The Pupil Development Grant (PDG) is funding from the Welsh Government that helps schools support pupils who may face extra challenges, including those on free school meals, adopted children, and children in care. The aim is to ensure all learners have the same opportunities to succeed by helping close the gap between them and their peers.
Schools use the grant to improve learning and teaching, support wellbeing and attendance, build strong relationships with families, and help pupils progress through and beyond school. This can include extra teaching support, after‑school activities, wellbeing programmes, staff training, and financial assistance to reduce barriers to learning.
What This Looks Like at Dŵr y Felin
At Dŵr y Felin, each year group has a Pastoral Engagement Officer who provides daily support with attendance, wellbeing, and pastoral needs. Staff are trained in a wide range of mental‑health and wellbeing approaches, and we maintain regular communication with families to address any barriers that may affect attendance or engagement.
In Key Stage 4, the pastoral role is divided so that pupils receive both dedicated wellbeing support and access to alternative learning pathways if mainstream lessons become challenging. This ensures every pupil remains engaged in their education and has a route to success that suits their individual needs.
To further reduce financial barriers, we also use PDG funding to support pupils by covering the cost of essential learning resources, such as cooking ingredients for Food & Nutrition, contributions towards music lessons, and resource packs or equipment that may otherwise carry a charge. The grant also enables us to subsidise access to extra‑curricular activities, events, and school trips. These measures help ensure that no pupil misses out on experiences or learning opportunities due to financial constraints.
Intended Outcomes
Our school’s intended outcomes are to remove the barriers that poverty can place on learning by providing targeted literacy support and intervention to improve reading skills, while also ensuring positive engagement in school through pastoral support that includes wellbeing, emotional literacy, and behaviour guidance.
We have also developed a Wellbeing Curriculum designed to support pupils’ personal skills, confidence, and ambitions, helping them develop the resilience and independence needed for life beyond school.