Education for Looked-After Children in Wales: PEPs, LAC Reviews, and the Designated Teacher

Children in foster care in Wales face more educational disruption than almost any other group of young people. Placement moves, school changes, gaps in records, and the cognitive and emotional effects of trauma all conspire against consistent learning. Welsh law has a specific set of mechanisms designed to counteract this — and as a foster carer, you are central to making them work.

What "Looked After" Means in Wales

In Wales, a child is "looked after" by the local authority if they are in care under a care order, or if they have been accommodated by the authority for more than 24 hours under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Children in foster care are looked-after children (LAC).

Looked-after status triggers a set of legal duties, including the duty to maintain a Care and Support Plan, to hold regular LAC Reviews, and to ensure the child has a Personal Education Plan (PEP). These duties sit with the local authority, but the foster carer is expected to be an active partner in all three.

The Personal Education Plan (PEP)

Every looked-after child in Wales must have a Personal Education Plan. The PEP is a formal document — part of the Care and Support Plan — that sets out the child's educational targets, the support they need to achieve those targets, and who is responsible for providing that support.

A PEP should be in place within twenty school days of a child becoming looked after or changing school. It is reviewed at least every six months, and whenever a significant change in the child's circumstances or education occurs.

The PEP is not just a record of what the school is doing. It should capture the child's own views about their education — what they enjoy, what is hard, what they want to achieve. It records the involvement of the foster carer, the Designated Teacher, the child's social worker, and where relevant the child's birth parents or other significant adults.

As a foster carer, you will be expected to attend PEP meetings, contribute observations about the child's learning and behaviour at home, and support the implementation of any plans agreed. This means being in regular contact with the school — not just at formal PEP review points but on a day-to-day basis.

The Designated Teacher

Every maintained school in Wales must have a Designated Teacher for looked-after children. This is a qualified teacher with specific responsibility for the educational progress of all looked-after pupils in the school.

The Designated Teacher:

• Monitors the educational progress of every looked-after child in the school and acts as their internal advocate
• Ensures the PEP is completed, up to date, and being actively implemented
• Liaises with the child's social worker, the Virtual School Head (where one exists), and the foster carer
• Ensures that Pupil Development Grant (PDG) funding allocated to looked-after children is being used appropriately
• Provides pastoral support within the school and helps the child navigate any difficulties

For a foster carer, the Designated Teacher is your primary point of contact in the school. Building a constructive relationship with them makes a significant difference to the child's experience. If you have concerns about the child's education — attendance, attainment, bullying, or behaviour — the Designated Teacher is who you speak to first.

The Pupil Development Grant

Schools in Wales receive a Pupil Development Grant (PDG) for each looked-after child on their roll. This funding is intended to support the child's educational progress — it can be used for tutoring, equipment, extracurricular activities, or any other targeted support the school identifies as needed.

The PEP should specify how this funding is being used. If it is not clear how the grant is being applied to the specific child, ask. The money is for the child in front of you, not a general school resource.

LAC Reviews

Every looked-after child in Wales must have their care plan formally reviewed at regular intervals — this is called a LAC Review. The first review happens within four weeks of the child becoming looked after. Subsequent reviews take place at three-month intervals for the first year, and every six months after that.

LAC Reviews are chaired by an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) — an officer of the local authority who is independent of the child's case management team. Their role is to ensure that the Care and Support Plan is being properly implemented, that the child's views are being heard, and that the placement remains appropriate.

As a foster carer, you are expected to contribute to LAC Reviews. This means preparing a written or verbal report on the child's progress, attending the review meeting, and being willing to discuss any concerns openly. The child will also attend — often for part of the review — and their views carry formal weight in the process.

Reviews cover education, but they also address health, contact with birth family, placement stability, and the child's overall well-being. The PEP feeds into the educational component of the review.

Your Role as a Foster Carer

Welsh policy expects foster carers to act as the "corporate parent" in practice — meaning you should bring the same interest, advocacy, and persistence to a child's education that any engaged parent would bring to their own child's schooling. This means:

• Attending parents' evenings and school events
• Reading with younger children, supporting homework for older ones
• Chasing up concerns rather than waiting for the school to come to you
• Knowing who the Designated Teacher is and using that relationship
• Being present and prepared at every PEP review

The educational outcomes of looked-after children in Wales remain significantly below the national average. The PEP system, the Designated Teacher role, and the PDG exist precisely to close this gap — but they require active engagement from the foster carer to be effective.

The Wales Fostering Approval Guide covers the full legal and practical framework for caring for looked-after children in Wales, including your responsibilities at LAC Reviews, how the PEP process works, and the support structures available to help you support the child's education.

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