October 2014
Updated October 2015
Pupil Premium Policy for Post-Care Pupils
OVERVIEW
Post-Care Children (post-LAC) Changes
From July 2014 all children adopted from care in England are eligible for Pupil Premium. Previously
only children adopted from care since 31 December 2005 were eligible. Department for Education
have removed this cut-off date. Post LAC pupils will be eligible for Pupil Premium Plus funding of
£1,900 per pupil.
A child should be recorded as post LAC where the parent or guardian of the child has informed the
school that the child has been adopted from care or has left care under a Special Guardianship or
Residence Order (Pupil Premium 2014 to 2015: conditions of grant, February 2014).
Updated eligibility criteria for Pupil Premium Plus
From academic year 2014/15, state maintained schools (funded by the local education authority)
and non-maintained special schools (not funded by the local education authority) will attract the
Pupil Premium for children:
•
that were adopted from care in England (including those adopted before December
2005);
•
that left care under a Special Guardianship Order (under the Children Act 1989);
•
that left care under a Residential Order (under the Children Act 1989);
•
are in Reception to Year 11;
•
where the parent self-declares their child’s status to the school, providing
supporting evidence (e.g. Adoption Order); and
•
where the school records on the School Census that it has a child on roll who meets
the above criteria.
Why are children adopted from care and those who leave care under a
Special Guardianship or Residential Order eligible for Pupil Premium Plus?
All adopted children have experienced loss and many experienced trauma in their early lives. 70
per cent of those adopted in 2009-10 entered care due to abuse or neglect. Adoption offers bright
futures for children from care, but it does not erase their past.
80 per cent of adopters in our research said their child needs more support than their peers and
nearly two thirds of parents (59 per cent) said their child is always trying to catch up in school and
make up for their early life experiences.
Adopted children's early experiences can have a lasting impact, particularly at school. Therefore St
Francis Xavier’s College has a vital role to play in helping these children emotionally, socially and
educationally by providing specific support to raise their attainment and address their wider needs.
OBJECTIVES
1. Pupil Premium Plus funding will only be used for the benefit of the individual post looked
after child’s educational needs.
2. We aim to be creative in the use of this funding, recognising the importance of improving
confidence, self-esteem, development of personal skills, and engagement of pupils in
education, as well as supporting their learning and achievement of academic targets.
3. Pupil Premium Plus will be used to fund 1:1 tuition, literacy/numeracy support, school trips,
after-school activities, access to specialist services, or any interventions or services that
improve outcomes. The purchase of Sports, IT, Musical or Arts equipment or clothing that
encourages participation and the development of new skills.
4. In the rare cases where post-looked after pupils, do not have personal access to a laptop or
i-Pad at home we will consider purchasing one for them, to assist with their studies. IT
equipment, especially for younger age groups, will be determined at the discretion of the
school, in consultation with the parent/carer.
STRATEGIES
1. Pupil Premium Plus will be clearly identifiable within the budget.
2. Parents/carers will be informed of how to self-declare their child’s status to the school, and
how to provide supporting evidence (e.g. Adoption Order).
3. The school will records all children on roll who meet the post-looked after criteria on the
School Census.
4. The Head-teacher in consultation with the governors and key staff will decide how Pupil
Premium Plus is spent for the benefit of entitled pupils. A member of the Leadership Team
will have overall responsibility for the management of pupil premium plus resources
strategies and planning.
5. The school will assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils.
The use of the funding should be agreed at a pastoral meeting, when the views of the
parent/carer and, where appropriate, the young person should be considered when making
a decision. Any support must be recorded in the appropriate section on the school bid
form.
6. The funding allocation will be closely linked to the targets identified in the pastoral meeting
to support educational achievement and support individuals to reach their potential.
7. The school will be accountable for how it has used the additional funding to support the
achievement of those pupils covered by the Pupil Premium and the Head teacher will report
to the governing body and parents/carers on how effective the intervention has been in
achieving its aims.
8. We will publish online information about how we have used the Pupil Premium Plus
Funding.
9. We will ensure that parents/carers, governors, staff and others are made fully aware of the
attainment of pupils covered by Pupil Premium Plus.
10. We will seek to further develop strategies and interventions which can improve the
progress and attainment of these pupils.
11. We will track the impact of the strategies put into place through the funding to ensure that
we can show the value that has been added to the education of the entitled children. The
relevant Co-ordinator of Key Stage will prepare a bid for funding and write an impact report
at the end of each academic year outlining the attendance, attitudinal and academic impact
of any interventions and support to monitor evaluate and review the success of the impact
of the Pupil Premium funding.
OUTCOMES
This policy will play an important part in the educational development of the individual pupils who
are entitled to Pupil Premium Plus. We will ensure that these pupils are treated equally and as
favourably as others and that the additional funding is used well to address the challenges they
face. The college will use the additional funding to promote the achievement and progress of all
entitled pupils. Through wise use of this additional funding we are fully committed to ensuring that
the individual needs of each entitled child are met. As a result of the additional funding, these
children will make better progress and achieve higher standards that would have been likely
without it.