Statutory PEP guidance
All children in care must have a current Personal Education Plan (PEP), which should be reviewed every school term as part of the statutory review of the child's care plan.
The PEP acts as a record of what needs to happen for a Child in Care (CiC) to reach their educational potential.
PEP standards
For a PEP to be compliant with statutory guidance it must:
- be started within 10 working days of first coming into care and be available for the first statutory review of the care plan. This takes place after 20 working days.
This applies to all young children in care from pre-school to 18 years. - be a high-quality effective plan that is up to date. It should be reviewed termly.
This is applicable even when the young person is temporarily between school or early years setting places. In these circumstances the PEP actions should relate to securing a new education place and maintaining education during this transition. - involve the child/young person.
There should be clear evidence of their voice reflected throughout the PEP. - involve the carer and/or relevant family member(s).
The carer/parent should be present and contribute, unless they are ill or the young person is between care placements. - set clear, short and long term targets which relate to:
- developmental goals
- academic achievement and progress
- out of school activities
- learning/study support
- educational ambitions and higher education
- set out a personalised learning approach through clear identification of the child/young person's developmental and educational needs.
- record specific interventions and targeted support by:
- providing details of who will initiate the actions
- setting specific timescales for actions to be taken
- recording how progress will be rigorously monitored
- setting dates for review.
- set out information of how the school/social worker will identify:
- any mental health needs relevant to the child/young person’s education, and
- how aspiration and self-confidence are nurtured
- link to, but not duplicate, other education plans if relevant
- contain information on work experience, career plans and aspirations
- identify funding sources to implement the action.
This includes the notional SEN budget where applicable. - include the following information:
- the child's age
- the child's care status
- where the child lives
- the child's school history
- the child's SEND needs and plans
- the carers' level of delegated authority
- contact details
- restrictions
- which Virtual School and local authority are the corporate parents
The PEP is the joint responsibility of the local authority and School / other education settings.
Responsibilities
Social worker
The social worker's statutory duty is to:
- initiate a PEP as part of the care plan
- develop and review the PEP with other professionals
- be present at PEP meetings
Designated teacher
The designated teacher's statutory duty is to:
- develop the PEP
- make sure the PEP is effective and lead on it within school, although other relevant staff should contribute
- lead PEP meetings once the social worker has initiated the PEP
Virtual School
The Virtual School's statutory duty is to make sure there is an up to date, high quality PEP in place for all of its children in care that is focussed on educational outcomes.
They work with the social worker and designated teacher to facilitate the PEP and make sure it is completed.
Pupil Premium Plus
PEPs are signed off by the Virtual School and the Pupil Premium Plus (PPP) spend will be tracked via the ePEP.
The PEP review should include an evaluation of the impact of the PPP. This effectively reviews and audits the school's administration and implementation of the funding.
The Virtual School provide guidance on effective use of PPP.
Page last updated: 15 May 2024