Children adopted from public care to receive pupil premium plus from April 2014

[tethersend]

Announced today

I hope you don't mind me posting here, just thought I'd share.

[Devora]

That's excellent news, thanks for sharing tethersend. Am I right in thinking that this is the extra payment that goes to the school to reflect the extra support LAC (or children adopted from care) often need?

[Lilka]

Great news

Yes, Pupil Premiums are extra money given to the school per child with certain background factors. So they're now creating two levels of PP instead of one. PP will still be for FSM and children of services personnel, and PP+ for Children in care/adopted

[tethersend]

It seems to be one of the govt's first steps to recognising that Looked After Children and adopted children can face the same challenges at school, and I hope to see legislation on exclusion and support etc. covering adopted children as well as LAC soon.

I hope that the schools spend it wisely...

[Namechangesforthehardstuff]

They do need to account for it but it's not ring fenced afaik. Is that right?

It's quite a substantial sum.

[tethersend]

It's not ringfenced, but schools do need to prove to OFSTED and to Virtual Heads that they have used the money to improve individual students' academic attainment.

Thankfully, many schools seem to be getting used to this, and are no longer allowing the money to disappear into the 'pot'. Unfortunately, many more have yet to realise that they will be held to account.

[Tigersarebetterlooking]

Thanks for this information. Does anyone know if it will apply to all adopted children? I have searched for info but it is not very specific. Also should we be letting the school know our dd is adopted now?

[tethersend]

I do not yet know if it will apply to all children adopted from public care, or those adopted after a certain date as per the admissions code. No cut-off dates have been specified in the information released so far. Happy to be corrected in this, but I can't find any.

As far as letting the school know, the information on the PAC website says:

The DfE has indicated that this will be made available to schools via the school census which will identify children adopted from care that have been declared by the parents at the time of admission or later.

So, if you are comfortable with doing so, I would let the school know now. Some schools are collecting data, whereas others may be waiting for parents to volunteer it.

[Tigersarebetterlooking]

Thanks tethersend that is helpful. I know we were the wrong date for the school admission change so I don't really want to tell the school if we don't qualify. Strange that there isn't much publicity about this because it could make a lot of difference to the attitude of the schools.

[handcream]

It looks like good news but absolutely must be used for that particular child, if its being allowed to be used for something else it will never really benefit that adoptee.

Hope the schools are aware that's the case!

[tethersend]

I think they are beginning to realise, handcream- certainly, during inspections, OFSTED inspectors are selecting the names of looked after children and asking for a breakdown of how their PP money has been used to improve their achievement. Saying that it has been swallowed up for generic 'support' or literacy classes where the child has no literacy need is simply not good enough, and it seems that OFSTED are being quite hot on this.

Virtual Heads are now responsible for monitoring how the PP is spent on LAC (although most do this already), so schools should get into the habit of using the money wisely and not absorbing it into the budget.

Let's hope that adopted children's PP is monitored as closely.

[tethersend]

Agreed, Tiger- it really needs to be clarified. I will do my best to find out; please let me know if you find any information!

[SPBisResisting]

Good!

[coffeewineandchocolate]

Also applies for SGO's as far as I'm aware

[morethanpotatoprints]

Fantastic news but agree with Handcream I do hope the schools will be accountable for how they spend the money and how that individual child benefits.
This is surely good news.
Doesn't affect me, but could have done in the past, so always flying the flag.

[tethersend]

It does, coffee.

[Tigersarebetterlooking]

I have looked into this a bit more and i think it will only apply to adoptions that happen after April 2014. Hope i am wrong though.

[tethersend]

The PPG will be given to adopted children from April 2014, so perhaps that is why the date was mentioned?

[choccyp1g]

Does this apply to Dcs adopted from abroad? Surely it should.

[tethersend]

Unfortunately not, choccypig- from what I can gather, it applies may to the same children who receive priority in school admissions, ie those adopted from public care after 2002.

The only thing I can find which suggests that this is the case is here:

For the first time, children adopted from care under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 will attract the additional funding, worth £1900 per pupil from April 2014. Schools will be able to attract Pupil Premium Plus funding for adopted children if their parents self-declare and present the relevant order to their child’s school.

[Lilka]

Tethersend - It's actually (I'm pretty sure) after 2005, because the Adoption Act 2002 didn't come into force until 30th December 2005, before then children were still being 'freed for adoption' and then adopted under the old system

Definitely doesn't apply to children adopted from abroad

[tethersend]

Ah, thanks Lilka- wasn't aware of that.

[Tigersarebetterlooking]

Thanks for latest information on this. My dd would not qualify because she was adopted before 2005 which seems to me like a very random cut off because surely there is no difference between the needs of children adopted just before or just after this date?

[roadwalker]

I havent read all the post in detail- just skimmed- so may have been mentioned
I dont think it covers overseas adoptions either, only domestic
Do you think parents will have any say in how the money is spent?
I am itching to go and offer suggestions to HT

[roadwalker]

Just spotted - Lilka has already pointed out the overseas adoption not being included

[roadwalker]

Its because they underachieve compared to non-adopted children
Bit short sighted I think to give it to schools although any extra funding is welcome
They are let down before they even get to education, by the care system and lack of support/therapy for adoptive parents.
Often by being less than honest to adoptive parents about what to expect