Cordis Bright worked in partnership with the Rees Centre, University of Oxford, on the evaluation of the Department for Education’s Pupil Premium Plus Post-16 programme (PP+ Post-16).

What is Pupil Premium Plus Post-16

PP+ Post-16 was introduced by DfE as a pilot in 2021 to address a gap in funding for children looked after and care leavers at post-16 in England. Since being rolled out to all local authorities in 2023, £10-14 million has been allocated per year. The funding is managed by Virtual School Heads (VSHs) and is intended to improve attendance, retention, attainment and participation in education, employment and training.

What we did

Our evaluation ran from 2023-2025 and explored the implementation of the funding and early evidence of progress towards intended outcomes. Methods included:

• An annual national survey with response rates of between 71% and 81% of all VSHs
• In-depth case studies in six local authorities per year involving interviews with VSHs, Directors of Children’s Services, Designated Teachers, Social Workers and foster carers; and documentary analysis.
• Cost analysis
• Analysis of administrative data

A further piece of scoping research into the collection and use of quantitative data at post-16 is also underway, due to be completed in 2026.

What we found

Variation in funding and delivery: Variation in funding levels alongside flexible funding parameters has resulted in differences in the type and level of support available between virtual schools. While this has enabled flexibility to respond to local needs, there is lack of national consistency or comparability of funding use and outcomes.

Direct support to meet young people’s needs: Overall, Virtual Schools are prioritising direct support for young people, with over half of funding allocated to activities such as tuition, equipment, financial support and enrichment. Use of funding is often focused on tailored needs-led support and includes targeted support for those not in education, employment or training (NEET) and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Investing in joint working across services: The funding has also had a role in strengthening joint working between education, social care and post-16 providers. Increased post-16 capacity within Virtual Schools has supported improved communication, better understanding of young people’s needs and more coordinated support.

Early signs of positive outcomes for young people: Although the programme is still in its early stages, stakeholders reported emerging signs of improved engagement, retention and participation in post-16 education and training. These findings are based on perceptions and early evidence, with longer-term impacts expected to emerge over the coming years.

Ongoing challenges: The evaluation identifies a number of challenges affecting how support is delivered locally including funding levels that are often insufficient to meet need, increasing demand and complexity of need, limited availability of post-16 provision in some areas, and uncertainty around future funding.

Overall, the evaluation finds that PP+ Post-16 is beginning to strengthen support for children looked after and care leavers at post-16 and improve collaboration between services at this important transition point in the young people’s lives and in their education, training and employment pathways.

Further clarity on policy intent, consistent and sufficient funding and improved monitoring data will be important to support consistent implementation and evaluate future impact.

Our reports

Final evaluation report (2026)

Interim evaluation report (2024)

For more information, please contact Bethan Peach.