Quality of PEPs

The quality of the PEP

is the joint responsibility of the local authority that looks after the child and the school. Social workers, carers, Virtual School Headteachers, designated teachers and, as appropriate, other relevant professionals will need to work closely together. All of those involved in the PEP process at all stages should involve the child and, where appropriate, the child's parent and/or relevant family member.

The PEP should cover the full range of education and development needs including: • access to a nursery or other high quality early years provision that is appropriate to the child's age (e.g. pre-school playgroups) and meets their identified developmental needs;

•  on-going catch-up support for those who have fallen behind with school work (including use of effective intervention strategies);
•  provision of immediate suitable education where a child is not in school (e.g. because of temporary or permanent exclusion);
•  transition support where needed, such as when a child starts attending a new school or returns to school (e.g. moving from pre-school/ early years to primary school, primary to secondary school, from secondary school to further education, or following illness or exclusion) or when a child has a plan for permanence (e.g. placed for adoption) and may change schools as part of that plan;
•  school attendance and, where appropriate, behaviour support; and
•  support needed to help the child realise their short and long-term academic achievements and aspirations. This includes:

* support to achieve expected levels of progress for the relevant national curriculum key stage, and to complete an appropriate range of approved qualifications;

* careers advice and guidance and financial information about further and higher education, training and employment. Discussions about longer term goals should start early and, ideally, well before Year 9 (age 13-14) at school. High aspirations are crucial to successful planning for the future. They should focus on the child or young person's strengths and capabilities and the outcomes they want to achieve (see St Helens Virtual School Aspiration Pathway)

* out-of-school hours learning activities, study support and leisure interests

The PEP meeting should take place termly with all relevant personnel attending and a copy of the PEP provided if requested.

Initiating, developing and reviewing the PEP

Wherever the child is placed, their social worker, supported by the authority's VSH, should take the lead to:

initiate a PEP even where a looked-after child is without a school place. This includes meeting with appropriate education providers and the carer;

•  ensure that where a child is placed in an emergency, the PEP is initiated within 10 working days of their becoming looked-after, wherever they are placed;
• ensure, with the support of others, including the VSH, that the PEP contains a summary of the child's current attainment and progress (including any additional needs such as SEN and mental health needs);
• ensure the PEP is effective and is available for the first statutory review meeting of the care plan; and
• ensure the PEP gives details of who will take the plan forward and specifies timescales for action and review.

Once requesting the initiation of a PEP, the Virtual School will need to work with the child's social worker and relevant designated teacher to facilitate its completion and agree how pupil premium plus (PP+) can most effectively be used to facilitate the child's educational attainment and progress.

VSHs should have a quality assurance role in relation to PEPs. To be effective and high quality, a PEP should:

• be a 'living', evolving, comprehensive and enduring record of the child's experience, progress and achievement (academic and otherwise), and inform any discussion about education during statutory reviews of the child's wider care plan;
• be linked to, but not duplicate or conflict with, information in any other plans held by the child's education setting or responsible authority - e.g. their care plan or Education, Health and Care Plan;
• identify developmental (including any related to attachment and past trauma) and educational needs (short and longer term) in relation to skills, knowledge, subject areas and experiences;
• say what will happen or is already happening to identify and support any mental health needs, including detailing any support that is required or ongoing from mental health specialist support services