The Personal Education Plan and Pupil Premium Plus

Personal Education Plan (PEP)

All children in care must have a current Personal Education Plan.

The child’s social worker begins the process by contacting the school to organise a PEP meeting.

The meeting is normally attended by the social worker, designated teacher for children in care, sometimes other school staff, the carer and possibly parent. Ideally the child should be included in the meeting too. We advise the level of input the child wishes to have in the meeting is discussed and agreed beforehand, and a feedback opportunity is arranged if they prefer not to attend.

Staff from the Virtual School may attend if required, and other professionals (e.g. Educational Psychologist, intervention worker…) can be invited if appropriate.

The meetings are an opportunity for key people involved with the child to find out more about how he/she is doing at school and how their pupil premium funding is being spent. It is also a good opportunity for teachers to hear about things happening outside school that are relevant to the child’s education. The views of the child should be shared at the PEP important.

Wolverhampton Virtual School advises that PEP meetings are held on a termly basis to correspond with attainment and progress data monitoring in schools, and the termly release of Pupil Premium Plus by the Virtual School.

PEPs should be held:

• Within 28 calendar days of a child first coming into care (SW should initiate the PEP within 10 days)
• Within three months after the first PEP
• Then termly

It's important that you attend the child's PEP meetings and have the chance to have your say about their education.

Pupil Premium Plus

Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) funding is additional funding provided to help improve the attainment of looked-after children and close the attainment gap between them and their peers.

The funding is provided by the Department for Education, and is devolved to schools and education providers by the Virtual School. All children in care to enrolled at a school from reception to year 11 are eligible to receive Pupil Premium Plus.

The Virtual School has produced a guide to the Pupil Premium Plus for carers, designated teachers, and other individuals working with our children and young people in care.