Personal Education Planning (PEPs)
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.
Havering Virtual School offer ePEP training to designated teachers to support to complete the online document.
You can get further information by contacting vsht@Havering.gov.uk.
Children in care should have a PEP from Summer term before they start Reception to the age of 18.
A PEP can be held for a child younger if there are identified additional needs or where support needs to be put in place prior to school start.
The following documents contain further information.
- The designated teacher for looked-after and previously looked-after children
- Improving the attainment of looked-after children in primary schools - Guidance-for-schools
- Improving the attainment of looked-after children in secondary schools - Guidance-for-schools
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
- the young person’s 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
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. (in line with care planning)
Meetings are held:
- within 20 working days of a child first coming into care
- every academic term (spring, summer and autumn)
- if a provision changes mid-term
PEPs are completed online using the epeponline.
Social workers and designated teachers can use the system to view and edit PEPs.
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 teachers should complete section 1 of the PEP before the meeting is held and must complete section 2 and ‘mark the PEP complete’ by the end of the meeting.
Social workers should complete their section before the PEP and must review and sign off the PEP form within 7 working days of the PEP meeting.
Virtual school lead reviews the PEP form within 7 working days of submission and provides feedback to the setting.
Pupil Premium and the Virtual School
Pupil Premium Plus and Early Years Pupil Premium are payments made by the government to help raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and narrow the gap with their peers.
Funding request are discussed at the PEP meeting relating to progression within an area of the child’s education.
The request is then inputted on ePEP as a funded target, for the virtual school to agree and sign off.