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Contents

1. The Personal Education Plan (PEP) - Introduction
2. When a Child becomes Looked After
3. When a Child moves into a New Local Authority
4. When a Child Needs, or Joins, a New School
5. When a Child has No School Place
6. Reviewing PEP's
7. When a Child is Absent from School
8. School Exclusions
9. When a Young Woman becomes Pregnant

1. The Personal Education Plan (PEP) - Introduction

The Personal Education Plan (PEP) is the central platform for the education of Looked After children, and is incorporated within or attached to each child's Care Plan. The Personal Education Plan should be initiated as part of the Care Plan before the child becomes Looked After (or within 10 working days in the case of an emergency placement), and be available for the first Looked After Review meeting.

All Looked After children of compulsory school age must have a Personal Education Plan (PEP), whether or not currently in education. It provides essential information to ensure that appropriate support is in place to enable the child to achieve the targets set. It also a record of the child's leisure interest and educational achievement.

The social worker is responsible for initiating a PEP.

When a child is attending school, the school's designated teacher or other identified member of staff is also responsible for ensuring that a child has a PEP, in consultation with the social worker.

The social worker should  ensure that the PEP is completed.

The PEP should set clear objectives and targets for the child, covering the following:

• Chronology of education and training history which provides a record of the child's educational experience and progress in terms of National Curriculum levels of attainment, including information about educational institutions attended and the reasons for leaving, attendance and conduct record, academic and other achievements, any special educational needs, an indication of the extent to which the child's education has been disrupted before entering care or accommodation;
• Existing arrangements for education and training, including details of any special educational provision and any other provision to meet the child's educational or training needs and promote educational achievement;
• Any planned changes to existing arrangements and provision to minimise disruption;
• The child's leisure interests;
• Role of the appropriate person and any other person who cares for the child in promoting the child's educational achievements and leisure interests.

If the PEP meeting is organised to coincide with other reviews/meetings, for example, an annual review of a Statement of Special Educational Needs, or the drawing up of an Individual Education Plan (IEP), the social worker should agree with other participants in advance how responsibility for the meeting is to be shared.

A PEP must be based on accurate and up-to-date information. Everyone relevant should be consulted about both their views and their ability to contribute to the child's educational progress.

Decisions by participants should aim to achieve small, concrete, observable improvements. These should be significant and realistic and involve positive changes to the current situation.

Recommendations from the planning meeting should go to the Looked After Review for approval - changes of school, request for additional support, etc.

If the pupil is subject to a Statement of Special Educational Needs, any recommendations relating to school and the content of the statement must go via the annual review of the statement (which can be brought forward if necessary).

The social worker must also ensure that parents are involved in these events as far as is appropriate, and that copies of the child's school reports are sent to the parents.

Avoidance of disruption in education

The Nominated Officer must approve of any change of placement affecting a child in Key Stage 4, except in an emergency/where the placement is terminated because of an immediate risk of serious harm to the child or to protect others from serious injury.

In those circumstances, the Local Authority must make appropriate arrangements to promote the child's educational achievement as soon as reasonably practicable.

• The child's wishes and feelings have been ascertained and given due consideration;
• The wishes and feelings of the parent(s) have been ascertained where the child is accommodated (where possible) and where appropriate where the child is subject to a Care Order);
• The educational provision will promote educational achievement and is consistent with the PEP;
• The Independent Reviewing Officer has been consulted;
• The Designated Teacher at the child's school has been consulted.

Other than in Key Stage 4, where the Local Authority proposes making any change to the child's placement that would have the effect of disrupting the arrangements made for education and training, they must ensure that other arrangements are made for education or training that meet the child's needs and are consistent with the PEP.

2. When a Child becomes Looked After

Notification

Before, or as soon as, a child becomes Looked After, the child's social worker must notify the school the child attends. The notification will be initially by telephone and must then be confirmed in writing.

If the child is placed outside the authority, the authority into which the child is placed must also be notified.

The Initial Personal Education Plan - non-residential schools

The initial Personal Education Plan (PEP) should be in place within the first 20 days of a child coming in to care.

A meeting must take place as soon as possible with the school, the carer and the social worker; and should involve the child as far as is appropriate

Where the child has no school place, the Looked After Children Advisory Teacher should be alerted.

The meeting should usually be chaired by the social worker.

Its purpose is to draw up the initial PEP.

The initial PEP should:

• Identify the child's immediate needs (e.g. to maintain the current school place, make transport arrangements, find a new school
• Establish contact between the carer, school or other education professionals and the social worker - the basis of a working partnership
• Establish boundaries of confidentiality
• Agree when the PEP will be reviewed.

The Initial Personal Education Plan - residential schools & educational placements

The initial Personal Education Plan (PEP) should be in place within the first 20 days of a child coming in to care.

A meeting must take place as soon as possible with the education and residential staff and should involve the child

The initial PEP should:

• Identify the child's immediate needs (e.g. literacy and numeracy, behaviour management, assessment of ability and knowledge)
• Establish contact between education staff and the social worker - the basis of a working partnership
• Agree how and when the PEP will be reviewed

PEP reviews:

The  PEP should be reviewed to correspond with the Looked After review cycle. Any concerns must be available to Independent Reviewing Officers at the reviews meeting

Provision of education for pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs can only be changed by amending the statement at an annual review meeting.

3. When a Child moves into a New Local Authority

If a child is placed out of the authority, but continues to attend the same school as before becoming Looked After, the procedure outlined in Section 2, When a Child becomes Looked After must be followed.

If the child is to be placed out of the Authority, and will need a new school, efforts to obtain a school place must (unless it is an emergency placement) begin well before s/he moves to a new placement. It is important that the Looked After Children Advisory Teacher is involved in this process.

Whenever possible, a child must not be moved to a new placement until s/he also has a school place.

Where the child does not have a school place - see Section 5, When a Child has No School Place.

Pupils With Statements of Special Educational Needs

The  Special Educational Needs Department of the Children and Young People Division where the child lives (unless in residential accommodation) is responsible for the placement and provision for a pupil who has a Statement of Special Educational Needs.

Applications to schools are made by the Local Authority maintaining the statement. If the Local Authority agrees to adopt a statement, it will need to be amended. This needs to be planned for as early as possible as it can cause long delays.

4. When a Child Needs , or Joins, a New School

Choosing and applying for a school place is primarily the social worker's responsibility but may be delegated to, or shared with, others (e.g. the carer, the Looked After Children Advisory Teacher).

Notification

At least one member of staff in the school - the designated teacher for Looked After children or the Head Teacher - must be informed that the child is a Looked After child. Other members of staff should be identified at the Personal Education Plan (PEP) meeting, taking into account the child's wishes concerning confidentiality.

Pupils with Statements of Special Educational Need

School places for a pupil with a Statement of Special Educational Need are dealt with by the Special Educational Needs section of the Local Authority maintaining the statement. Similarly, a change of schools at any other time needs the agreement of the Local Authority to approach the school and for the statement to be amended. This needs to be planned for as early as possible as it can cause long delays.

The social worker should ensure that he/she is aware of the current position of the statement and whether any additional support is provided and by whom.

The Initial PEP in a new school

The meeting should usually be chaired by the social worker.

A new  Personal Education Plan (PEP) should be in place within the first 20 days of a child joining a new school.

The  PEP should be reviewed to correspond with the Looked After review cycle. Any concerns must be available to Independent Reviewing Officers at the review meeting.

The initial PEP in a new school should:

• Identify the child's immediate needs (e.g. English as an Additional Language, literacy support, behaviour management)
• Establish contact between the carer, school staff and the social worker - the basis of a working partnership
• Agree who contacts whom about what
• Establish boundaries of confidentiality
• Share important information - perhaps including the Placement Plan/Placement Information Record
• Ensure records are forwarded from the previous school and/or the carer
• Agree how and when the PEP will be reviewed

5. When a Child has No School Place

Finding a school place is primarily the social worker's responsibility but may be delegated to, or shared with, others (e.g. the carer, the Looked After Children Advisory Teacher)

Looked After children in need of a mainstream school place are  entitled to preferential treatment for admissions.

PEPs

Children without a school place should still have an up-to-date Personal Education Plan (PEP). It should address immediate educational needs and longer-term planning.

Children Placed within the Authority

Where the child does not have a school place because one cannot be found, or because mainstream school is not appropriate to his/her needs, the child's social worker should notify the Looked After Children Advisory Teacher (Click Here for Contact Details)

The local authority should identify a school place within 20 working days and should be asked to provide alternative education if a school place cannot be found immediately or is not appropriate.

Children Placed outside the Authority

Where the child does not have a school place because one cannot be found, or has been placed at very short notice, the child's social worker should notify the education authority in the area where the child is placed and request that a school be identified for the child as soon as possible.

That local authority should identify a school place within 20 working days at the latest; and should be asked to provide alternative education if a school place cannot be found immediately or is not appropriate.

Pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs

A pupil who has a statement of special needs applies to schools through the Special Educational Needs section of the local authority maintaining the statement, not directly. It requires the agreement of that local authority to approach the school and for the statement to be amended. This needs to be planned for as early as possible as it can cause long delays.

6. Reviewing PEPS

The PEP monitoring form should be presented at each Looked After Review. Any concerns must be raised with the Independent Reviewing Officer at the review meeting. The PEP monitoring forms will be sent out, by the LAC team, to schools in advance of the review meeting. The form will be sent to the social worker for inclusion in the LAC review paperwork.

See PEPs protocol.

7. When a Child is Absent from School

The carer must notify the school, and the social worker, immediately if the child does not attend school for any reason.

In any case where the child has been absent from school for more than 5 days, the social worker should liaise with the school, the child, the carers and the Education Support Worker in the LAC team to address:

• the reasons for the absence
• how to ensure the child returns to education as soon as possible
• whether and how the child can be helped to catch up on what s/he has missed.

8. School Exclusions

NB Where a Looked After Child is excluded from school, the child's social worker must inform the child's Independent Reviewing Officer.

The social worker must contact the Looked After Children Advisory Teacher as soon as he/she knows that a child is at risk of exclusion.

Where a child is excluded from school for a fixed period, the school will provide work for the child. The child must not be found in a public place during the time of the exclusion. The social worker must liaise with the carer about suitable arrangements for supervising the child doing the schoolwork provided.

The reasons for the exclusion will be communicated by the school to the carer and the social worker. The social worker should inform the parents.

The social worker must seek advice as to whether to appeal an exclusion. A permanent exclusion should always be appealed unless there are clear reasons not to. The Looked After Children Advisory Teacher should be contacted so that she can support the social worker through the process.

When a child is permanently excluded, but is remaining in the same foster or residential placement, the social worker must liaise urgently with the Local authority in which the child is living to find an alternative school placement.

9. When a Young Woman becomes Pregnant

Becoming pregnant is not in itself a reason to stop attending school, nor to cease education.

Where a young woman becomes pregnant, the social worker must ensure that the young woman remains in education, if at all possible, and arrange for her to receive support from the local authority in which she lives and/or the local authority of the school she attends.

End