arts School of the Year at the Yorkshire Prestige Awards. LS18 Rocks now boasts over 150 students making music every week and employs seven freelance teachers.

Located in: Morrisons Horsforth

Address: 61-69 Town St, Horsforth, Leeds LS18 5LE

Phone: 07968 717214