Pupil Premium Plus (Children Previously in Care)

PP+ is additional educational funding given to schools or virtual schools for children who are ‘looked after’ or in care, plus those children previously in care.

Funding for this cohort of children was originally covered by the Pupil Premium, but it was soon recognised that this group had additional needs due to gaps in learning and life experiences, impacting their ability to learn. PP+ funding for 2024-25 is £2570 per child.

PP+ is available to pupils from reception age to Year 11 in state funded education in England who:

• are in local authority care in England
• have been adopted from care
• left care under a Special Guardianship Order (SGO)
• left care under a Child Arrangements Order (CAO) (formerly called a Residence Order)

Pupils must be attending either:

• A local authority maintained school or maintained special school
• An academy or free school
• A non-maintained special school, an independent school and other alternative provision (e.g., home educated) where the place or provision is funded by the local authority

For Children in Care (CiC), PP+ funding is provided by the Department for Education (DfE) and devolved to schools and education providers via the Virtual School.

However, PP+ for children previously in care (CPiC), this funding is allocated directly to and managed by the school (not the Virtual School) and the onus is on the parent or carer of the child to make the school aware of the child’s status.

How PP+ is spent is decided by the school and it isn’t ring fenced for individual pupils. Rather, the funding goes into a collective pot to be allocated in the ways the school feels would benefit this group of children.

The Virtual School is able to provide advice and information to schools on how to make the best use of the grant but can not recommend how it is used.

Education settings are encouraged to be open and transparent with parents and carers of how the PP+ funding is being used in their setting. They are required to publish their pupil premium spending annually on their website. Good practice supports consultation with parents and carers as to how best to spend the funding but ultimately, school is able to choose how this grant will be spent.

Children with a history of early life trauma often experience difficulties that can present a range of challenges in education. Effective use of the PP+ funding can have a positive impact upon this.

As well as addressing academic needs, social and emotional needs must also be considered. Ensuring teaching and support staff have sufficient training with regards to attachment and developmental trauma will help schools to find the best ways to support children who have these needs.

Statutory guidance states that pupil premium interventions should be evidence based and in the best interest of the child.

Effective spending should target the specific needs of the child and support the continuing professional development (CPD) of the teaching team.

In addition, the PAC-UK Pupil Premium Plus Service Guide suggests schools focus the funding on the following key areas:

• Nurture and relationships
• Social skills and peer relationships
• Emotional literacy and emotion regulation
• Coping with transitions and change
• Developing a child’s executive functioning skills
• Addressing barriers to information sharing and joint working

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) Teaching & Learning Toolkit identified tuition (in small groups or 1:1) as one of the more effective (and cost-effective) interventions.

Research by Adoption UK also found that adopted pupils could be up to 20 times more likely to be excluded. Inclusion should, therefore, play a significant part in any PP+ strategy.

Below you will find a further leaflet outlining some of the above and other PP+ information . We have also produced a frequently asked questions regarding PP+ based on questions we have received as a Virtual School. We have compiled one for professionals and one for parents/carers and regularly update these as and when new questions are asked.

The Pupil Premium Guidance states that “Funding is not based on attainment and you’ll get the pupil premium if your pupils meet the eligibility criteria. Evidence shows that disadvantaged pupils with high attainment are especially at risk of under-achievement.” Just because a child is currenting achieving does not mean this will always be the case. ​

Schools where children who are in receipt of PP+ and are high achieving should be ensuring that they are benefitting from PP+ regardless of their attainment, taking into account their changing needs. ​

The PP funding main aim is to raise attainment; however, it can also be used to address social, emotional and mental health concerns which may affect progress and attainment. If a child has social difficulties e.g. difficulties with making friends – funding could be used to put in interventions around friendships or interactions. Funding can also be used to help pupils progress further to above expected progress by funding resources, programmes or skill development. We would encourage you to raise these issues with your child’s school and ensure they are aware of your child’s needs, considering their pre care experiences.

Schools are not obliged to pass PP+ funding on to a new setting if your child leaves the school. Any decisions about passing funding on take place between the two schools and an agreement needs to be made between them if funding is to be shared. The same rule applies to a dual-registered student who is on roll. For example, the child is at a mainstream school but receives education from an alternative provider such as a PRU. The home centre – i.e. the initial school – is responsible for liaising with the alternative provider and sharing funding as agreed. Parents and Carers should ensure the new school is notified of the child’s CPiC status so PP+ can be claimed moving forward.

Schools are required to publish an annual pupil premium report on their website. This must detail the amount of PP Funding they receive – this includes Free School Meals, Children in Care, Children Previously in Care and Service funding. ​

Schools are not required to provide breakdown of funding for individual children as this funding is not ring fenced per child. If you have concerns around the use of the funding, we would suggest meeting with your School’s Designated Teacher to understand what the funding is being used for and how it is benefitting your child.

Post-16 students are currently not eligible for post-LAC PP+, as the funding applies to statutory school aged children only. Any child attending school from the start of reception to the end of Year 11 (summer term) is eligible to receive PP+. Depending on the YP personal financial circumstances they may be entitled to apply for the 16-19 Bursary Fund.

No - PP+ is a grant which is not means tested; it is purely focussed on promoting educational outcomes.

It is expected that a parent/carer would provide school uniform for their child. If, as a family you are experiencing financial difficulties and are unable to provide a school uniform for your child, then please seek advice from your child’s school.

CPiC who are in receipt of an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) are also entitled to PP+ funding.​

Children with an EHCP should have a package of additional support put in place, in school, to enable them to access the core education offer, which is funded through their EHCP entitlement. The Pupil premium should only provide for additional items or enhancement to this core provision, based on needs, for the pupil to achieve their full potential.