Information for schools

Looked-after children

All schools must have a designated teacher responsible for promoting the educational achievement of looked-after children, including those aged between 16 to 18 who are registered at the schools.

Section 20 of the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 ('the 2008 Act') places the following duties on governing bodies:

To designate a member of staff (designated teacher) as having the responsibility to promote the educational achievement of looked-after children, including those aged between 16 and 18 who are registered pupils at the school
To ensure the designated teacher undertakes appropriate training (section 20(2)
The governing body and the designated teacher must have regard to this guidance and any other relevant guidance issued by the Secretary of State. Section 20(3) of the 2008 Act gives the Secretary of State powers to make regulations setting out the qualifications and experience which the designated teacher should have. Following amendments by the 2017 Act, Section 2E of the Academies Act 2010 places the similar duties on Academy proprietors in England.

The Designated Teacher (England) Regulations 2009 require that the designated person is either:

a qualified teacher who has completed the appropriate induction period (if required) and is working as a teacher at the school (regulation 3(2))
a head teacher or acting head teacher of the school (regulation 3(3))

The designated teacher should be a central point of initial contact within the school. This helps to make sure that the school plays its role to the full in making sure arrangements are joined up and minimise any disruption to a child’s learning.

Designated teachers should take lead responsibility for ensuring school staff understand the things which can affect how looked-after and previously looked after children learn and achieve, and how the whole school supports the educational achievement of these pupils. This means making sure that all staff:

have high expectations of looked-after and previously looked-after children’s learning and set targets to accelerate educational progress
are aware of the emotional, psychological and social effects of loss and separation (attachment awareness) from birth families and that some children may find it difficult to build relationships of trust with adults because of their experiences, and how this might affect the child’s behaviour
understand how important it is to see looked-after and previously looked-after children as individuals rather than as a homogeneous group, not publicly treat them differently from their peers, and show sensitivity about who else knows about their looked-after or previously looked-after status
appreciate the central importance of the looked-after child’s PEP in helping to create a shared understanding between teachers, carers, social workers and, most importantly, the child’s own understanding of how they are being supported
have the level of understanding they need of the role of social workers, VSHs and carers, and how the function of the PEP fits into the wider care planning duties of the authority which looks after the child

Personal education plans

A personal education plan (PEP) is the statutory document used when planning for the education of looked-after children. All looked-after children must have a PEP as part of their overall care plan. See more information on personal education plans.

Pupil premium funding

For looked-after children, PP+ funding is managed by the Virtual School Head (VSH) for the purpose of supporting their educational achievement. The VSH and schools, including the designated teacher, should work together to agree how this funding can most effectively be used to improve looked-after children’s attainment. All PEPs should include information about how that looked-after child is benefitting from the use of PP+ funding to improve their attainment. The PP+ can be used to facilitate a wide range of educational support for looked-after children. It is important that interventions supported by pupil premium should be evidence based and in the best interests of the child.

Designated teachers may also find it helpful to refer to the Education Endowment Foundation Toolkit.

Suspensions and exclusions

The past experiences of looked-after and previously looked-after children can impact on their behaviour. It is important to remember this when considering how best to support the child or young person with their learning and the design and application of the school’s behaviour policies. Governing bodies, head teachers and designated teachers must have regard to the Department’s statutory guidance on exclusions from maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England. In line with that guidance, head teachers should, as far as possible, avoid excluding any looked-after child.

Where a looked-after child is at risk of either fixed term or permanent exclusion, the designated teacher should contact the Virtual School as soon as possible so they can help the school decide how to support the child to improve their behaviour and avoid exclusion becoming necessary. Please contact the Virtual School by email at virtualschool@enfield.gov.uk or phone Suzanne Rowson (Virtual School Headteacher on 020 8132 0336).

If a suspension is decided as the appropriate option, the suspension paperwork, incident log and reintegration meeting details should be shared with the Virtual School as soon as possible. Please email virtualschool@enfield.gov.uk

Previously looked-after children

Since 2018, Virtual Schools’ extended duties have required them to provide advice and guidance to parents, carers, schools and professionals about the needs of previously looked-after children (PLAC). It was recognised that children who have been removed from their parents have suffered trauma and loss in addition to possible neglect or abuse. Their early life experiences are likely to have a lasting effect emotionally, socially, and academically, and, as such, it is really important that schools know who these children are, and understand their needs.

Difficulties that PLAC may have, include:

Forming trusting relationships with adults
Social skills and relationships with peers
Executive functioning skills, such as planning, organising, remembering, inhibiting their impulses, focusing their attention, and initiating tasks
Speech and language difficulties
Learning delays or difficulties
Managing their strong feelings, such as shame, sadness, anxiety, and anger
Coping with transitions and change
Sensory processing

We would recommend that the designated teacher should make themselves known to parents and guardians as someone they can talk to about issues affecting their child’s education.

See duties and responsibilities of the designated teacher for LAC or PLAC on GOV.UK.

Unlike children who are still in the care system, schools will not be notified that a PLAC has started. It is up to schools to reach out to their parents and carers to ask. We suggest that schools ask for details as part of their 'new starter' packs when pupils first start. View a model letter (DOCX, 14.3 KB). There can be regular reminders to parents within newsletters, explaining to parents and carers that additional resources are available for their child.

It is important that there is sensitivity about the child’s legal status, and it may be that it is shared on a 'need to know' basis. This is something that could be agreed with the carers or parents, and reviewed if or when necessary.

Adopted children and looked-after children with a special guardianship order or child arrangement order

Adopted children and those with a special guardianship order (SGO) or child arrangement order (CAO) (formerly called residence order) who were 'looked-after' for at least 24 hours, are entitled to additional support in the form of priority school admission, and pupil premium plus (currently £2,570 for 2024 to 2025). This includes (from September 2023) those children who were adopted from ‘state care’ abroad.

The purpose of the pupil premium plus is to raise educational attainment and close the gap between PLAC students and their peers. Examples of effective use of the pupil premium plus may be:

to pay for an assessment of needs by an educational psychologist
to buy the SLCN Progression Tool in order to screen PLAC and other vulnerable groups for SLC needs
providing consistent key relationships for children with attachment needs (for example, 1:1 check-in time scheduled into the day)
providing support for unstructured times (for example, lunch club or calm space)
additional tuition to address any academic gaps
supporting children who find it difficult to manage their feelings (for example, teaching emotional regulation skills, having calm boxes or nurture groups)

Children living in kinship care arrangements, with or without an SGO

Not all children living under an SGO or CAO will have been ‘looked-after’ for 24 hours or more by a local authority. Under current legislation, this means that they are not currently entitled to priority school admission or pupil premium plus. However, this cohort of children, who are no longer living with their birth parents, are likely to have similar needs to those who are. Schools may be asked what they are doing to address the needs of this vulnerable group, and good practise would be to monitor this cohort of children and ensure their needs are being met.

For advice and guidance on the educational needs of any of the children mentioned above, please email jane.manning@enfield.gov.uk or telephone 020 4526 7039 (Monday to Wednesday).

Please contact Jane if you have any concerns regarding a PLAC child, such as repeated suspensions, particularly if that child is at risk of permanent exclusion. We do need the consent of the parent or carer in order to be involved but can give general advice.

Please also make contact if you have any queries about how best to support the education of PLAC, if you have questions about pupil premium plus, or if parents are considering home education.

Frequently asked questions for schools

When does pupil premium plus funding start and finish?

Any child attending school from the start of reception to the end of year 11 is eligible to receive pupil premium plus. Children who are electively home educated or are post-16 students, are currently not eligible for post-LAC pupil premium. To be eligible, a child needs to have been previously in care at some point in England or Wales, and once they have left care, they would need to have been either adopted, subject to a special guardianship order (SGO) or child arrangements order (CAO). This also now includes children who are adopted from state care abroad. Children who return home to live with their parents or relatives (outside these 3 categories) do not qualify for post LAC premium.

How much is the funding?

The funding for school-age children (in years reception to year 11) is £2,570 for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Why is this funding given – aren’t adopted children just like everyone else?

Early life experiences can have a lasting effect emotionally, socially, and academically. The purpose of the pupil premium plus and other support available to previously looked-after children, is to raise educational attainment and close the gap between previously LAC students, and their peers.

How does school claim pupil premium plus?

Data is collected from schools via the October census. The Virtual School recommends that all schools include a form in new starter packs, asking about PLAC status. They also recommend that regular slots are put into newsletters, requesting parents and guardians tell the school if their child has ever been looked-after, explaining that this status entitles them to additional funding.

What should schools use the pupil premium plus for?

The pupil premium plus is not a personal budget. Schools should look at the needs of previously looked-after children in their school as a group and ensure the pupil premium plus is spent in the best interests of those children, with involvement from parents and guardians. The purpose of the funding is to help improve educational attainment, and uses include:

staff training
use of assessment tools (for example, paying for EP time or purchasing a SLCN screening tool)
providing staff for the child to check in with regularly
any other strategy to help improve attendance, engagement and progress, or to reduce the likelihood of suspensions

Is there anything else we as schools should be doing for these children?

We would recommend that the designated teacher for LAC and PLAC makes themselves known to the parents or guardians as soon as the child starts the school. This will help the parents or guardians know who to come to in case of issues. It will also give them the chance to tell their 'story' so the school is aware of the child’s background and needs. It will help school to understand the child and any potential triggers.

The following is a list of points to be considered:

Attending training on the impact of trauma and loss. Enfield is currently rolling out free training via the ETIPPS programme.
Providing consistent key relationships for children with attachment needs (for example, 1:1 time scheduled into the child’s day or week)
Providing support for unstructured times (for example, lunch club or calm space)
Special arrangements for transition (for example, additional visits, maps and photographs, and opportunities to get to know key staff)
Consider how to support children who find it difficult to manage their feelings (for example, teaching emotional regulation skills, having calm boxes, nurture groups) – pupil premium plus can be used for this
How the school shares sensitive information about the child’s background and needs (for example, systems, meetings and policies) – if it is on a ‘need to know’ basis, how is this decided and clarified with everyone including parents?

Although there is no legal requirement for PLAC or children in kinship care arrangements to have a PEP, it is good practise for schools to meet regularly with parents and guardians. We have produced a brief pro-forma (DOCX, 21.3 KB), which it would be helpful to use. We would recommend meeting termly. For help completing the pro-forma, see the PLAC PEP rationale below.

Enfield PLAC PEP rationale

The Enfield PLAC PEP has been produced in order for:

Schools to be aware of needs and issues faced by PLAC and their parents or carers.
To encourage positive collaboration between home and school.
To ensure that the child’s background and ‘story’ is understood by those who need to know.
Schools can use the PLAC PEP meetings as a means of providing evidence of how their provision meets the needs of vulnerable pupils.

There is no requirement to use the PLAC PEP, and it must be used with the consent of the parents or carers. Many PLAC will be on the SEN register, which may result in some duplication of targets and other information.

The front page should be completed at the first PLAC PEP meeting, and then only added to or changed if necessary. It is recommended that the Designated Teacher for LAC/ PLAC (DT) initiates the meeting and invites family. The frequency of the meetings can be negotiated depending on how things are going - but the Virtual School recommends that this is termly.

The meetings are for adults, but the voice of the child should be sought / represented. In terms of the PLAC PEP paperwork, attendees of the meeting should get a copy, but good practise would be that school would ask the family who they would like to have access to this information at school.

These meetings would be good times to note any possible curriculum triggers for the child. Examples of this may be learning about evacuees in WW2, Mother’s Day, family trees or learning about the effects of alcohol or illegal drugs.

Schools may find these PLAC PEPs useful, regardless of whether or not the child is entitled to Pupil Premium Plus.

If the school decides not to have PLAC PEP meetings, the DT still needs to meet the family, introduce themselves and be a point of contact for the family regarding any issues.

Who can help?

For further enquiries, please see our contact us page.