Personal Education Plan FAQs

1. What is a Personal Education Plan (PEP)?
A Personal Education Plan (PEP) is a document describing a course of action to help a child or young person reach his/her full academic and life potential.

The PEP should be put together and be completed at a meeting in which the designated teacher, social worker and carers for the young person in public care are present.  The child or young person should also be part of their education planning, either at the PEP meeting itself or through discussions outside that meeting.

2. Whose responsibility is the Personal Education Plan?
When a child becomes Looked After, the social worker should inform the LA and school. The Social Worker is responsible for initiating the PEP in partnership with:

• the young person
• designated teacher at the school
• parent or relevant family member
• carer
• any other relevant agency involved.

3. When should the PEP be started?
The first PEP should be agreed within 20 days of the child becoming looked after or joining a school.

4. How do Personal Education Plans fit with other statutory plans for children?
The PEP is intended as the overarching education plan, which is in turn an integral part of a child's Care Plan.

5. Should Personal Education Plans be reviewed in line with other review cycles?
A current PEP should always be available for review as part of the Care Plan.  DCSF guidance stipulates that plans should be reviewed every six months. It is essential that a PEP meeting is held at any time of significant change; for example planning for examinations, transition or change of school, or at times of exclusion etc.

6. Can the PEP and the Annual Review of the Statement of SEN be run together?
Yes. It is recommended that these 2 meetings are held together for Looked After Children (LAC), as the meetings both focus on education and are held with the same group of people, in most cases.

7. Can the PEP and the LAC review be run together?
No. The LAC Review is the young person's meeting to review their whole care plan. It is therefore not appropriate to hold a detailed discussion about education at the LAC review. Further the PEP needs to inform the education part of the LAC review and therefore needs to be completed at least two weeks before the LAC review. The PEP must be sent to the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) prior to the LAC review.

8. Does the young person have to take part in the meeting?
It is imperative that where possible the young person's views are represented at the meeting. Young people have the right to attend as this is their education review meeting. However if for any reasons they do not wish to attend, the Designated Teacher should meeting with the young person before the PEP review meeting, to seek their views and take these to the meeting. The Designated Teacher should then share the outcomes with the young person following the meeting.

9. Can the meeting go ahead without one of the following; the Social Worker, foster carer or the school?
No. The PEP is a legal document and is a shred multi-agency education plan. Therefore, without the social work, foster carer or school, the plan could not be informed, shared or owned and therefore cannot go ahead.

10. Do we need to meet or can we do the PEP over the phone or via email?
No. It is Kent policy that a 'meeting' takes place. It is important that all relevant adults and the young person have an opportunity to meet in person and share educational success and issues together.

11. Do I use the same PEP for Looked After Children with disabilities and/or young person attending a special school?
Yes. The Kent PEP (2009) has been developed after considerable consultation with multi-agency partners and it has been agreed that Kent will have one inclusive PEP for all young people in care being educated in Kent schools.

12. What happens if the young person is out of school?
Obviously a young person should not be without a school place and if this is the case please contact the LAC Education Advisory team immediately. It is equally as important that a PEP is completed for young people in care in difficult educational circumstances. Please see below for examples of complex circumstances:

a) The young person is refusing to attend school.
As the young person is on a school roll at this stage, it is important that the PEP goes ahead within the statutory 6-monthly timescale. This should take place as normal at the school and the young person should be invited to attend, even if they have not attended school for a period. If the young person does not want to attend the meeting, the foster carer or Social Worker should gain their views, (Part 2 -What I want you to know, page 5) and share with those present at the meeting.

b) The young person is receiving 1-1 tuition or attending a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) or Alternative Curriculum
As these are all different types of formal education the PEP should be completed with the tutor as the 'education representative' and with all the same relevant people (young person, Social Worker, foster carers, etc.)

13. Can I attend a PEP or in the case of a Designated Teacher, write the PEP document, if I've not been to training?
It is recommended that all adults involved in PEP review meetings attend the Kent PEP training, visit the LAC training pages for dates.

If you have a PEP before you have received training, please ensure your read all of this PEP guidance carefully to support you at the meeting. Please then book onto the next training available. If you have any further questions following this, please contact your LAC Education Adviser for advice and support.