Pupil Premium Plus for Children Looked After

Pupil Premium Plus for Children Looked After:

Torbay Virtual School’s Policy and Practice for 2017-18

The Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) is grant funding from the DfE to raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and to close the gaps with their peers. The PP+ for CLA by Torbay Local Authority is managed by Torbay Virtual School.

Eligibility

In April 2014 the Government introduced PP+ so that each Child Looked After attracts funding of £1900 for each financial year from the date they enter care. In April 2015 this was extended to include Children Looked After in Early Years settings attracting £300 for Pupil Premium (not known as PP+). It is available the term after their third birthday.

The Pupil Premium Plus is set at £1900 for all CLA in Reception – Y11 for the financial year April 2017 – March 2018.

The DfE has a conditions of grant and this can be found here:

The Role of the Virtual School Head

The Children and Families Act 2014 requires all Local Authorities to have a Virtual School Headteacher who has additional statutory powers to carry out the duty to promote the educational achievement of the children it looks after. The Government has set out with statutory force that the VSH is responsible for managing the PP+ budget. The VSH must manage the grant allocation to be used for the benefit of the educational needs of each CLA as identified in their Personal Education Plan.

Use of PP+

The PP+ is an opportunity to address the learning needs of a child looked after through the provision of additionalinterventions and learning resources tailored to the individual child’s need. It is notintended to replace services, support or resources that the Local Authority, schools, Early Years settings, carers or other agencies working with CLA already provide, or that is provided to all children as part of the universal education offer. Spending should provide additional interventions, resources, activities or support to that which is received from other services. In particular funding should notbe used to replace:

• The support set out in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC) or those attached to a school based plan for additional special educational needs.
• Interventions that have no additional cost and where the Early Years setting or school’s own funding covers the cost.
• Resources that a Local Authority provides through its allowance to foster carers or children’s homes fees. Carers have an allocation for clothing, uniform and out of school activities within reason.
• Trips and visits organised by the school as part of the curriculum. If these are part of the curriculum or specifically related to exams, schools can only request a donation. It would be expected that Social Care or carer should provide resources for these activities.
• Basic equipment that the child or young person needs to participate in lessons or for school uniform, school lunches or equipment for PE lessons.
• Before or after school childcare clubs.

On occasions there are specific activities which improve self-esteem or social skills or are linked to raising aspiration. These must be clearly linked to the child’s learning objectives recorded in the PEP along with how it will contribute to improved educational outcomes.

Process

The allocation of PP+ is directly through the PEP process. Torbay Virtual School uses an ePEP and every DT has access to this.

When a child becomes looked after the PEP must be held within 20 working days.For children and young people in Reception through to Y11 a PEP is held every term following the initial PEP. In the event of a child changing school the PEP will need to be completed within 20 days.

PP+ will only be provided to meet the needs in a high quality plan in the PEP with clear quantitative targets for improvement, underpinned by well-targeted support.

PP+ must be used to improve outcomes for children in the following areas:

• Academic achievement and progress
• Wider achievement (for example in an area in which the child is gifted and talented
• Attendance
• Inclusion (by reducing internal and external exclusion)
• Emotional Health and Well Being including social skills
• Transition into the next key stage and/or a new learning provider

Once the PEP is complete and the targets submitted the PEP will be scrutinised by the VSHT to ensure it is complete, of a high quality and that the targets address the need of the child and that the child has been an active participant in the process. Once targets have been approved it will be noted on the ePEP and the payment will follow within a seven week window. If the targets are rejected or the PEP of a high enough standard feedback will be given to the DT.

It must be noted that there is only an allocation of £1900 per child and whilst the Virtual School will work to the needs of each child there is no guarantee that higher payments can be authorised. DTs, if there is a need for higher than this, should speak to a member of the VS prior to the PEP meeting for advice.

Please note: some schools in Torbay will have CLA from other LAs and if you have a query about PP+ for a CLA who is on your roll but belongs to another LA then please contact the relevant Virtual School Headteacher directly.

Monitoring Impact

The PEP will be used to inform discussions with schools and other stakeholders on the use of PP+. Each PEP therefore needs to be of a high quality and set robust targets for improvement. Targets must be reviewed from the previous PEP and an honest reflection of why the target may not have been met. An evaluation of the impact of PP+ is vital.

During inspection for both the Virtual School and individual school’s inspections the quality of PEPS will be checked and questions asked about the impact of the PP+. The DT should ensure that the impact of PP+ is at least included in the Annual Report on CLAs to their Governing Body or equivalent and at best included in termly reports to the GBs. The VS monitors the overall impact of PP+ for all CLA in the VS and is accountable to its Governing Body and the Corporate Parent’s Board for ensuring the funding is effectively used with maximum impact.

Early Years Pupil Premium

From April 2015 additional targeted funding for looked after children has been available as an Early Years Pupil Premium for three and four year olds. From April 2017 this will be monitored by the Virtual School and is available to settings in both Torbay and other LAs if a Torbay CLA is in that setting, is eligible and has an Early Years PEP in place. Further information on the EY PEP is available from the VS.

Jane Inett

Headteacher – Torbay Virtual School

April 2017