Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) is a form of additional government funding provided to state schools in England to support the education of previously looked-after children, including adopted children.
What is Pupil Premium Plus?
- Amount: Around £2,570 per year per eligible child.
- Eligibility: Children adopted from care are entitled to PP+ until the end of Year 11.
- Who receives it? The school receives the funding, not the parents or child directly.
- Purpose: It’s meant to help close the attainment gap between vulnerable children and their peers by funding targeted support.
What can the funding be used for?
Schools can use PP+ to provide:
- Academic interventions (tutoring, extra resources, homework support)
- Therapeutic support (counselling, emotional literacy training)
- Training for staff to better support trauma-affected learners
- Enrichment activities (school trips, music lessons) to boost confidence and social skills
Why should adoptive parents care?
- Improves support at School
PP+ can fund specific help tailored to your child’s needs, academically and emotionally.
- Empowers conversations with schools
Knowing about PP+ helps you advocate for your child and ask how the school is using the funding.
- Promotes understanding
Schools receiving PP+ for an adopted child are expected to understand attachment, trauma, and loss, and respond with more appropriate pastoral care.
- No application required, just declaration
Adoptive parents must inform the school before the October census (and provide proof of the Adoption Order if requested) to trigger the funding—schools won’t know otherwise.
Here’s an example of an email you could send to your child’s school to ensure they’re accessing PP+ funding.
