Support for children previously in care

Pupil Premium Plus (PP+)

Children previously in care attract Pupil Premium Plus funding. The Pupil Premium Plus will be paid directly to schools for those pupils on roll who were in care immediately before being adopted or leaving local authority care through a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) or Child Arrangement Order (CAO - also previously known as a Residence Order). From 1 April 2023, the Pupil Premium Plus grant eligibility for pupils who have been adopted from care or have left care will also include children adopted from state care or equivalent from outside England and Wales.

2023-2024

• Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP):          £342
• Statutory school age Pupil Premium:     £2,530

To be eligible, pupils must be attending either:

• An early years provider including nurseries, school nurseries and childminders
• A local authority maintained or maintained special school
• An academy or free school
• A non-maintained special school, an independent school and other alternative provision where the place or provision is funded by the local authority

Children who are educated at home or attend private schools are not currently eligible unless their placements are funded by the local authority.

Further information can be found on PAC-UK's Education Service website where they have developed a range of resources to support families, schools and local authorities in meeting the educational needs of adopted and special guardianship children including information about Pupil Premium Plus.

Accessing PP+ for a child

In October each year, schools complete a school census. For schools to access the funding, parents and guardians must declare their child's adoptive, SGO or CAO status by providing evidence, for example, a copy of the adoption order, or a confirmation letter from the local authority which placed their child to the school. Please find a template information letter that can be sent out to all families within your setting regarding Pupil Premium Plus within our downloads at the bottom of this page.

Parents and guardians should not need to declare their child's status again unless they change school or setting.

See the payment schedule for the pupil premium.

Adoption Support Fund 

Families may also be entitled to support from the Adoption Support Fund (ASF) which provides funds to local authorities to pay for essential therapeutic services for eligible adoptive and Special Guardianship Order (SGO) children. You can find out more at www.gov.uk/guidance/adoption-support-fund-asf (opens new window).

For more information on support available to families, please visit:

• First4Adoption (opens new window) and Adoption UK (opens new window) for adoptive families
• Family Rights Group (opens new window), Kinship or Anna Freud for SGO families