Appendix 2: Early years pupil premium for children in care
Overview of funding
Early years pupil premium funding was introduced in April 2015, to build on the successful model of the school age pupil premium. It will ensure more money is spent on those three and four-year-olds that will benefit most from additional investment. Two-year-olds will not be eligible to receive this funding.
The aim of the early years pupil premium is to close the gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers by providing funding to early years providers to help them raise the quality of their provision. It will complement the Government-funded early education entitlement by providing nurseries, schools, and other providers with up to an additional £388 a year for each eligible child. This equates to an hourly rate of 68p per child per hour, based on 15 hours free entitlement. As the early years pupil premium is calculated for an hourly rate, funding will only be allocated based on the number of hours a child attends (up to a maximum of 15 hours).
Eligibility
A child will be eligible for the EYPP if they are:
- In a low-income family. Their parents are in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit ( (provided you're not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Or
- Have been:
- looked after by the local authority for at least one day
- have been adopted from care
- have left care through special guardianship
- children subject to a child arrangement order
The early years entitlement team check eligibility on a termly basis based on information supplied on the parent declaration forms. Funding will be allocated to providers but will follow the child. Where a child attends more than one setting for their 15 hours, the funding will be split according to the hours attended at each provider.
Early years and childcare support works collaboratively with the virtual school to identify and fund all looked after children through the early years pupil premium.
Impact and outcomes
Restrictions will not be imposed on how providers spend the early years pupil premium. Instead, Ofsted will hold providers to account for how they have used the EYPP to support their disadvantaged children through the regular inspection process. Evidence must be demonstrated to ensure the additional funding is making a difference and ‘narrowing the gap’.
Ofsted will monitor impact under two sections of the framework:
- how well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend
- the effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision
Early years pupil premium funding for children in care will be linked to the e-PEP (Electronic Personal Education Plan). Providers will be required to complete this document in conjunction with the virtual school to show impact of this additional funding. Providers will receive EYPP funding for children in care from the virtual school. This process is separate to all other EYPP funding. The EYPP funding for children in care must be spent to help meet the needs identified in the children’s Personal Education Plans (PEPs).
If you require further clarification about the e-PEP please email VirtualSchool@lincolnshire.gov.uk