School Attendance and Pupil Welfare

Pembrokeshire Education Support Grant

(formerly the Pupil Development PLUS Grant)

This is a Pembrokeshire specific grant and is separate to the Welsh Government School Essentials Grant.

Pembrokeshire Education Support Grant is a scheme to help parents in difficult circumstances with school uniforms.

 From April 2019, we will offer a grant of up to £125 per statutory School age pupil for:

• School uniform including coats and shoes.
• School sports kit including footwear.
• Uniform for enrichment activities, including but not limited to, scouts; guides; cadets; martial arts; sports; performing arts or dance.
• Equipment e.g. school bags and stationery.
• Specialist equipment where new curriculum activities begin such as design and technology.
• Equipment for out of school hour’s trips such as outdoor learning e.g. waterproofs.

This is not an exhaustive list, and there is some discretion about what could be funded – but it must be something that will support the achievement of the child. Decisions on applications will be made by the Education Welfare Service for your school.

Examples of difficult circumstances may include:

• Families experiencing moving over to Universal Credit and experience significant delays in receiving benefit payments.
• Loss of possessions due to an event beyond your control such as fire or flood.
• A child who has to move schools at short notice at the advice of the Local Authority.

Other assistance for low-income households

There are other limited potential sources of financial help:

• Parents receiving Income Support
• Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance,
• Pension Credit

or payment on account of one of these benefits or entitlements for at least 26 weeks may be able to apply for a social fund budgeting loan under the category of clothing and footwear from Jobcentre Plus. Claimants currently claiming Universal Credit can apply for a Budgeting Advance.

Help may be available from governing bodies or parents' associations of schools. This may be financial support from a hardship fund, a savings scheme or through the provision of second-hand clothing.

For further information please speak with the Pupil Support Officer for your school or request an application form from SUGS@pembrokeshire.gov.uk