Post-16 and beyond

Funding for Post 16 Children in Care

Post 16 Pupil Premium Plus Grant

Virtual School Heads currently receive Pupil Premium Plus funding for children in care, aged 4 to 15. This is used to provide the individual support that a child needs, as identified in their Personal Education Plan, and for the cohort as a whole. This funding ceases when the child reaches the age of 16 but the need for bespoke support continues for as long as the child is in care.

Sec 31 Pupil Premium Plus Post-16 funding grant given to Virtual School Heads running to March 2025. Pupil Premium Plus post-16 section 31 grant determination letter 2024 to 2025 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

The purpose of this grant is to provide additional funding for looked-after children and care leavers at post-16 to local authorities in England. Government guidance suggests the funding should be used to support improvements in attendance, retention, and attainment.

16-19 Bursary

Learners in Post-16 programmes are eligible for the Post 16-19 bursary. This bursary provides financial support to help students overcome specific barriers to educational participation. Children in care and care leavers are eligible for the Vulnerable Groups bursary. For more information about the bursary please refer to the following government documents:

Other funding streams

It is possible that there may be other funding streams available depending on the young person's situation. You may want to see what is out there using the following site for support: Turn2us Grants Search