Added incentive

The coalition government introduced the pupil premium in 2011 to give schools extra funding to raise attainment of disadvantaged pupils, including those in care for six months or longer. Three years on, it has brought in the Pupil Premium Plus (PPP), marking a significant change in the way looked-after children’s education is funded.

Taking effect from 1 April, the PPP is worth £1,900 a year for each looked-after child. This is £1,000 more than the pupil premium and it applies to children from the moment they enter care.

It is distributed to schools by virtual school heads, who oversee the education of children in care in each council area. Virtual heads will require detailed evidence from schools that PPP will be used to improve looked-after children’s attainment, attendance and enjoyment of school. Already, virtual heads are looking to ensure PPP funding is linked closely to personal education plans – the key document schools use to measure looked-after children’s improvement.

In Essex, for instance, schools are providing evidence of how the extra money will help children in care through its CLA Tracker, an online tool that monitors progress through their personal education plans. A PPP section has been added to the tool so schools can record the cost of individual support as well as whole-school support from which looked-after children as well as other pupils benefit.

Essex’s virtual school head Cathryn Adams explains: “For a whole-school initiative, if 30 children benefit from a particular scheme, including one looked-after child, then a thirtieth of that cost would be paid for through the Pupil Premium Plus.”

Professor Sonia Blandford, chief exe