Young people in the care of Trafford Council aged 16-18 will benefit from extra support over the coming six months, after the Council successfully applied to take part in a national pilot scheme.
The Pupil Premium Plus Post-16 Pilot will run from October 2021 until March 2022 and will enable the Council to focus extra resources towards looked-after children attending further education colleges.
Although there is already a Pupil Premium Plus scheme in place across the country, it is only for children aged 4-15, meaning that looked-after young people continuing education into Years 12 and 13 may not currently receive the same level of support and assistance.
Trafford is one of 30 local authorities nationally and only four in the North West to be approved to take part in the scheme, and education leaders say they are excited about its potential to enable eligible young people aged 16 to 18 to maintain college placements.
Cllr Karina Carter, Trafford’s Leader Member for Education said:
“We are delighted to have been successful in our application to this pilot scheme, in what was an extremely competitive field.
This funding could make all the difference to looked-after young people who wish to continue their studies but face barriers to do so.
Ensuring that all children and young people in Trafford have a fair start is one of our corporate priorities as a Council and we’re pleased to have this opportunity to shape the way some of our most vulnerable young people are supported to achieve their potential.”
Posted on Monday 18th October 2021