Kinship

Pupil Premium Plus

If a child in kinship care was previously in the care of the local authority but left care on a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) or Care Arrangement Order (CAO), they are entitled to Pupil Premium Plus funding.

This is additional funding given by the Department of Education to improve the education and outcomes of children in care and children previously in care. It equates to £2,570 extra funding per year. The school must apply for this through the October school census each year and use it to support the specific educational needs of Children Previously in Care attending the school.

The Designated Teacher for Looked After and Previously Looked After Children at the school should work closely with parents/guardians/carers to ensure this money is spent where it is needed and where it will impact children previously looked after. It is worth speaking to the Designated Teacher at school if you think the child you are caring for needs additional support, to see what is available and what can be arranged.

Pupil Premium

If a child in kinship care is eligible for Free School Meals (FSM), or they have been eligible in the past 6 years (‘Ever 6’), the school qualifies for additional Pupil Premium funding of £1,480 per primary-aged child or £1,050 per secondary-aged child. This money is not ring-fenced for specific individuals but must be used by the school in line with the ‘menu of approaches’ to provide high-quality teaching, targeted academic support, and wider strategies (such as supporting SEMH needs/attendance) to help close any gaps. Using Pupil Premium: Guidance for School Leaders (publishing.service.gov.uk). All schools must publish their Pupil Premium Strategy on their website, showing how they spend the funding to help disadvantaged children.

If a child in your care is struggling and attracts Pupil Premium, it is worth reviewing the school’s Pupil Premium Strategy and discussing with the school how they might be able to support.

Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) and the Graduated Response to SEND

Schools and settings use a graduated response to support all children with any additional needs. If you have any concerns that the child is presenting with additional needs, you should speak to the child’s teacher or the school SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator).

If they agree and the setting identifies areas of need, they can put in place interventions using the ‘assess-plan-do-review’ approach (see SEND section for more details).