Personal Education Plan (PEP) for Cared for Children
The Personal Education Plan (PEP) is a record of what needs to happen for a cared for child to achieve good educational outcomes. It is there to ensure that the child is making expected progress and fulfilling their potential. PEPs should be of high quality and reviewed each term. PEPs are the joint responsibility of the Local Authority and the school. Social Workers will implement the PEP and ensure it is effective and available for reviews while schools will take the lead in implementing and maintaining the PEP as well as monitoring the impact of any interventions. The Virtual School will support all parties and monitor the PEPs, providing support where needed.
Completing a Personal Education Plan
Cheshire East operates an ePEP system which is accessed online via a portal link to the children’s information system Liquid Logic. The PEP forms an integral part of a Cared for Child’s care plan. This is the safest and most efficient way to share the plan.
Designated Teachers for Cared for Children in schools need to become users of this system to enable them to complete the necessary plan. The Designated Teacher and their school need to enter into a data sharing agreement. Once this process is complete, a log in to the portal can be created.
Personal Education Plan process
The first PEP should take place within 10 days of a child coming into care, and forms part of the Local Authority Care Plan. The process is subject to Ofsted inspection, and the documentation should be available in the child’s record.
Once a date for a PEP meeting has been agreed between the school and social worker, the Virtual School team will delegate the ePEP as a task to the ‘in tray’ of the user in the portal. This will be available to be completed online and submitted back once finished. This will then be reviewed and finalised by an Education Adviser of the Virtual School. Word document templates for PEPs are available via the Virtual School administration team on 01625 374974, if the system is interrupted.
You should complete as much as possible prior to the PEP meeting, so that the focus can be on reviewing the progress achieved relating to past interventions, Pupil Premium expenditure, any barriers to learning, and future actions planned to progress or extend learning.
Attainment and progress monitoring
When a child enters care, the school or college are asked to give a baseline of their current attainment and progress so that appropriate targets and interventions can be put into place.
At the end of each term, further attainment and progress data will be collected. Schools are asked to work with their data managers to ensure this is returned, as it will be used to monitor impact and inform future planning.
'My Voice’ documents
The forms below aim to get children to state how they feel about their school routine, and life beyond the school gates (on the date they complete the form). Children should always be given the opportunity to attend and contribute to their PEP meetings, even if for only part of it.
Although the ‘My Voice’ documents have been designed for particular key stages, please utilise the one that meets the needs of your young person best.
Instructions and guidance
Designated Teachers for Cared for Children in Cheshire East schools should contact Deborah.bradbury@cheshireeast.gov.uk if further guidance is needed.
Page last reviewed: 09 May 2024
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