Devon Virtual School Policy for Pupil Premium Plus

Introduction

Throughout our policy the Pupil Premium for Children in Care will be referred to as Pupil Premium Plus to distinguish it from other forms of Pupil Premium.

For the financial year 2023-24 the overall grant allocated to each Local Authority (LA) is calculated on a per capita basis at £2,530 per child. Children in Care of statutory school age will be eligible as soon as they enter Care.  Pupil Premium Plus does not have to be distributed on a per capita basis, given that Children in Care have differing levels of need at different stages of being in Care. LAs are responsible for Pupil Premium Plus payments, with the Virtual School Headteacher being responsible for making sure there are effective arrangements in place for its allocation.

From September 2017 Devon Virtual School introduced an electronic Personal Education Plan (ePEP).  It is through this ePEP that the costs attributed to Pupil Premium Plus are identified and agreed.

Overall principles underpinning a child’s need-driven policy

• The Virtual School Headteacher is responsible for the use of Pupil Premium Plus to improve outcomes for all Children in Care to Devon, wherever they live
• The funding will be provided on the basis of the PEP being graded as ‘Approved’
• Devon County Council and the Virtual School Headteacher are Corporate Parents, so the question ‘would this be good enough for my child?’ is a central one in making decisions and evaluating the effectiveness of the use of Pupil Premium Plus
• The Pupil Premium Plus funding must be used to improve educational outcomes and ‘narrowing the gap’.

The allocation of Pupil Premium Plus from Devon is based on a ‘child’s needs-driven model’, identified through the outcomes and actions outlined in the ePEP.  The ePEP needs to be rigorously quality assured. The Area Learning Advocates are responsible for the quality assurance process of all PEPs.

Devon Virtual School currently allocates up to £660 per term per Child in Care dependent on quality assured PEPs (this is reviewed on an annual basis). We expect three PEPs to be completed each year.

The funding of up to £660 per term must be requested through the PEP form (ePEP) and is paid termly to schools.

Pupil Premium Plus will only be provided if clear outcomes and broadly costed actions are outlined in the PEP.  The focus is on the following areas:

• Academic achievement and progress – clear outcomes and actions
• Wider achievement – in an area in which the child is gifted and talented
• Attendance
• Inclusion – by reducing internal and external exclusion
• Resilience training, social skills and therapeutic work
• Transition into the next key stage and/or a new learning provider.

In certain circumstances schools can apply for additional funding from the Virtual School to support unexpected events or exceptional needs in discussion with the Area Learning Advocate.

Examples of activities that Pupil Premium Plus might be used for

• Additional support in school that will build self-esteem, confidence, resilience or learning skills.  Examples of this could be peer mentoring, nurture group provision and therapeutic support
• Raising Aspiration activities
• Extra learning resources over and above what the school provides for all children
• Alternative education packages when agreed by the Virtual School
• Revision courses/guides as long as it is normal practice for parents/carers to pay for them.

Examples of outcomes and actions

Example 1.

Outcome

• D will be able to demonstrate a greater confidence in completing Maths independently resulting in improved progress between PEP meetings.  This will also be evident in D’s maths book.

Actions

• Small group maths intervention – 3 time per week working on identified gaps in D’s knowledge and skills
• Foster Carer to be taught calculation methods used by school to reinforce at home
• Foster Carer to ensure D does My Maths at home twice per week.

Evaluation

• D to make progress of x.

Example 2.

Outcome

• D to meet with CSW worker and know what she will need for her College course
• D will be supported to achieve qualifications she needs for the course.

Actions

• Small group cognition training with DT to include revision techniques
• Key worker to meet twice a week to review revision timetable
• Key worker to communicate with Foster Carer once a fortnight regarding revision tips
• 1:1 maths tuition once a week.

Evaluation

• Secure GCSEs necessary for successful transition to college course.

How and why will additional payments of Pupil Premium Plus be made?

Examples of additional costs:

• Children who have to move in or out of county in an emergency
• Children placed in other LAs
• Children who are at risk of school exclusion and placement breakdown
• Children who may need additional tuition or support to increase progress and attainment which is agreed in the PEP meeting by the ALA.

Circumstances in which Pupil Premium Plus will not be provided

• Pupil Premium Plus will not be used to double fund or replace funding which should already have been allocated to the school to support the child and specifically to fund services that should be provided via an EHCP.
• Where a Child in Care is placed in an Independent Special School and the full costs of the provision is agreed to include all support and teaching.  This is deemed to include all the costs of meeting the child’s needs without the need for Pupil Premium Plus.

Additional Funding by Devon Virtual School through the Pupil Premium Plus Grant

• Training for Designated Teachers and the annual Designated Teacher’s Conference
• Educational Psychology support for children placed out of County, support at meetings where a Child in Care is at risk of exclusion or where the school and Carers are struggling with challenging behaviour
• Projects which support Children in Care, for example the Reducing Exclusions for Children in Care (REDS Project), educational psychology case work for individual young people to re-engage them in learning and prevent them from becoming NEET and the Attachment Based Mentoring training.

Policy dates

• Policy written: August 2017
• Reviewed: February 2023