How are LAC defined for the purposes of the pupil premium? We set out the pupil premium eligibility criteria for looked after children (LAC) and look at requirements for managing and reporting the funding. We also outline the distinction between LAC and children receiving short-term respite care.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published guidance for schools on the allocation of pupil premium funding.

The section on funding in the 2016-17 financial year explains that a pupil will be eligible for funding as a looked after child (LAC) if he or she has been in the care of a local authority (LA) for one day or more.

However, it adds:

Funding for these pupilsis managed by the virtual schools head in the local authority (LA) that looks after the child.

Pupil premium: funding and accountability for schools, GOV.UK – DfE

Pupil premium 2016 to 2017: conditions of grant, GOV.UK – DfE

Management of the pupil premium for LAC

The conditions of grant document, linked to above, reiterates in section 10.1 that the grant allocation for LAC must be managed by the designated virtual school head.

The virtual school head must work with each LAC’s educational setting to agree how pupil premium funding will be spent. DfE guidance on the responsibilities of the virtual school head adds that he/she must:

Work with each LAC’s educational setting to agree how pupil premium funding will be spent to meet the needs identified in the child’s personal education plan.

However, the virtual schools head is not obliged to pass the funding on to an eligible child's school. He/she can also choose to pool the funding to benefit some or all of the LA's LAC, or to retain it centrally instead of passing it on to schools.

Pupil premium: virtual school heads' responsibilities, GOV.UK –DfE

Children receiving short-term respite care

Q: Would a child receiving one or more nights of respite care in a children’s home would qualify for the pupil premium.

DfE explanation: children who receive short-term respite care (for example, for one or more nights a week), would not attract pupil premium funding, as they do not fulfil the definition of LAC. Children who receive short-term respite care ... would not attract pupil premium funding.

DfE guidance on completing the SSDA903 return explains that information about children who receive respite care should still be recorded by the LA. However, it goes on to explain on page 17:

Because “respite care” ... constitutes a special group of children, it is normal practice in virtually all SSDA903 outputs to exclude them from counts of LAC.

Children looked after by local authorities in England, GOV.UK – DfE (Adobe pdf file)

Defining respite care

This documentalso explains in section 1.9 that a 'typical' example of a child in respite care would be "a physically disabled child who normallylives at home... but who is accommodated byan LA every weekend."

It goes on tooutline a number of characteristics of respite care, including:

  • Children receiving respite care normally live at home, and over the medium to long term, spend more time with their parents or guardians, than being accommodated by the LA
  • There is a formal agreement in place which clearly sets out the times or circumstances when the child is to be accommodated, and the placement
  • There are strict limits on the duration of each break and the total number of days' care that is allowed under these arrangements in any one year

In relation to the last point, it says:

Each break must include at least one night away from home, but cannot exceed 17 days of continuous care. Up to 75 days of accommodation away from home may take place under a single agreement in any twelve-month period.

Pupil premium grant: post-looked after children Admin & management : School funding : Pupil premium