A report will be presented, Document IN, which provides the Schools Forum with analysis and further information on the allocation and impact of Pupil Premium Plus monies. This report also sets out the Authority’s planned allocation of Pupil Premium Plus in 2018/19.

Recommended –

The Schools Forum is asked to consider and to note the information provided in the report.

(Judith Kirk – 01274 431078)

The Headteacher of the Virtual School (VSH) and the Authority’s Strategic Relationship Manager attended the meeting to present Document IN.

The Chair highlighted for Members that this is an update for information rather than decision, following from requests that have been made by Members in recent meetings. In introducing this item, the Chair also, referencing the length of time since the last CLA report was presented, proposed that a report now be provided for the Schools Forum annually on the work of the Virtual School and on the progress made by Children Looked After. This proposal was accepted by both Authority officers and Forum Members.

The VSH explained that the value of Pupil Premium Plus for CLA will increase at April 2018 from £1,900 to £2,300 and that the Authority plans to retain 25% of the value of PPP on an on-going basis to finance the additional VSH activities provided to support CLA in schools.

In response, Forum Members made the following comments and asked the following questions:

• The Vice Chair asked for clarification on whether the Pupil Premium Plus allocated to schools (75% of the PPP) was ring-fenced. The VSH confirmed that the monies are not ring-fenced to individual pupils but must be spent on CLA. The Vice Chair explained that he wishes for the Authority and the Forum to be aware that substantial Schools Block formula funding is allocated by schools to support CLA on top of Pupil Premium Plus monies and that this is a cost pressure (increasing cost pressure) on school budgets. Schools are also accountable for the impact of these monies.
• The impact measures presented in the report are school-based measures; how does the VSH isolate specifically the impact of the work of the Virtual School and the impact of the 25% that is retained? The VSH responded to explain that the Virtual School employs 29 associates that work directly with schools and CLA individually with the impact being the maintenance of outcomes for these pupils, including attendance, and also in responding to support pupils that may fall into crisis. The VSH advised that an additional 10 associates have been employed this year.
• The Chair asked for further information on the breakdown of working by phase of the associates. A Member also asked for the next report to provide more information about the impact of the VSH in supporting CLA in special schools. Another Member asked for the report to include both soft (non-financial) and hard impact data.
• A Member asked for clarification and further advice on how schools and academies can use their PPP monies received from other authorities for OLA pupils to purchase support from Bradford’s Virtual School. The Member referred to the safeguarding implications and also lack of consistency of approach between authorities, expressing a view, supported by other members, that financial arrangements around the allocation of PPP monies are currently too complex. The VSH explained that there are no fixed rules; the vast majority of local authorities retain some value of PPP monies.
• There was some discussion about whether the retention of PPP will be expressed as a set cash value or a % going forward. The VSH explained that he wished to set retention at 25% in principle from April 2018 and on an on-going basis to future proof where the value of the PPP may change in the future.

Resolved –

(1)       That the information in Document IN be noted, including the       Authority’s   planned retention of 25% of the value of Pupil   Premium Plus from April 2018.

(2)       That the additional information requested by Members (recorded          in the minutes) be presented to the next meeting.

(3)       That the Schools Forum receives a report annually, as part of its           standard work plan, on the work of the Virtual School and the       impact of Pupil Premium Plus monies.

Action:          Headteacher of the Virtual School