Lewisham Virtual School is responsible for managing Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) funding for children looked after and for allocating it to schools.

Payments will be made termly for each young person in care and in attendance at school.

Download the PP+ Letter to Schools 2024-25

Detailed below are Lewisham’s arrangements for the payment of this funding for financial year 2024-2025.

The ‘ASSET for schools’ PEP portal should be used to requests funds. Access requests to: maxine.mcleod@lewisham.gov.uk 

• Once payment requests have been submitted for the young person through the PEPs for Lewisham portal, the relevant phase leader will either approve, reject or question the request.
• To enable effective budget planning we would ask schools to complete PP+  requests by the end of the summer term 2024.

 

Key Guidelines:

The PP+ for children looked after should be linked to the personal education plan (PEP). This will identify how funding will be spent to support the young person in accordance with their PEP targets. The PEP Review will include an evaluation of the impact of the PP+ funding.

There is an expectation that PP+ funding will impact directly on the learning outcomes for the individual young person and that in general there will be a narrowing of the attainment gap for young people in care through the successful application of their personal education plans.

The Phase Leaders:

• Primary: Vee Howell – vee.howell@lewisham.gov.uk
• Secondary: Desmond Benjamin – des.benjamin@lewisham.gov.uk
• SEN funding                                                                       

To find out more about SEN funding, please contact the relevant phase leader.

 

Spending guidelines

Laptops
In regards to PP+ applications from a school, we are often asked to authorise the purchase of a laptop for Children in Care. We do not have a universal roll out policy for every student. Laptops will only be considered when it can be clearly demonstrated and evidenced that its use will support identified learning needs and impact on students learning outcomes.

Security, Maintenance and ICT Safeguarding
If a Laptop is purchased for the CIC, the responsibility becomes the foster carer/parent’s, endorsed by a written agreement which states all security, maintenance and regular monitoring of the laptop becomes the responsibility of the carer/parent. It is also highly recommended that foster carer ensures they go on e-safety training and that the laptop is also placed on household insurance. In the event the child moves placement and new agreement should put in place. Any laptop purchased by a school for use by children in care must have appropriate levels of security, maintained and regularly checked by school staff.