This report outlines the change in the management of the Pupil Premium grant for Looked After Children (LAC) which came into force from April 2014.  It outlines the main changes and the impact that this has on Shropshire LAC, LAC from other local authorities placed in Shropshire, and Shropshire schools.

41.1    The meeting received a report from the Head of Looked After Children (LAC) Education and Health Team, which outlined changes in the management of the pupil premium grant for LAC and its impact on Shropshire LAC, LAC from other authorities placed in Shropshire and Shropshire Schools.

41.2    The Head of LAC Education and Health Team advised that under the Children and Families Act 2014 local authorities in England had a duty to promote the educational achievements of looked after children and had to appoint an Officer with the responsibility for discharging this duty; this Officer would be known as the Virtual School Headteacher (VSH) for LAC.  He informed Members that he fulfilled this role for Shropshire Council.

41.3    The Head of LAC Education and Health Team added that in April 2014 the arrangements for the payment of pupil premium for LAC had changed in that:

·         The amount of Pupil Premium for LAC had risen to £1900 per pupil.

·         Pupil Premium was payable from the first day the child became looked after rather than after the child had been looked after for six months or more.

·         Pupil premium for LAC must be managed by the VSH and, whilst there was no requirement of the authority to pass the funding on to the school, where the child was on the roll there was a strong presumption that this would happen.

41.4    The Head of LAC Education and Health Team advised Members that Headteachers and Designated Teachers for LAC had been briefed and had received training on the arrangements for supporting the changes to the way the pupil premium was administered.

41.5    The Head of LAC Education and Health Team informed the Committee that as VSH he was required to provide a report on Pupil Premium to Ofsted in the summer term of 2015, and that following its publication a further report would be made to the Young People’s Scrutiny Committee.

41.6    A Member asked whether the pupil premium for LAC with special educational needs (SEN) was used in addition to the funding received for SEN.   The Director of Children’s Services commented that the two funding streams should be used in a complementary way.

41.7    A Member noted that there was a requirement to return any underspend of pupil premium to the Department for Education and asked whether any money was returned from Shropshire.  The Head of LAC Education and Health Team advised that he aimed to spend all the money available whilst ensuring that the money was targeted correctly and used to the best advantage for the looked after children of Shropshire.

41.8    A Member recognised that there were a large number of LAC placed in the county by other authorities and asked whether the Pupil Premium followed these LAC.  The Head of LAC Education and Health Team informed the meeting that there were currently 460 LAC from other authorities placed in the County and that often these LAC had quite extensive needs.  He added that he worked closely with the VSH and other Officers from the home authority to ensure that the Pupil Premium was received and spent to the best advantage of the looked after child.

41.9    A Member asked whether the Pupil Premium could be spent on other support such as speech and language therapy.  The Head of LAC Education and Health Team advised that that there was flexibility in how the Pupil Premium could be spent and where there was an identified need for support then this could be funded.

41.10  A Member asked what provision was made for the more gifted LAC.  The Head of LAC Education and Health Team advised that as part of his role as VSH he challenged schools to make the most of children’s abilities.

41.11  The Chairman thanked the Head of LAC Education and Health Team for his report and congratulated his team on the good work that they were doing.