You can read Suffolk County Council's statement on our website.
![Councillor Peter Gould](/image-library/peter-gould-ws-hr-1.xb6cb8b20.jpg?width=470&height=256&fit=crop&quality=75&format=webp)
You can read Suffolk County Council's statement on our website.
Children who are in local authority care in national curriculum years Reception to 11 attract Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) funding, also known as the LAC premium or pupil premium plus. This funding is provided for the government policy of raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils of all abilities to reach their potential.
Funding for pupils in care goes to the Virtual School Head (VSH) in the local authority that looks after the child. VSHs are responsible for managing the LAC premium and using it for the benefit of the pupil’s educational needs as described in their Personal Education Plan (PEP). There is no automatic entitlement for the school to receive this funding for eligible pupils and the VSH can pool funds or retain a portion of the full amount under the conditions of grant. The VSHs in most authorities retain a portion and use this in a variety of ways to support children to achieve good outcomes.
Pupil Premium Conditions of Grant 2024 to 25
The Suffolk Virtual School Head manages the PPG for children in the care of Suffolk County Council. The PPG for children in the care of other local authorities is managed by the Virtual School Head in those authorities. Please contact the relevant Virtual School for details of their process.
The post-LAC premium for children who have been adopted from care, or moved from care to a special guardianship order or child arrangements order is not managed by the Virtual School Head, but goes directly to schools. Please visit the section Previously looked after children for more information on PPG funding for these pupils.
The full amount for the financial year 2024 to 25 is £2,570 per child in care. In Suffolk, an allocation will be paid termly to schools, linked to the Virtual School's moderation of a sufficient termly PEP for eligible pupils. Any remaining funding is managed directly by the Suffolk Virtual School Head to support children with greater levels of need or where interventions can be obtained more cost-effectively by commissioning in bulk.
In the 2024 to 25 financial year, Suffolk’s VSH will be managing the grant using the following principles:
It is important to stress that the LAC premium does not remove the responsibility of schools and their staff to monitor progress of children in care, intervene where appropriate and assess the effectiveness of intervention. It is to provide additional support, not to subsidise the entitlement every pupil on the school roll enjoys. Equally, it should not subsidise the entitlements children have as set out in the SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years, published in June 2014.
There are many best practice reports available including How Schools are spending the funding (Ofsted) and Evaluation of Pupil Premium Research Report July 2013.
The Education Endowment Foundation Toolkit is also very useful in helping to identify strategies that are most effective and has been used to identify the preferred interventions found in the Suffolk PEP.
Eligibility for the Early Years Pupil Premium is different for early years settings than for schools and is paid at a different rate.
Early Years Funding : Guide to local authorities
Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) - Suffolk County Council
Suffolk's Family Information Service can provide further information. Call 0345 60 800 33 or send an email to: childcare.planning@suffolk.gov.uk.
If you have any other queries, please contact the Suffolk Virtual School on 01473 260818 or email suffolkvirtualschool@suffolk.gov.uk