Personal Education Plan (PEP) and Pupil Premium Plus Funding (PP+)

1. Child is new into care / new school setting. The Child’s Social Worker should liaise with the Designated Teacher within the school, the Virtual School, parents and carers to arrange the first PEP meeting within 20 school days. The Virtual School will ensure that the PEP meeting is set up on Welfare Call.
2. Before the PEP meeting. The Child’s Social Worker and Designated Teacher should complete the relevant sections on the PEP document.
3. The Child’s Social Worker should convene the meeting. This is attended by:
• • Designated Teacher (to lead the meeting)
  • Social Worker
  • Parent
  • Carer
  • The Child
  • Virtual School Officer – optional.
4. Within 10 school days, the PEP document should be signed off by the Designated Teacher and Child’s Social Worker. The Virtual School will carry out Quality Assurance of the document. Once this has been completed, the Child’s Social Worker can send the document to carers and parents, if appropriate.

PEP Expectations

• Each child should have their own PEP meeting booked in every half term. A date for the next PEP should be agreed by all parties within the PEP meeting.
• It is the responsibility of the Child’s Social Worker to convene the PEP meetings, update Social Care Information ahead of the PEP meeting, and circulate the document afterwards.
• It is the responsibility of the Designated Teacher to update the PEP document beforehand, with all necessary information, including voice of the child, within the context of school.
• The child or young person should be encouraged to play a meaningful part within their PEP meeting, however, this should also consider the needs of each individual child or young person. It may be that they wish to attend the meeting in full, part of the meeting, or they may wish to share their voice outside of the meeting with a key-adult before and after the PEP meeting.
• Both the Child’s Social Worker and Designated Teacher should ensure that the PEP document is signed off within 10 working days of the meeting being held.

It is recognised that Children in Our Care and Children with a Social Worker often have educational attainment gaps compared to their peers, due to the significant additional barriers they have faced due to their adverse childhood experiences and trauma. Pupil Premium+ is additional funding to help improve the attainment of children in care and close the gap. It should be used to promote high aspirations and seek the very best educational outcomes.

Schools are responsible for determining how PP+ funding is spent for the benefit of each child’s educational needs, as described within the PEP document, should be linked to the child’s SMART targets (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely). The impact of expenditure of PP+ funding should be reviewed termly.

The Virtual School Head Teacher is responsible for managing PP+ funding for Darlington Borough Council.

PP+ must not be used to:

• Fund services that should be provided via and EHCP.
• Provide other statutory work.
• Fund other services that the Local Authority is responsible for such as support for foster carers, school uniforms, school meals or transport or additional EYFS hours.

More information on Pupil Premium

Pupil premium: allocations and conditions of grant 2024 to 2025 [external link]

Using pupil premium: guidance for school leaders [external link]

Guidance: Pupil Premium Overview – updated February 2024 [external link]

Using your pupil premium funding effectively, available at: The EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium [external link]

Guidance: Pupil premium virtual school heads’ responsibilities [external link]

Promoting the education of looked-after children and previously looked-after children [external link]