Designated teachers for looked after and previously looked after children

The Virtual School team work closely with the designated teachers in school.  The DFE guidance and documents for designated teachers can be found on our essential guidance and documents page.

Personal Education Plans (PEPs)

Personal Education Plans (PEPs) are completed termly for looked after children. These are working documents which outline the education that our looked after children are receiving, their academic targets and their holistic progress.

Information about how to complete the PEP is contained within the Designated Teacher Handbook.

Designated Teacher Handbook – Academic Year 2024-25

Designated Teacher Handbook – Academic Year 2024-25 (plain text)

Completion of the PEP is through the PEP Portal. Click here to login.

“Additional documents to support you with completing the PEP can be found below”

SMART PEP Targets

SMART PEP Targets (plain text)

Facilitating Pupil Centred PEPs

Facilitating Pupil Centred PEPs (plain text)

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief behavioural screening questionnaire for 4-17 year olds. Virtual School Officers will delegate the SDQ via the MK Professional Portal. Guidance about the completion of the SDQ can be found below.

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) guidance

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) guidance (text only)

Supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children in your school

Please find below a list of potential strategies for supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children when they first arrive at your setting and you are planning their initial timetable. These are intended to support their engagement and induction into school.

  • Vertical timetabling for some subjects – for example Art, PE/Games, Food Technology, Design Technology (this may require some pre-teaching of key terms)
  • EAL sessions with EAL team/teacher/department as part of the child’s agreed timetable
  • Nurture group placement in core subjects
  • Assigning a “buddy” who speaks the same language to support for time-limited social time or as a desk buddy in limited lessons
  • Independent study time to use online language acquisition programmes
  • Shadowing other selected students to support with learning routines and school orientation
  • Partnering with local Further Education college who offer ESOL provision and supporting the child to attend their site
  • Specialist ESOL tuition/lessons commissioned as face-to-face sessions or online ESOL tuition/lessons – there are many providers currently available
  • Sport sessions – for example boxing or swimming
  • Specialist language acquisition programmes which are intended to increase reading ages

Funding to support these activities is available from the Virtual School via Pupil Premium Plus funding. Please speak to your Virtual School Officer for more information. Additionally you may wish to refer to the Education Endowment Foundation website which has further support for this cohort: English as an additional language (EAL) | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

Training

The Virtual School provides training for Designated Teachers. Please see our Training and Support page for further details on colleagues who are new to the role of Designated Teacher and ongoing Designated Teacher Forums.

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