The support of foster carers and social workers is critical in helping a child succeed at school. We rely on you for many things from helping with homework, letting us know when things are not going well (and when they are) and ensuring the young person in your care gets to school.
The relationship that is built between yourselves, the young person’s school and the Virtual School is vital in securing both school and placement stability. These two factors alone play a critical part in ensuring the best possible outcomes for the young people we care for.
We hope the information provided on this part of the site will be helpful to you but we also recommend that you refer to the information for children and young people as this contains some important links along with information for care leavers.
Read the Virtual School prospectus
Guidance for elected members
All the information in these pages is relevant to elected members, especially the page for designated teachers. In addition, you may find this school visit guidance helpful.
- For social workers
To ensure children in care receive the best possible education it is important that social workers consider the guidance below regarding the placement of children to a school, as well the as the guidance regarding joining and changing schools.
More information
- Admissions Applications for CiC or those previously in care
- New into care protocol (Aug 2022)
- Supporting children in care to achieve well at school
- Protocol for ensuring educational stability in KS4 for children in care
- School locations and details
- General school admissions guidance
- Protocol for CiC moving placements and schools
- VS Information for IROs and social workers
- Educating Out of Year Group (Practice Guidance for Schools)
- CiC Attendance policy for children in care
LGBT support
Transitions guidance
Devon County Council has produced guidance for schools and settings to promote successful transitions across all phases of education.
Transitions are very important for children and young people and can be a challenging and anxiety-provoking time, particularly when the child or young person is vulnerable or has special educational needs or a disability or both that require understanding and support over the transition.
These transition guidance documents aim to support parents or carers, staff and other professionals in ensuring high-quality transition practice across Devon.
- Pupil premium, PEP, PEA
A personal education plan (PEP) forms an essential part of each child’s care plan and also forms part of the child’s official school record. Schools and the Local Authority have a shared responsibility for ensuring the PEP is a living and useful document.
The PEP is a vital document because it provides a collective memory about a child’s education and when used effectively improves the educational experience of the child by helping everyone gain a clear understanding of the teaching and learning provision necessary to meet the child’s educational needs, this is especially important at any transition points. Successful completion of a good quality PEP will release Pupil Premium+ funding for the school to spend on improving educational outcomes for the child or young person.
Personal Education Plans
The ePEP system is now live and log in details were emailed to each designated teacher. If you don’t have your log in, or are having problems accessing the system please contact educate.educationsystems-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.
- ePEP website (where you can log into the ePEP system)
- DCC Training Guide for ePEP (January 2018)
- Devon policy for pupil premium plus (August 2022)
Pupil Premium information for adoptive children is available here.
Personal Education Allowance (PEA)
The PEA application process changed in November 2020. All applications will need to be submitted using the new online PEA application form.
A PEA is for children in care who are at risk of not reaching the expected national standards of attainment. The allowances are to provide additional, personalised support. They must be linked to the targets set in the personal education plan (PEP) and show how this will contribute to improving educational achievement.
The Personal Education Allowance is currently £300 per child (aged from 5 to 16 years, reception to year 11).
The designated teacher, social worker or personal education plan coordinator can apply.
A PEA will only fund activity that is over and above that which should be provided already by services or support from Devon County Council, schools and carers, or which other practitioners already provide.
Before applying for Personal Education Allowance (PEA) funding for children in care, schools must ensure that any pupil premium funding is carefully targeted to provide additional support, is meeting the educational requirements of the young person and improving their education outcomes.
These questions and suggestions will help you prepare for the PEP meeting:
When is a PEP needed?
- before or when received into care (the initial PEP should be held within 10 days of coming into care)
- it should be reviewed every term
- if the child or young person changes school then a PEP meeting should be held within 20 days of starting the new school
- after a change in placement
- for any concerns a PEP review will be called
- to access specialist EP support.
What is my role?
As a carer you must attend the meeting. It should not happen without you. You will need to discuss the issues affecting the education of the child or young person in your care, including:
Educational progress
- how well do you think your child or young person is doing at school?
- have the targets from the last PEP been achieved?
- what are your main hopes for the child or young person this year?
- do you know what the expected progress and attainment is for a child of their age?
- attendance – other than for illness have there been any other absences and is there an explanation?
- has the child been late for school more than once and can this be accounted for?
Wellbeing
- talk to your child or young person before the meeting, ask if they want to raise or discuss anything
- does your child or young person seem happy in school?
- when does your child or young person behave well?
- does your child or young person make good relationships with adults and peers?
Communication
- help your child or young person to complete the section on their views
- do you have a copy of the last PEP?
- do you know who to contact in school? (designated teacher for children in care)
- do you have regular contact with the school?
- do you attend parents’ evening and other events your child or young person is involved in?
Supporting the child or young person at home
- do you talk to your child or young person about school?
- does your child or young person enjoy reading or being read to?
- does your child or young person enjoy out of school activities?
- does your child or young person do homework and do you support them with their homework?
More information
- Early Years PEP is now available on ePEP Online System here
- New into care protocol (August 2022)
- PEA application form
- Music lessons
- DfE guidance on charging for school activities
Local authorities receive additional funding to support the education of children in care. This funding is called pupil premium plus. Further information can be found at GOV.UK Pupil premium: funding and accountability for schools.
- Admissions and transport
The County Council, as the corporate parents, decides where a child in care should be taught to ensure they receive a good education and have a stable placement to support this. This decision is made jointly by the child’s social worker and the Virtual School Headteacher, and will be supported by the Admissions and the 0-25 SEN team.
Children in care are given priority for a place at a school which is deemed to be suitable for them. Once admitted to school children will be support by a designated teacher for children in care in the school. All schools should also have a policy for supporting children in care, it may be helpful to read this.
More information
- Supporting education
Attendance
Research shows that pupils who attend school regularly achieve higher grades than those who do not. Also, for a child in care, school can be the only constant in their life.
The Virtual School works to ensure that every child in care has an appropriate full-time programme of education and is committed to working with schools, carers, other professionals and young people themselves to overcome obstacles to regular attendance and ensure positive educational outcomes for our children in care.
The Virtual School has high expectations of our children in care and encourages full attendance and punctuality. We expect carers to promote and support full attendance at school, and to avoid all absences unless absolutely essential. In particular, carers should try to arrange appointments and meetings outside school time wherever possible.
To address attendance issues we ask that schools:
- inform our VS Administrator, Kate Clarke (kate.clarke@devon.gov.uk) when the attendance level for any child in care drops below 95%. This information will be passed to our area learning advocates who will follow this up with the relevant social worker.
- contact foster carers when a child in care fails to arrive for school on any given day, to find out the reason for non-attendance.
The Virtual School use welfare call for all schools that do not use SIMs pupil database, also for independent schools and those outside of Devon that have a Devon child in care on roll. Welfare call with call schools twice per day to gather attendance information for Devon children in care.
Holidays in term time
The Virtual School does not support holidays in term time and carers requesting time off school to go on holiday will need the agreement of the Virtual School Headteacher and the social worker. The Virtual School attendance policy can be found here (updated August 2022).
SEND
Devon’s SEND website (local offer) sets out what you can expect to be available to support children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities aged 0-25, along with Devon’s approach and underlying principles.
Full information and support tools are available here.
National guidance on the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND) is available at GOV.UK – SEND: guide for parents and carers.
More information
Children in care are provided with automatic membership of Devon libraries. Further information is available at devonlibraries.org.uk
- Helping a child in care to achieve well
- Schools in Devon
- GOV.UK – The national curriculum
- Music Lessons
Transitions guidance
Devon County Council has produced guidance for schools and settings to promote successful transitions across all phases of education.
Transitions are very important for children and young people and can be a challenging and anxiety-provoking time, particularly when the child or young person is vulnerable or has special educational needs and disabilities that require understanding and support over the transition.
These guidance documents aim to support parents or carers, staff and other professionals in ensuring high-quality transition practice across Devon.
- Celebrating success
The details for the 2023 Children in Care Celebration Event will be posted here once arrangements have been made.
The 2022 Children in Care Celebration Event took place in March.