Lancashire Virtual School policy for the allocation of Pupil Premium Grant + for looked after children 2024-25

Background

The DFE allocate funding to each local authority to provide PPG+ for looked after children of statutory school age who are looked after to each LA.  The funding from financial year 2024-25 will be allocated on the basis of £2,530 for each CLA in the LA's care. The conditions of the grant state:

The LAC premium must be managed by the designated virtual school head (VSH) and used for the benefit of the looked-after child’s educational needs as described in their personal education plan. The VSH should ensure there are arrangements in place to discuss how the child will benefit from pupil premium funding with the designated teacher in the child’s education setting.

The condition of grant continues to stipulate that the grant is to be managed by the Virtual School Head Teacher and must be allocated in response to identified needs of the child and to support educational progress for the local authority's cohort of looked after children as a group, and not just to meet individual need.

The draft revised Guidance for Virtual School Head Teachers and designated Teachers also states:

In addition, we propose stating that all Virtual School Heads should publish a clear policy on the use of Pupil Premium Plus, including any funding top sliced by the Virtual School for authority wide services. This requirement promotes transparency and clarity for schools, carers and families about how local authorities use and manage Pupil Premium Plus funding.

Lancashire Virtual School Policy for the Allocation of PPG+: 2024-25

The amount of PPG+ allocated to each Lancashire looked after child per term will be £620.

The school/setting in which a looked after child is on roll will be allocated £620 per term on receipt of a Personal Education Plan (PEP) that is assessed as at least adequate through the Virtual School's quality assurance process. The PEP must demonstrate that the needs of the child/young person have been identified with a clear link to the intended use of the funding and the planned impact.

The remaining £670 per CLA will form the PPG+ high needs fund and is utilized to:

  • provide additional funding support to school/education settings for pupils who have additional short-term needs identified, or a period of crisis that is impacting directly on learning progress.
  • support the wider strategies and activities of the Virtual School to fulfil the Local Authorities' statutory duties.

Requests for additional PPG from the high Needs Fund

  • Schools/education settings request additional PPG+ funding direct from the Virtual School submitting the High Needs request form. The form is available on the Virtual School web site and should be send to virtualschool@lancashire.gov.uk
  • Schools/settings should discuss this with their named Virtual School Education Consultant prior to submitting their request.
  • Evidence of need and details of the proposed use of the funding needs to be provided as well as the reason it cannot be funded by any other means.
  • Evidence of impact is required following an appropriate period, by the submission of the High Needs Impact form which is available on the Virtual School website.

Requests for additional PPG+ can only be requested  once a term for any pupil except in exceptional circumstances.  It is for short term needs and cannot replace long term funding to meet on going needs, such as significant SEN.

The policy of providing access to additional PPG+ to reflect the different level of needs of individual CLA across time, is in line with the DFE conditions of the funding.

Exceptions

Pupils with an EHCP who are placed in an independent school setting, or any pupil placed in a residential setting with education will not usually receive PPG+ separately. The funding provided to commission the placement is based on meeting the full needs of the child. However, in exceptional circumstances based on evidence of need PPG+ funding may be allocated by the Virtual School Head Teacher.

Monitoring the management of PPG+

Management of PPG+ is the responsibility of the Virtual Head but is also monitored through:

Education Improvement SLT,

Corporate Parenting Board

The Virtual Head Teacher's Annual Report.

Reports to School Forum as requested.

Ofsted inspection of LA process.

Impact of PPG+

The impact of PPG+ is monitored by:

  • Required information on the PEP which indicates how the funding will be used to support identified targets and reporting on the impact of previous funding allocated.
  • High Needs PPG+ allocated is monitored by a mandatory impact return for each allocation.
  • The use and impact of funding is also reviewed as part of the regular tracking visits to each school.
  • As part of the annual report.

Other Expenditure

In accordance with the conditions of grant PPG+ can be used for projects, resources or programmes that support groups of looked after children and to fund training and support to Designated Teachers, schools and parents/carers.

Programmes are identified that relate to the priorities identified through tracking or analysis of progress and attainment data.

Examples:

  • Home Reading resources for Key Stage 1 and 2 children.
  • Access to educational on-line platform Britannica
  • Reading programmes such as Reading Eggs and Book in a Box
  • Revision resources for home use and training sessions for parents/carers
  • Key Stage 4 Annual Conference
  • Provision of whole school Attachment and Trauma Training programme available for all schools.
  • Access to Virtual Reality Training to support Attachment and Trauma awareness.
  • Early Year Conference
  • Secondary Head Teacher Conference.
  • Contribution to staffing for the Virtual School Team.

Lancashire policy and practice on the allocation of PPG+ is communicated to schools via:

  • Termly newsletter
  • Guidance to Schools on Supporting a Lancashire CLA
  • Designated Teacher Training and Briefings
  • Reports to School Forum as requested.
  • Virtual School Web site.

Post 16 PPG+

Following a pilot, the DFE allocate additional funding for post 16 looked after children and Care Leavers to all Virtual Schools from September 2023 to support looked after children and care leavers from the age of 16. It is not yet known if this funding will continue in the future beyond 2024-25, but the DFE expectation is that Virtual Schools will provide a level of support for Care Leavers up to 25. This is in line with the statutory duty of Local Authorities' Social Care responsibility.

This funding is to improve the education outcomes for looked-after children and care leavers at post-16. In particular, it should support improvements in:

  • attendance
  • retention
  • attainment

This should enable them to have sustained involvement in employment, education and training.

The Lancashire policy for the use of Post 16 PPG is in development taking into account learning from the pilot and subsequent DFE evaluations which continue to be annual. Lancashire Virtual School contribute to these evaluations.

Funding allocated to Lancashire Virtual School for 2024-25 is £250,691

Current use:

  • Extending the post 16 team to 2 full time posts.
  • Provision of direct support to Further Education colleges and training providers to meet the needs of our post 16 students- both individual needs and cohort needs.
  • Training provided to Post 16 providers of education and employers including a FE/Training providers forum to develop good practice and support offer for our young people.
  • Funding of mentoring programmes
  • Creation and funding of 2 posts within the Leaving Care Team to support the most disengaged into EET.
  • Funding providers to trial innovative programmes to develop appropriate courses, pathways and support for our CLA and Care Leavers thorough the Aspiration Fund.
  • To provide tuition for young people who did not attain their potential at school to access GCSE/Functional Skills

Early Year PP+

Pupil Premium for CLA in nursery settings, both maintained and PVI, is managed and allocated on behalf of the Virtual School Head Teacher by the Funded Nursery Education Team. Information on the use of the funding is requested on the Personal Education Plan. The rate is currently to 68p per hour accessed. The maximum EYPP allocated is now £387.60 when a child is accessing the maximum entitlement of 570 hours per year.

The Early Year PP+ now applies to all eligible children who are accessing a funded place not just 3 and 4 year olds.

To be reviewed April 2025