All children in care must have a Personal Education Plan (PEP) this forms part of their care plan and is a statutory requirement.
The care plan is incomplete without a current PEP.
The PEP should be initiated as part of the care plan and must be completed within 20 working days of the child coming into care.
The PEP should be initiated by the child's social worker, in partnership with the designated teacher for children in care at the school.
The virtual school will attend the initial PEP meeting where the child is new into care.
For those children already in care, the virtual school will prioritise attending PEP meetings where there is a concern which would need further guidance or advice.
As social worker it is crucial that you're familiar with the following statutory guidance on GOV.UK: Promoting the education of looked after children and previously looked after children February 2018.
This guidance underpins the education planning process for children looked after.
Personal Education Plans
A Personal Education Plan (PEP) captures the voice of the child, their attainment, progress and educational needs.
A PEP identifies how the pupil premium plus, will be spent to support positive outcomes and remove any barriers to their learning.
A new PEP is needed for each academic year.
The PEP should be initiated by the child's social worker, in partnership with the designated teacher for children in care at the school.
The virtual school will attend the initial PEP meeting where the child is new into care.
For those children already in care, the virtual school will prioritise attending PEP meetings where there is a concern which would need further guidance or advice.
As the PEP is part of the overall care plan for the child or young person, the social worker is ultimately responsible that it is completed in partnership with the school and carers. Within school, the designated teacher has lead responsibility for the development and implementation of the PEP.