The new guidance on pupil premium eligibility and funding rate in England (published 16/12/22) not only included an increase of £120 in the pupil premium for looked after and previously looked after children, but also announced that, for the first time, children adopted from outside England and Wales will be eligible to attract this funding for their schools.

This funding, commonly called PP+, is allocated to state schools in England based on the number of previously looked after and adopted children registered in the October schools census each year. The funding allocation for 2023/24 will be £2,530 per eligible child, and this funding should be used to address disadvantage arising from adverse early experiences and care experience.

Previously, only children adopted from care in England or Wales were eligible to attract the funding, but this update extends the funding to all adopted children, putting right a discrepancy that Adoption UK has long campaigned to address.

What happens next?

If your child’s school recorded their adoptive status using the new code ‘O’ (for ‘overseas adoption’) in the census in October 2022, then you do not need to do anything. The funding will be allocated and the school will begin to receive the extra funds from April 2023. You may wish to arrange to meet the schools Designated Teacher for Previously Looked After Children to discuss how the funding might best be used to support your child.

If your child’s adoptive status was not recorded in the October census, then you will need to ensure that your child’s school knows that they are adopted so that this information can be recorded on the next census in October 2023, and funding can be received from April 2024. You will need to provide evidence both that your child is adopted, and also that they were previously in state care (or equivalent) in their country of origin.

For more information about PP+ and how it can be used to support children in schools, see our short guide here.