Pupil Premium / Pupil Premium Plus
The pupil premium from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 will include pupils recorded in the October 2024 school census and alternative provision census, who were looked after by an English or Welsh local authority immediately before being adopted, or who left local authority care on a special guardianship order or child arrangements order (previously known as a residence order). These are collectively referred to as post-LAC in these conditions of grant.
For further information, please access the following Gov.UK websites:-
Pupil Premium Plus: Conditions of Grant for schools and academies 2022/23 - GOV.UK
What do schools get?
Schools and early years settings who have previously looked-after children attending can claim pupil premium plus grant from the Department for Education. The funding is given directly to the child's school from the government. £2,300 is awarded per pupil and the total amount is based on the numbers declared on the January census.
Parents and guardians need to self-declare their child's status where their child is on roll. Parents and guardians need to do this every time their child changes school, including the primary to secondary transition. We encourage schools to send out a letter each year to parents and carers to encourage them to declare their previously-looked after status.
This pupil premium is not ring-fenced to individual children and it is up to the school or early years provider to decide how this money is spent.
Schools are held accountable for the spend of this funding through their annual report (to Governors and on their website) as well as to Ofsted when inspected.
The local authority and Virtual School Head are not the corporate parents for previously looked-after children and not responsible for allocating or managing this pupil premium grant.
Local Authority Support and Responsibility
For the first 3 years after the adoption order is granted, the local authority responsible for placing your adopted child with you is responsible for the statutory assessment. After that, the responsibility lies with the local authority where the adoptive family lives.
However, although the local authority is legally required to carry out the assessment, they are currently not legally required to provide the support that an assessment may reveal they need. Instead, provision of post-adoption support services to families is currently at the local authority's discretion. You can challenge their decision if you feel it is unreasonable, first through your local authority complaints procedure, or if you are still unhappy you can contact the Local Government Ombudsman.
What is PP+ used for?
Unlike the Pupil Premium grant for disadvantaged children, which aims to reduce the attainment gap caused by economic disadvantage, Pupil Premium Plus is awarded in recognition that many adopted and permanently placed children need extra support in school because of the circumstances that led to them being placed into care, and later being adopted or being placed on a SGO or CAO. Therefore, according to the DfE Q&A document on PP+ (2014), it ought to be spent on "helping these children emotionally, socially and educationally by providing specific support, to raise their attainment and address their wider needs." The same document states that "it is not intended that the additional funding should be used to back-fill the general school budget nor . . . used to support other groups of pupils".
Is PP+ ring-fenced?
Pupil Premium Plus is not ring-fenced either to the eligible cohort of children, or to an individual eligible child. This allows schools to, for instance, pool funds to employ a staff member to support a group of children which may include some who are not entitled to PP+, as long as the provision is primarily designed to support the PP+ cohort. As PP+ is paid to the school according to the financial year (April to April) and not the academic year, pooling allows schools to account for shortfalls when a new eligible child starts school, and leftover funds when a child leaves.
Who is accountable for PP+ spending?
Local Authority maintained schools must publish a strategy for their use of Pupil Premium as a whole on the school website, including the amount they received, what barriers eligible pupils face, and how they spend Pupil Premium to overcome these. They do not need to report on PP+ separately, although it is good practice to do so. Academies and free schools must also publish information about their use of Pupil Premium. The specific content will depend on their individual funding agreement.
PP+ (sometimes referred to as 'post-LAC pupil premium') is not monitored separately by Ofsted, but inspections of schools will explore the use of Pupil Premium as a whole, and the effectiveness of the school's strategies and use of the funds. While schools do not have a statutory duty to consult with parents on their use of PP+, there is a clear expectation in DfE guidance that "schools will want to engage with them about the education of pupils on their roll," and will "take particular advantage of this relationship with regards to formerly looked after children". Parents are best placed to identify their own child's particular needs.
How is it accessed?
Unlike other Pupil Premium funding, parents of PP+ eligible children must self-declare their eligibility to their child's school, providing proof of their child's status, e.g. a photocopy of the adoption order. Parents may conceal sensitive information on such documentation if they wish. The school must record this information in the spring census, which takes place in January. Therefore, it is important that parents and guardians inform the school of their child's status well before the census.
Eligibility for PP+ is recorded under the census category 'Post looked after arrangements'. The DfE produces an annual guide to support schools in completing the census. Even if you have declared your child's status, it is recommended that you verify that this is recorded on the school census. If your child changes school, you will need to declare their status again.
Suggestions for effective use of PP+
Training:
understanding the reasons for the challenges that many children face is vital for all staff. Effective training in attachment and the effects of early trauma helps to ensure that any further intervention or support is evidence based.
Therapeutic Interventions:
e.g. buying in creative arts therapy, sensory occupational therapy or play therapy for individuals or groups of children.
Additional Staff:
providing 1:1 support, providing meet and greets at the start of the day, running nurture groups, running additional activities during break and lunchtime.
Equipment and Facilities:
provision of a nurture room, calm boxes, sensory equipment, equipment for playground activities etc.
This list is not prescriptive or exhaustive. Many strategies, such as allowing children to bring in attachment objects from home, thorough transition planning, and effective home-school communications, cost nothing.
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