Management Information Sheet

In the light of significant changes in the configuration of the Norfolk Social Care Teams over the last few months I am writing to you about the implications for maintaining high quality Personal Education Plans (PEPs) for our Looked After Children. I am sure you will share my view that we must ensure that communication between social workers and schools remains a high priority and that PEPs are constructed in an appropriate and timely manner.

Best practice nationally and current practice in Norfolk is that the individual Looked After Child’s social worker coordinates the PEP meeting which should be face to face with key representatives from the school and should include the voice of the child in some form. With the new regulations regarding Pupil Premium funding, focusing on better outcomes in literacy and mathematics, there is now an important addition to the PEP which should include the application form for funding produced by the school.

I am writing to ask that you set the highest expectations for the quality of PEPs for any Looked After Children who attend your school. If there is any doubt about this, please contact the child’s Social Worker. If you remain unsatisfied or do not know who to contact, please get in touch with the Social Work manager who covers the district in which the child lives:

You will know that to access Pupil Premium funding this year a different process is in place. You will find the policy and brief application for funding on ‘Perspective Lite’. There is no automatic allocation of funding so you must apply before the end of February 2015 for funding to support intervention activity to improve academic outcomes for LAC in your school. If you wish to discuss Pupil Premium funding further – please contact Wendy Rudd – Virtual School for Children in Care, School Development Manager. For further enquiries about accessing ‘Perspective Lite’ please contact Chris Jackson

Finally I want to draw your attention to the Norfolk Virtual School for Children in Care. Our school provides advice, support, training and sometimes intervention for all Looked After Children in Norfolk schools and for Norfolk children in schools out of the county. I attach a leaflet giving you contact details for the Virtual School and reminding you that you may be working closely with some members of the school already.

Chris Snudden

Head of Education Achievement Service

Head of Virtual School for Children in Care