Pupil premium grant for children looked after
This policy relates to Ealing’s pupil premium plus grant (PPPG) funding for Ealing’s children looked after (CLA) in statutory schooling for children aged between 5-16 years old. This is the funding held by Ealing’s Virtual School, not other strands of the pupil premium grant allocated to schools.
Pupil premium plus grant (PPPG) is calculated from the number of statutory school age children and the pupil premium plus grant provided by the Department for Education. PPPG is not to be confused with other forms of pupil premium funding, such as that available for children with free school meals, service pupil premium or pupil premium plus for children who have left care on a court order.
The conditions of the grant for pupil premium plus, require that the allocation must be managed by the virtual school head and used to support educational outcomes of individual children looked after as detailed in their Personal Education Plans (PEPs).
Guidance for schools is here: Using Pupil Premium: Guidance for School Leaders (publishing.service.gov.uk)
The emphasis for the pupil premium plus is on raising attainment and closing the gap between children looked after and their peers. The grant is intended to provide ‘additionality’ for the looked after child.
Guidance for Local authorities: pre-16 schools funding - GOV.UK
Provision of PPPG
Mainstream schools with statutory school age Ealing CLA on roll will be paid £450 per term (based on a 3 term school year) for each Ealing CLA.
There is no funding available to increase the termly amount.The designated teacher is expected to record how these monies are used to support educational outcomes for each individual CLA, on the termly personal education plan (PEP). If the use of the funding is not recorded on the PEP, then the virtual school can cease the termly payments. Payments will be made to schools around half term in each school term (October, February and May).
Other provisions
Other education providers, such as independent specialist provisions, alternative providers, tuition agencies are generally providing intensive education provision that is reflected in the high cost of the placements to the local authority. In exceptional cases, pupils may have needs that would benefit from an additional payment of PPPG. These situations can be addressed on an individual basis and providers must discuss any request for additional provision with the child’s social worker and allocated virtual school teacher.
Evidence of additionality and an application for funding will be required with the submission of a completed Ealing pupil premium plus grant request for additional funds, to the allocated virtual school teacher. It is expected that such applications will be very small in number for amounts inline with £450, detailed above.
Rationale for this approach
Distributing PPPG as simply as possible, without delay is a central part of the DfE guidance for PPPG. As such, this approach provides a fixed amount that will allow schools to plan termly support. Equally, if a child moves schools, monies will be available for the new school, where the child attends.
The new approach to PEPs, for September 2024, will also enable schools to clearly record how they are using PPPG to support individual children. There will also the ability for schools to evidence further spend or support that is being put in place from core funding, core pupil premium, SEND funding etc.
How Ealing uses PPPG
The DfE guidance makes provision for PPPG to be used centrally to benefit CLA collectively. Historically operational costs have been funded through PPPG. Other funding options are now being developed so that a greater proportion of PPPG is available to support CLA directly in schools in line with guidance. Ealing will release £450 termly, providing a total offer of £1350 per CLA per academic year. What PPPG cannot be used for Following a review of spend 2023-2024, requests for PPPG were mostly compliant with DfE guidance: it was evident in the requests for funding that links between spend and securing educational outcomes were clear. There were some requests that fell outside of guidance.
Examples of requests that PPPG cannot be used for include:
- Payments to fund transport to and from school
- Payments for school uniform, and school meals
- Payments to support foster carers (facilitating late school pick up or early drop off)
- Payment to purchase reward prizes for children (eg bike, vouchers, reward trips/other trips without educational focus). If there is any concern about how monies should be used, please discuss with the Virtual school Teacher attached to your school.
Previous practise that has now ended
1. For academic year 2023-2024, funding was only available to schools via use of the Pupil Premium Plus Grantrequest form. This simple needs-led approach meant that monies were released to schools based on theneeds of the children.
Reason for ending this approach: Move to a universal offer for all CLA.
2. For academic year 2022-2023, funding was released in two tranches. Autumn term, £700 to all CLA andSpring term, requests for funding.
Reason for ending this approach: Maintaining a balanced budget that ensured effective spend of PPPG thatwas able to demonstrate academic impact.
3. For academic year 2021-2022 (and earlier), funding was released in two tranches, totalling £1400 per CLA.There was also a scale detailing month of care entry and pro-rata deduction in funding. In addition, schoolscould request additional funding based on need.
Reason for ending this approach: Complicated model with pro-rata deduction meant schools receiveddifferent amounts for children.
Ealing pupil premium plus grant request for additional funds
This process is for use in exceptional cases where typical funding is insufficient or unavailable. This is to provide support for children without a mainstream school place.
- Please consider the support that is required. Specifically consider, how your planned support will raise attainmentand secure improved educational outcomes for this pupil.
- Discuss the need and request with your virtual school teacher (this discussion could be at the PEP but may be at aspecific meeting about funding – please request one if you are concerned about any possible delay).
- Request the form from your virtual school teacher.
- Complete details and return the form to the virtual school teacher.
- The virtual school teacher will raise this request with the virtual school head for a decision about what can be funded.
- The virtual school teacher will let you know the outcome of the request for funds.
Things to consider when making an exceptional additional request for funds
It is important to be able to demonstrate impact from the spend, ask:
- how will this funding support educational attainment?
- how will that attainment be evidenced in the PEP?
Consider the interventions that are detailed in the Education Endowment Foundation | EEF website. These are research led, evidence-based strategies. How could these approaches assist your pupil’s long term educational success?
Your virtual school teacher will be able to advise on steps that can be taken to support your pupil. This can be done on a case-by-case basis, focusing on the specific needs and context of each individual. Please liaise with your virtual school teacher.
