Parents and guardians

All children who have previously been in care who left on an Adoption Order, Special Guardianship Order, or Care Arrangement Order, are entitled to Pupil Premium Plus.

Parents/guardians need to tell the school when they start in September that their child is entitled to this and provide them with evidence, e.g., a copy of the legal order or a letter from the local authority. The school can then apply for this funding through the October school census.

Pupil Premium Plus funding is not ringfenced for individual children, but the Designated Teacher at the school must be able to demonstrate that its use is benefiting children in the school who were previously looked after. Given parents and guardians know their children’s needs well, it is best practice for schools/settings to involve them in decisions about Pupil Premium Plus spending and discuss the evolving needs of the child at a termly review. (Virtual School provides a One Page Profile to help schools and parents/guardians do this).

Schools will be challenged by OFSTED on the use of Pupil Premium Plus funding. They must publish a Pupil Premium Strategy each year, showing how this money is spent. This will be available on the school’s website.

Early Years Pupil Premium Plus

In Central Bedfordshire, once parents and guardians inform the setting, the setting will receive Pupil Premium Plus automatically from the local authority, from the term after the child turns 3 years old.