Start here
What is a Personal Education Plan (PEP)?
A PEP is the part of a looked-after child’s care plan that covers their education. Every child in care must have one. It sits alongside school reports — not instead of them — and is reviewed regularly so that nothing about a child’s learning gets lost when their home life changes.
Who it's for
Every child or young person who is “looked after” by a local authority in England must have a PEP as part of their care plan. That includes children in foster care, residential care and some kinship placements where the child is looked after by the local authority. Informal kinship care does not by itself create looked-after status, and children placed under a section 20 voluntary arrangement.
Children who have left care but are still in education (care leavers up to 25) can have a continuing education plan agreed with their Personal Adviser.
When it should be started
The social worker should start the PEP promptly, supported by the Virtual School Head. National statutory guidance specifically says that, after an emergency placement, it should be initiated within 10 working days of the child becoming looked after. It should be available for the first statutory care-plan review.
The guidance does not set a universal 10-working-day deadline after every school move. If a PEP has not been started promptly, ask the social worker and Virtual School Head when it will be completed and reviewed.
Who's involved
- Virtual School Head — the LA officer responsible for the education of all children in that authority’s care, including those placed out of borough.
- Designated Teacher — a named teacher in the school whose job is to champion looked-after children.
- Social worker — coordinates the wider care plan and attends the PEP.
- Carer — foster carer, kinship carer or residential keyworker who knows the child day-to-day.
- The young person — their voice must be heard, in writing or in person, in a way that suits them.
- Birth parent — invited where appropriate and where they hold parental responsibility.
How the PEP is reviewed
The PEP is part of the child's care plan and must be considered through the statutory care-review cycle. It should also be updated when education needs or placement change. National DfE guidance says Virtual School Heads should arrange for PEPs to be reviewed each school term.
You can ask for an earlier review at any time if something significant changes — for example a new diagnosis, a school move, a period of being out of school, or an exclusion.
How Pupil Premium Plus works
The 2026–27 Pupil Premium rate for looked-after and previously looked-after children is £2,690. For looked-after children, the grant is allocated to the local authority using the official census rules and managed by the Virtual School Head. The local authority decides how much to pass to a child’s school; this is not a personal budget or a guaranteed £2,690 allocation to one child.
The PEP should record how funding supports the child’s educational targets. The Virtual School Head should seek input from the school and carers, use evidence-based approaches and keep spending transparent.
At each PEP review, ask what support has been funded, why it was chosen and what impact it has had.
What a good PEP looks like
- It is written with the child, not just about them.
- It names specific targets — not just “making progress”.
- It lists what PP+ is being spent on and the impact so far.
- It records any SEND, EHCP status, or pending assessments.
- It includes attendance, behaviour incidents and exclusions honestly.
- Each action has a named person responsible and a date.
- It is signed off by the Virtual School Head.