Personal Education Plans
Personal Education Plans
for
Children in Care
Guidance for Completion
1
Guidance on the completion of
Personal Education Plans
Contents
Title / Page NoIntroduction / 1
Completing the PEP / 2
The PEP process / 5
Frequently asked questions / 7
Effective and High Quality PEPs / 12
Who does what - Checklist at a glance / 13
What happens when? / 15
Glossary of terms / 16
Related guidance and other useful publications / 17
Mapping attainment and progress / 18
Key qualities exhibited by schools which provide high quality support for looked after children / 19
1
Introduction
This guidance is intended for the use of children’s Social Work professionals, designated teachers and other education staff, school governors, foster carers, prospective adoptive parents and all those who may have an involvement in the education of children in care.
Feedback from young people in care confirms the importance of a PEP process in which they are listened to, and involved in a positive and supportive way. The young person needs to feel that the PEP is relevant to their needs, and is linked to other aspects of their lives. The PEP remains an active document for the Child in Care, as the education part of their Care Plan.
“When a child becomes looked after his/her social worker must ensure that the child’s needs and the services to meet these are documented in the Care Plan – of which the PEP is an integral part.” 1
In March 2010, the DCSF publication entitled ‘Promoting the Educational Achievement of Looked after Children – Statutory guidance for local authorities’ was issued. This document contains essential information on supporting the education of children in care, and states that all children in care must have a personal education plan. All professionals and others involved with these young people should be aware of their responsibilities as identified in the guidance.
The statutory guidance can be downloaded from the Department for Education website: www.education.gov.uk
“The PEP is a record of what needs to happen for looked after children to enable them to fulfil their potential.” 2
1. Paragraph 70, Promoting the Educational Achievement of Looked After Children – Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities (DCSF, March 2010) page 23.
2. Ibid, paragraph 72.
Completing the PEP
Tracking provision, planning and progress
“The PEP should reflect the importance of a personalised approach to learning which secures good basic skills, stretches aspirations and builds life chances.” 4
Hampshire has different versions of the PEP specific to each key stage of school. The version which is most appropriate to the key stage of the child should be selected. Each PEP document contains pages for the young person’s views and for those of his/her carer. Pages for up to three PEP reviews per year are also incorporated in the document.
Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the PEP document should be completed prior to the meeting by the relevant person, as follows:-
Section 1 : The young person (supported by the adult best placed to do so)
Section 2 : The Carer
Section 3 : The Social Worker
Section 4 : The Designated Teacher
Further details on completion of these sections by these parties is provided later in this guidance document.
A copy of the document with the sections completed as above should be made available to each person attending the meeting.
The purpose of the PEP meeting itself is discussion and decision making based upon the information that has been gathered and provided. It is not an information gathering activity.
Those highlighted in the grid on page 1 of each document must be present in order for a PEP meeting to take place. The PEP records the discussion of the young person’s educational needs which takes place at this meeting, the agreed targets and the interventions and/or strategies that will be implemented to enable these targets to be reached. A completed PEP document must be posted on ECS by the social worker. A completed PEP must also be kept in school and a copy sent to the carer. The social worker should advise of others who should be provided with a copy.
The PEP must be sensitive to the diverse needs of children in care and should focus on what is required for them to reach their full potential. The PEP must cover:-
· The views of the young person and of his/her carer
· Signature strengths/ achievements / attendance / exclusions to date
· Summary of current situation – relevant aspects of care impacting, or potentially impacting on learning, developmental and educational needs.
· Targets (what the young person needs to be able to do that he/she cannot currently) with the interventions and/or strategies needed to enable these to be reached.
· Evaluation of these in PEP reviews so as to ensure that identified needs are always accurate and all strategies and interventions current.
All agencies involved should ensure that they provide the best support to enable stability and good outcomes, thereby enhancing life chances. The needs of the young person may change with their sense of security and maturity, and the PEP should be adjusted to reflect this by means of regular reviews (between one and three each academic year depending on the complexity of the young person and his/her situation and the rate of progress being made. A PEP should never have redundant interventions and strategies in place. If target has been reached or interventions and strategies are not working, there is a need to review. To this end a PEP should always be a ‘living and useful’ document.
Essentially, the PEP will capture the educational history and support the aspirations of the child in care, in partnership with social workers, parents and carers. It allows for a continuous record of the child’s school history, and identifies any additional needs that they may have and what support will need to be put in place to enable the young person to access an appropriate curriculum and reach their full potential.
“The PEP is the joint responsibility of the local authority and the school.”
Completion of the PEP document
Whose section is whose?
Section 1. The young person gives his/her own thoughts, supported by whoever he/she feels best suited to do so. An interpreter may be needed by Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children/Young people or by others whose mother tongue is not English. The pages dedicated to the young person’s views are formatted in an age appropriate way but can be completed in any way that the young person chooses; a supporter can act as scribe; diagrams and pictures can be created by the young person; even mind maps have been used by some. In PEP reviews young people can reflect on changes in the way they think, feel and perceive their needs. Young people are also asked for their views for CLA reviews and can feel that they are asked the same questions too frequently. A social worker could provide the pupil voice page from other documents from which views could be copied into section 1 of the PEP though the young person will need to confirm that these his/her current views. Reviews provide an opportunity an opportunity to voice changes in their point of view or new thinking.
.
Section 2. The carer provides background and historic information on the young person. He/she also provides vital information regarding responsibilities and permissions. It is paramount that all barriers from outside school that may prevent progress and flourishing within, are identified and understood.
Section 3. Is for the social worker to complete and allows for insight into the young person’s needs in relation to school, learning and holistic development. It is vital that it is understood by the school why the young person came into care and the nature of their life experience prior to that. The social worker provides insight into the young person through observation of attitude, relationships and response within the care environment. Again reviews provide the opportunity to note both change and new insight.
Section 4 is for the school, via the designated teacher, to record both the young person’s historic attainment and engagement and current working levels. This information allows identification of strengths, weakness and gaps in learning. Together with the PEP Toolkit, other analyses and evidence as appropriate the Designated Teacher can then support staff in accurately identifying barriers to progress and learning and the needs of the young person.
Section 5 is the target setting section to which all other sections are directed. It is completed by the designated Teacher as a result of the discussion at the meeting and what analysis tools have shown. The Designated Teacher, class teacher and other school staff should identify the interventions and strategies that will be implemented in order to overcome barriers and meet individual needs in order that the young person progresses, attains and flourishes. Strategies and interventions implemented will be evaluated in terms of impact at each PEP review meeting and so enlighten and inform future decision making
The PEP Process
1.
Remaining on school roll Changing school or no school or UASC
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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Frequently asked questions
not explicitly covered in this guidance
· What if a young person isn't on the roll of a school
· Is a new PEP required if a young person changes school ( educational provision) or foster placement?
· What about CiC with disabilities needing Respite Care?
· What happens at the Statutory Care Review?
· Should the child change schools if they move care placement?
· Who is responsible for ensuring a Child in Care has a school place?
· Early Years
· What happens when a child is placed for adoption?
· Designated teacher
· Can PEP meetings be combined with other meetings?
· What happens after PEP meetings?
· What happens when the young person is in their final year of statutory education (Year 11)?
· What should I do if there are concerns about the education of a CiC?
· What are the implications of changes to SEN for those in care and those coming into care post changes?
What if a young person isn't on the roll of a school?
Where a child is without a school place the social worker should seek appropriate advice from education professionals to ensure that a PEP is in place in order to identify educational needs. An Education Officer will work with the social worker and relevant agencies to ensure an appropriate education package is set up.
There is a duty on the Local Authority to ensure that no child in care is without a school place for more than 20 days.
Is a new PEP required if a young person changes school (educational provision) or changes foster placement?
A PEP review is required whenever there is a change to the young person’s situation. It is important there is a PEP meeting held between social worker, foster carers and school to ensure everyone is aware of the new situation and any potential issues are anticipated and planned for together. Only if the change includes a change of school is a new PEP required. This will be an initial PEP.
What about children with disabilities who are receiving respite care?
Most children with disabilities who receive respite care will have parents who are actively involved in their education. The PEP procedure will not apply to children with disabilities receiving less than 28 days continuous respite or less than 120 days respite in any year. However, the PEP guidance does apply in full to children with disabilities who are in care on a long-term basis.
What happens at the Statutory Care Review?
The Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) will review the educational progress and targets, using the information from the PEP and taking into account the views of the young person. In addition, they will review other factors of the child’s Care Plan – including health, contact, therapeutic intervention and longer term plans – and make recommendations.
Should the child change schools if they move care placement?
Consistent and constant provision, both care and education oriented should be the fundamental aim for all those in care. When change of care placement is unavoidable it does not necessarily mean an immediate change of school. School is often the only stable aspect of their life and perhaps should therefore be maintained unless real emergency requires otherwise. However this sometimes needs to be balanced against negatives such as long taxi/ train/bus journeys and the impact that this will have on learning, study and after school participation. If the placement is permanent, moving schools is rarely advisable. Statutory guidance recommends that children in Years 10 and 11 should not move school, unless there are significant concerns, e.g. safeguarding. In all cases the Hampshire Best Practice Protocol (BPP) must be followed.
Who is responsible for ensuring a Child in Care has a school place?
The social worker is responsible for getting a child into a school, both at normal transition time and if a child has to move to a new school part way through the year.
Social workers must however work within the framework of the Best Provision Protocol (BPP) thereby seeking advice and guidance in choice of school from a virtual school Education Officer who is aware of schools Ofsted grading and any school issues that may impact on the young person’s progress, attainment and sense of belonging. It is Hampshire’s policy to place a young person in care only in schools graded at good or outstanding. If there are any delays or issues with school admissions, the Virtual School Education Officer should be contacted immediately.
There is a duty on the Local Authority to ensure that no child in care is without a school place for more than 20 days. If a child is not in education provision an Education Officer will work with the social worker and relevant agencies to ensure an appropriate education package is set up.