October 2014
Updated October 2015
Pupil Premium Policy for
Looked After Pupils
OVERVIEW
Looked after Children Changes
There were some important changes to the Pupil Premium in 2014/15. These were detailed in the
Conditions of Grant 2014/15 issued by the DfE. For LAC, the Pupil Premium Plus (PPP) is now
£1900 per eligible pupil, Pupil Premium Plus is available to support and promote the education of
children and young people in care. Pupil Premium Plus can provide each looked after child (LAC) of
school age with £1,900 to support their education. However, some children may get more, some
less, depending on an assessment of their individual needs. Children and young people will be
eligible as soon as they enter care. The Local Authority has the final say on how funding is used, and
eligible pupils do not have to receive the whole amount. However, St Francis Xavier’s College is
committed to each pupil receiving their full entitlement, allocated via their respective Virtual
School Head.
All local authorities have a virtual school head (VSH) in charge of promoting the educational
achievement of the children looked after by the authority that appoints them. Many VSHs are
experienced teachers and some have been school heads.
St Francis Xavier’s College is likely to have only a few children in care on the register, and some
staff may be unfamiliar with their issues. The VSH’s role is to:
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Know how the looked-after children are doing
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Help school staff and social workers to find out about the extra needs of these
children and any additional support available to them
VSHs also work with the children’s services department of the local authority and with all schools in
the area on initiatives to promote the education of children in care.
Pupil Premium Plus must be used to improve outcomes and raise attainment. The Virtual School
Head Teacher for each authority is responsible for making sure there are effective arrangements in
place for allocating Pupil Premium Plus funding to benefit children looked after, wherever they are
placed.
How the grant is to be used must be clearly identified in each young person’s Personal Education
Plan [PEP] in consultation with the designated teacher and the social worker, plus contributions
from the carer and other relevant professionals.
PEPs are monitored even more closely by designated teachers, the Virtual School Head Teacher,
social workers and Independent Reviewing Officers.
Pupil Premium Plus Variance
The needs of children and young people in care can vary at different times. For some £1900 may
only be a fraction of the cost for the support they need. Those who may require more could
include:
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Children who come into care in an emergency with a fragmented home and education
history and who are behind academically
Children who have to move into or out of Liverpool in an emergency
Children where there is a significant and often delayed reaction to abuse and neglect, which
manifests in hard to anticipate behaviours
In response to this wide range of need there may well be a significant difference in the amount of
Pupil Premium Plus distributed to individual children.
The school predominantly has Looked After Children (CLA) from Liverpool and Knowsley
authorities.
For Liverpool Looked After Children (CLA) the funding will be allocated in 2 instalments, £800 by
June, and £1100 by December.
For Knowsley Looked After Children Children (CLA) the school will receive a first instalment of £900
in September, £400 will be retained centrally and will be used to support educational activities
linked specifically to raising the attainment of CLA. In order to access the remaining £600 schools
will be asked to complete a ‘PPG Form’ detailing the specific educational support and activities in
place for each individual CLA. The school must provide information clearly detailing educational
targets and intended outcomes for the CLA; how the total £1500 will be spent; and how impact will
be measured. Once the form is submitted with the required information the second instalment of
£600 will be paid to the school.
Pupil Premium Plus and Personal Education Plans
The Pupil Premium Plus will only be provided to meet the needs identified in a high quality plan in
the PEP with clear educational and other measurable targets for improvement.
The Pupil Premium Plus will be used to improve outcomes for children in the following areas:
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Raising levels of achievement and progress
Supporting achievement in an area where a child is gifted and talented
Improving attendance
Supporting emotional wellbeing
Promoting inclusion [by reducing internal and external exclusion]
Developing social skills
Supporting a smooth transition into the next key stage or new place of learning
The PEP action plan will show the baseline data, target for improvement, expected outcomes and
cost of support.
National research has shown that one to one tuition has a disproportionately positive impact for
children in care. Providing this will be a priority in the first instance.
OBJECTIVES
1. Pupil Premium Plus funding will only be used for the benefit of the individual looked after
children’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 Looked After Pupils, do not have personal access to a laptop or iPad 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 carer and social worker.
STRATEGIES
1. Pupil Premium Plus will be clearly identifiable within the budget
2. The Head-teacher in consultation with the governors and key staff will decide how the 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.
3. The school will assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils.
The use of the funding should be agreed at PEP (Personal Education Plan) meetings, when
the views of the carer, social worker and, where appropriate, the young person should be
considered when making a decision. The outcomes of the meeting must be recorded in the
appropriate section on the PEP form.
4. The funding allocation will be closely linked to the targets identified in the child’s Personal
Education Plan (PEP) to support educational achievement and support individuals to reach
their potential.
5. 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 Plus and the Head teacher will
report to the governing body and parents/carers on how effective the intervention has
been in achieving its aims.
6. We will publish online information about how we have used the Pupil Premium Plus
Funding.
7. We will ensure that parents/carers, governors, staff and others are made fully aware of the
attainment of pupils covered by the Pupil Premium Plus.
8. We will seek to further develop strategies and interventions which can improve the
progress and attainment of these pupils.
9. 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 Plus funding.
OUTCOMES
This policy will play an important part in the educational development of the individual pupils who
are entitled to the 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.