Education
Extra funding to support your child in school
Pupil premium plus (PP+)
Children who have been adopted from care may be entitled to additional educational funding through PP+. This additional government funding is provided to schools to help them better support the educational and emotional needs of previously looked-after children.
What is PP+?
PP+ is additional funding paid directly to schools for eligible children who were previously in local authority care and have since been adopted. The funding recognises that many adopted children may benefit from additional support because of their early experiences.
How do I make sure my child's school receives it?
Schools can only receive this funding if they know a child is eligible. Parents and carers need to:
inform the school that their child was adopted from care
provide evidence, such as a copy of the Adoption Order, if requested
ensure the school records this information on the school census
repeat this process if their child moves to a new school
It is important to do this as early as possible and before the October school census.
How is the funding used?
Schools have flexibility in how they spend PP+ and may use it to provide:
additional learning support or tutoring
emotional wellbeing and mental health support
staff training on attachment and trauma-informed practice
intervention programmes
enrichment opportunities and activities
An important point to understand is that whilst the funding is allocated because your child is eligible, it is not a personal budget and is not ringfenced for your individual child.
Schools are expected to use the funding in ways that improve outcomes for previously looked after children and other pupils with similar needs, and they have discretion over how it is spent.
This means that funding may be used for support that directly benefits your child, but it may also contribute to wider interventions, staff training, or whole-school approaches that improve support for adopted and previously looked after children.
Working in partnership with school
If your child is eligible for PP+, it is helpful to have regular conversations with the school's designated teacher for previously looked after children about your child's needs and how the school is supporting them.
By working together, you can help ensure your child receives the understanding and support they need to thrive.
Virtual school
The virtual school supports adopted children and their parents with advice, awareness of children’s needs, assisting with finding suitable schools, and providing support for children facing educational challenges. Central Bedfordshire Virtual School are also currently providing a weekly drop-in, further details can be found on their website.
If you need any support or advice with eduction and PP+, please contact your virtual school.