Pupil premium plus

What is pupil premium plus?

Pupil premium plus is extra funding for schools in England. It’s used to help improve the educational outcomes of children that are in care or have previously been in care. 

Pupil premium plus is different to pupil premium, which is mainly for children from low-income families.

Who pupil premium plus is for

Schools get pupil premium plus funding for children who: 

• are looked after by the local authority
• were previously looked after by the local authority and are now under a special guardianship order (SGO) or child arrangements order (CAO)
• have an adoption order 

How the government pays pupil premium funding

For children previously in care, the government pays the school, and they manage the funding. 

For children in care, including those in kinship foster care, the government pays the local authority. The virtual school head works with the school to manage the funding.

Tell the school your kinship child is eligible

You need to tell the school if you think your kinship child should get pupil premium plus funding. 

The school will need proof so they can apply on your kinship child’s behalf. When providing this, you may want to conceal sensitive information. Proof could be: 

• showing them the original documentation of:
  • a child arrangements order
  • a special guardianship order
• a letter from:
  • the local authority
  • your social worker 

The school only needs to see the original document. You can give them a photocopy, but they don’t need it. 

The school must record all pupil premium recipients in their October autumn census. Inform them before this, and if your child changes school tell the new school as soon as possible. 

How schools spend pupil premium plus

Pupil premium plus benefits all children entitled to it. It’s not an individual budget for your child and the school decides the best way to spend it. Schools will spend it in different ways, for example: 

• direct academic support, such as tutoring
• practical adjustments to support educational attainment, like:
  • extra teachers or teaching assistants
  • improving classroom resources
• support for children’s social and emotional needs, like:
  • extra-curricular activities
  • school trips
  • therapy sessions
• training teaching and support staff, like:
  • training on trauma and attachment
  • therapist training 

To decide the best way to spend it, the school will usually talk with: 

• carers and guardians
• the designated teacher
• the virtual school head
• other professionals 

Check how schools spend the funding

The school must publish a yearly statement on their website, showing how they’ve spent it.  

You can also speak with the with the designated teacher at your child’s school. The designated teacher is responsible for promoting the achievement of children in care at your child’s school. They will be the main point of contact for anything about pupil premium plus. 

Other types of pupil premium funding

Early years pupil premium

Early years pupil premium is extra funding for nurseries, pre-schools and childminders. It’s used to help children in care, or who have left care, get the best start in education. 

The funding is not spent on an individual pupil, but it needs to improve educational outcomes for those children. 

Childcare providers could spend it on: 

• training for their staff
• activities for the children
• classroom resources 

Early years pupil premium eligibility

Childcare providers can get early years pupil premium funding for children who: 

• are aged between 9 months and 4 years old
• are looked after by the local authority
• left care through a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption 

For your child to be eligible, you also need to get some of the government’s free childcare funding, as well as claiming at least one benefit. You can find the full list on the government website to find out if you can apply. 

How to get the funding

Speak to your childcare provider or local authority. You will need to work with your childcare provider to fill out a parental declaration form to confirm that you are eligible. 

Pupil premium funding

What is pupil premium?

Pupil premium is extra funding given to schools by the government to support disadvantaged pupils. It is for children who are eligible for free school meals or who have received them in the past 6 years. Schools use the funding to support these children’s educational outcomes. 

It is not a personal budget for individual children. But schools should spend it in a way that benefits those children. The school must provide evidence of this. You should find this on their website, where a report for each school year should be available. 

If your child is eligible for both pupil premium and pupil premium plus, the school will only receive pupil premium plus funding. 

Pupil premium eligibility

If a child gets free school meals, or has had them in the past 6 years, their school will get pupil premium funding for them. 

Your child will get free school meals if you get certain qualifying benefits. 

How to get the funding

Once you’ve applied for free school meals, your child’s school will automatically get pupil premium funding. Talk to your school if you need to check.

Support from Kinship

Here at Kinship, we offer a range of free support for all kinship carers, including:

• free online and in-person workshops
• online advice and information
• online and in-person peer support groups

To find services, information and support in your local area – including information about your local children’s services – use our Kinship Compass tool.

You can also contact the Kinship advice team for free, non-judgmental advice and information if you live in England or Wales.