Park Community Academy
Introduction
Park Community Academy and the Governing Committee are committed to supporting young people in continuing their education Post 16 and fulfilling their individual potential. Park Community Academy is a large Special School that caters for pupils from 2 – 19. Pupils at the school exhibit a wide range of Special Educational Needs encompassing learning, sensory and medical needs.
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Who is eligible? – nominated vulnerable groups · Young people in care (see definitions below) or Care Leavers aged 16-19 · Young people in receipt of Income Support or the equivalent Universal Credit (UC) in their own right.
Please note: If a young person claims ESA or UC in their own right the parents will not be able to claim Child Benefit. |
It is the aim of the school and the Governing Committee to support the most vulnerable young people to participate fully in their education. Where appropriate the school is committed to ensuring that eligible students benefit from a 16 - 19 Vulnerable Bursary grant awarded by the Education Funding Agency (EFA). This grant is available for vulnerable young people, including those in care, care leavers, young people receiving income support (aged 18 years and disabled young people receiving both Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance.
Definitions of Young People in Care:
- Where a child is cared for by other adults as a result of a private arrangement made by parents the child is not classed as a ‘Looked After Child’ or a ‘Child in Care’.
- ‘Children in Care’ means children looked after by a Local Authority on a voluntary basis (Section 20 of the children Act, 1989) or under a Care Order (Section 31 of the children Act 1989). Section 22 of the Children Act 1989 defines the term ‘Looked After Child’.
- ‘Care Leavers’ means:
- Young people aged 16 and 17 who were previously looked after for a period of 13 weeks consecutively (or periods amounting to 13 weeks), which began after the age of 14 and ended after the age of 16. In legal terms these children are called ‘Relevant Children’ or ‘former relevant children’.
- Young people aged 18 or above who were looked after prior to becoming 18 for a period of 13 weeks consecutively (or periods amounting to 13 weeks), which began after the age of 14 and ended after the age of 16.
How will the Vulnerable Bursary money be distributed?
The Vulnerable Bursary is £1200 per year per student attending a full time course. The funding is intended to support the continued education of the student. Therefore the school retains the funding to ensure full access to the FE curriculum which includes (but is not exhaustive of:
- Access to an annual residential
- Independent travel training support
- Funding to support Community and Home Life Skills Training
- Administration costs
- Curriculum resources.
Any funding for a Vulnerable Bursary that is not allocated for the student is declared and recycled to support identified eligible students in the following academic year.
Discretionary Awards
In addition to the fund paid to support students in the identified vulnerable group the school receives a small Discretionary Bursary fund to be allocated as required to support other pupils where there is an identified need – eg challenging financial circumstances. In exceptional circumstances this fund can also ‘top up’ the payment made to a student in the vulnerable group. The current criteria for awarding a Discretionary Bursary funding is as follows:
- Young people aged 16 – 19 (Years 12 – 14)
- Previously eligible for Pupil Premium or Challenging Financial Circumstances
- 95% attendance or more.
Students must meet all criteria and funding will be shared equally by the number of eligible students. Funding will also be used to subsidise the annual residential.
Monitoring and Reporting
The Headteacher will report through the Governors Combined Committee and the full Governing Committee on all matters relating to finance. Should a young person or family feel aggrieved about how their Bursary has been handled they should follow PCA’s Complaints Policy which is found on the website.
Additional information can be found in:
www.direct.gov.uk/16-19bursary