What a Personal Education Plan (PEP) is, what happens at PEP meetings and how PEPs are submitted and monitored.
What a Personal Education Plan (PEP) is
A PEP is part of a young person's care plan. It's a record of the child's views and a plan of how everyone is supporting their education to ensure they achieve the best outcomes.
A PEP includes information about:
- how the young person thinks and feels about education
- the young person's educational progress
- how to help the young person progress
- their attendance
- any support they're getting in their education setting
- the difference Pupil Premium has made for school-aged children
- future Pupil Premium funding needs for school-aged children
- 16 to 19 Bursary Fund spending for post 16 students
Children in care should have a PEP from 2 years old (if they're in an education setting), to the age of 18.
PEP meetings
To start the PEP process, the child's social worker, supported by the virtual school, must organise a PEP meeting with the child's education setting.
We ask the designated teacher to chair the meeting. The PEP form is discussed and completed at the meeting.
PEP meetings should also happen if a young person is not in education, including if they're post 16 and not in education, employment or training (NEET).
The PEP meeting will include the:
- child or young person
- carer
- social worker
- designated teacher or key member of staff from the education setting
The child's views are central to the PEP. If the child cannot attend the meeting, a key member of staff from the education setting should go through the child's section of the form with them, before the meeting.
As the lead professional for the care plan, the child's social worker must be at every PEP meeting. If the social worker cannot attend, they need to send a replacement. If they can't send a replacement, they should reschedule the meeting.
The social worker should invite the young person's lead from the virtual school. The lead won't be able to go to every meeting, but we do prioritise first PEP meetings and meetings for young people having difficulties in their education.
The social worker may invite other people to the meeting, like:
- other professionals, such as the carer's supervising social worker
- the child's parents
Meetings are held:
- within 20 working days of a child first coming into care
- every academic term (spring, summer and autumn)
PEP system
PEPs are completed online using the Welfare Call system. Social workers and designated teachers can use the system to view and edit PEPs.
After the PEP meeting
After the PEP meeting, the PEP form is completed and signed off by the designated teacher and social worker. The virtual school lead will monitor the PEP quality. The PEP must be complete and meet quality standards for Pupil Premium funding to be released.
Timelines for submission and monitoring:
- designated teacher must complete and sign off the PEP form within 5 working days of the PEP meeting
- social worker must review and sign off the PEP form within 7 working days of the PEP meeting
- virtual school lead reviews the PEP form within 10 working days of submission and provides feedback to the setting
