Looked After Children & the Designated Teacher Role: A Complete School Guide
By The Safeguard Hub Team · June 2026 · Last reviewed June 2026 · ⏳ 17 min read
The Safeguard Hub — Looked after children and the statutory designated teacher role for schools
The scale — England, 2024
83,630 children were looked after in England at 31 March 2024 — a 2% increase on the previous year and the highest figure in three decades. Of those, 71% were in foster care, 10% in residential children's homes, and 4% living with parents under care orders. Only 15.5% of care leavers achieved grades 9–4 in English and maths GCSE in 2023/24, compared with 65.2% of all pupils. This attainment gap — persistent, measurable, and largely preventable — is the single most important context for understanding why the designated teacher role exists.[1]
What Is a Looked After Child?
A child is looked after by a local authority when they are in the care of, or provided with accommodation by, the local authority under the Children Act 1989. Section 22 of that Act defines the three main routes into care:
- Section 20 (voluntary accommodation) — the child is accommodated with parental consent, where the parent is unable to provide suitable care. The parent retains parental responsibility and can remove the child at any time.
- Section 31 (care orders) — the court has made a care or interim care order because the child has suffered or is likely to suffer significant harm. Parental responsibility is shared between the parent and the local authority; the local authority's decision takes precedence.
- Section 38 (interim care orders) — temporary orders during care proceedings.
In addition, children who are remanded to local authority accommodation or youth detention are also legally looked after.
The term Children Looked After (CLA) and Looked After Children (LAC) are used interchangeably in policy and practice. You may also encounter the term care-experienced children and young people — this is the language many care-experienced adults prefer, and its use in schools is encouraged.
The Designated Teacher: Statutory Role and Responsibilities
Every maintained school and academy in England must appoint a designated teacher for looked after and previously looked after children. This is a statutory requirement under the Children and Young Persons Act 2008, Section 20, and is reinforced by KCSIE 2025 and the DfE's statutory guidance The Designated Teacher for Looked-After and Previously Looked-After Children (2018, updated).[2]
📚 The designated teacher's core statutory responsibilities
- Promote the educational achievement of looked after and previously looked after children at the school
- Chair and contribute to Personal Education Plans (PEPs) from the school side
- Liaise with the Virtual School Head (VSH) on each looked after child's needs and progress
- Ensure the effective use of Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) funding for each looked after child
- Act as a key contact for looked after children's social workers and carers
- Promote a culture within the school where the needs of looked after children are understood and met
- Support the school in understanding the particular safeguarding vulnerabilities of looked after children
Designated Teacher vs DSL: How the Roles Differ
The designated teacher and the DSL are two distinct statutory roles with different functions. They must work closely together, but they are not interchangeable and should not be confused:
| Dimension | Designated Teacher (DT) | Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Educational achievement and wellbeing of LAC and previously LAC | Child protection and safeguarding across all pupils |
| Legal basis | Children and Young Persons Act 2008, s.20 | KCSIE 2025 (statutory guidance under Education Act 2002) |
| Who they work with | Virtual School Head, social workers, foster carers, PEP meetings | MASH, police, children's services, LADO |
| Key document | Personal Education Plan (PEP) | Child Protection Plan / concern records |
| Funding | Manages or contributes to Pupil Premium Plus spend decisions | No specific funding role |
| Can same person hold both? | Yes — permitted and common in smaller schools, but both sets of responsibilities must be met. Larger schools benefit from these being separate roles. | |
In practice, many looked after children will have both a PEP (managed by the designated teacher) and a child protection record (managed by the DSL). Regular communication between the two roles is essential — the designated teacher may identify educational indicators of wellbeing deterioration that are relevant to safeguarding, and the DSL may hold information about a child's history that is essential context for an effective PEP.
Personal Education Plans (PEPs)
A Personal Education Plan (PEP) is a statutory document for every looked after child. It is part of the child's overall care plan and sets out their educational needs, current attainment, aspirations, and the support they are receiving to close any gaps.
Key requirements
- The first PEP must be completed within 10 working days of a child becoming looked after
- PEPs must be reviewed at least every term
- The PEP meeting must include the child (where appropriate to their age and understanding), the designated teacher, the child's social worker, and the foster carer or residential keyworker
- The Virtual School Head must be consulted and receive a copy of the completed PEP
- The PEP must include how Pupil Premium Plus funding is being used and its measurable impact on the child
What makes an effective PEP?
Poor PEPs are a persistent problem identified by Ofsted and by Virtual School Heads across England. An effective PEP goes beyond recording attainment scores — it tells the story of this individual child's educational journey, their strengths and interests, what has worked and what has not, and sets specific, measurable targets with named leads and review dates.
- Child's voice: The child's own views and wishes must be recorded and should drive the targets. What does this child enjoy? What are they proud of? What do they find hard? What do they want to do when they grow up?
- Strengths-based: Effective PEPs start from what the child can do, not what they cannot. Many looked after children have experienced years of deficit-focused assessments.
- Specific targets: "Improve reading" is not a target. "Achieve a reading age of 9:6 by the end of summer term through twice-weekly 20-minute sessions with the literacy TA" is a target.
- PP+ spending: Every pound of Pupil Premium Plus spent on this child must be recorded, justified, and have a measurable intended impact.
- Attendance: Poor attendance is the single biggest predictor of poor educational outcomes for LAC. Every PEP should record current attendance and include actions if it is below 95%.
Good practice: PEP quality self-check
Before submitting a PEP, designated teachers should ask: (1) Does this document reflect this specific child — or could it be any child? (2) Would reading this PEP give a new social worker or carer a real picture of who this child is? (3) Does the child recognise themselves in it? (4) Does every PP+ spend item have a named lead, a start date, and a review mechanism? If the answer to any of these is no, the PEP needs further work.
The Virtual School Head (VSH)
Every local authority in England must appoint a Virtual School Head (VSH). The VSH is a local authority officer responsible for promoting the educational achievement of every child looked after by that authority — regardless of which school the child attends, including out-of-area placements.
The term "virtual school" does not refer to online learning. It is a metaphor: the VSH acts as the headteacher of a "virtual school" containing all the authority's looked after children, tracking their educational progress as if they were all enrolled in one place.
The VSH's relationship with schools
The designated teacher and the VSH are the primary professional relationship for looked after children's education. Schools should:
- Know who the VSH is for each looked after child at their school (a child placed out-of-area will have the VSH of the placing authority, not the host authority)
- Notify the VSH immediately when a looked after child joins or leaves the school
- Invite the VSH (or their representative) to PEP meetings, or share the PEP for their review
- Contact the VSH when they have concerns about a looked after child's progress or welfare that the social worker has not yet addressed
- Work with the VSH on PP+ spending decisions and impact reporting
The VSH also has a duty to support schools in understanding the needs of looked after children — designated teachers should proactively draw on this resource, including requesting training, consultation, and support with complex cases.
Pupil Premium Plus (PP+)
Pupil Premium Plus is the per-pupil funding allocation for looked after children. In 2024/25, the rate is £2,570 per looked after child per year. This is substantially higher than the standard Pupil Premium (£1,480 for FSM6) — reflecting the greater complexity of need.[3]
| Feature | Standard Pupil Premium | Pupil Premium Plus (LAC) |
|---|---|---|
| Amount (2024/25) | £1,480 (FSM6) / £1,035 (service children) | £2,570 |
| Who holds the budget? | The school | The Virtual School Head (not the school) |
| How is it spent? | School decides, within DfE guidelines | VSH directs spending in consultation with school and social worker, based on individual PEP |
| Accountability | School publishes strategy statement | VSH publishes annual report; school records impact in PEP |
A common misunderstanding is that the school controls PP+ spending directly. It does not — the VSH holds the budget and must approve how it is spent. In practice, the designated teacher proposes how PP+ should be used for each child (in the PEP), the VSH approves or adjusts this, and the school implements and reports on the impact.
Why LAC Face Disproportionate Exploitation Risk
Looked after children — and particularly those in residential children's homes — are significantly over-represented among identified victims of child criminal exploitation (CCE) and child sexual exploitation (CSE). This is not a coincidence. Multiple, interconnected factors make LAC more vulnerable:
| Factor | Why it increases vulnerability |
|---|---|
| Trauma history | Most children enter care because of abuse, neglect, or family breakdown. Pre-existing trauma creates vulnerability to further exploitation — exploiters specifically target children who are isolated, lack trust in adults, and are accustomed to having their needs met conditionally. |
| Placement instability | Frequent placement moves disrupt relationships, education, and peer networks. A child who has attended four schools in two years has no stable adult to turn to and no school community to belong to — creating the isolation exploiters seek. |
| Residential care targeting | Children's homes are actively targeted by criminal networks — in some areas, county lines recruiters position themselves near residential homes. Children in residential care are more likely to be in peer groups with other vulnerable young people, increasing exposure. |
| Unmet emotional needs | Exploiters typically present as friends, romantic interests, or sources of belonging before exploitation begins. Children who have not experienced consistent warmth and attachment from adults are more susceptible to relationships that mimic care while being coercive. |
| Overnight absences | Missing overnight is more common among LAC, particularly in residential care, and may not be reported or escalated quickly. Exploiters rely on windows of time when the child is unaccounted for. |
| Mental health and SEND | LAC are three times more likely to have SEND and four times more likely to have a diagnosable mental health disorder than their peers.[4] Both increase vulnerability to exploitation and reduce the likelihood that early indicators will be recognised. |
⚠️ Unexplained absence is a safeguarding concern — not just an attendance matter
For looked after children, every unexplained absence must be treated as a potential safeguarding concern and reported to the child's social worker and the VSH immediately. A looked after child who is absent without explanation overnight should be reported as missing to the police. Schools should not wait until patterns emerge — the risk to LAC is too high, and missing episodes are often the earliest visible indicator of exploitation.
The school's role in identifying exploitation risk in LAC
KCSIE 2025 requires schools to be alert to signs that a looked after child may be at risk of exploitation. Specific indicators to watch for:
- Unexplained gifts, money, or new possessions — phones, clothing, trainers
- New peers who are older, unknown to the school, or who wait outside school
- Frequent late arrivals or early departures — particularly if unexplained
- Increasing periods of missing from school or from placement
- Changes in behaviour, mood, or appearance — particularly sexualised language or behaviour in younger children
- Disclosures about being asked to carry things, deliver items, or travel to unfamiliar areas
- Signs of physical harm — injuries, exhaustion, intoxication — that appear after periods of absence
Any such indicators should be reported immediately to the DSL and the child's social worker. They should also be recorded in the PEP so that the full professional network has visibility.
Previously Looked After Children (PLAC)
The designated teacher's responsibilities extend beyond currently looked after children to include previously looked after children (PLAC) — those who have left care through adoption, a special guardianship order (SGO), or a child arrangements order.
The Children and Social Work Act 2017 extended the designated teacher role to include PLAC, and this is reinforced in KCSIE 2025.[5] The rationale is straightforward: the experiences that led to a child being looked after do not disappear when the care order ends. Previously looked after children continue to face elevated risks of poor educational outcomes, mental health difficulties, and exploitation.
Key differences from LAC
- No VSH involvement: The VSH has no formal role for PLAC. The designated teacher works directly with the adoptive parents or special guardians.
- No PEP requirement: PLAC do not have statutory PEPs. However, good practice is to ensure their needs are assessed and supported through the school's own systems.
- Pupil Premium (not PP+): PLAC attract the standard Pupil Premium at the rate of £2,570 per pupil per year (the same rate as PP+ — this was equalised from 2014). Unlike PP+ for LAC, this is held by the school, not the VSH.
- Information sharing: Adoptive parents and special guardians may not disclose the child's care history to the school. The designated teacher should be sensitive to this and work within what the family chooses to share, while making clear that support is available.
Corporate Parenting Principles
The Children and Social Work Act 2017 introduced the corporate parenting principles — a set of statutory expectations for local authorities (and, where relevant, other public bodies including schools) about how they should act towards looked after children. The principles ask that professionals ask themselves: would a good parent do this?
The seven corporate parenting principles require those with responsibility for looked after children to:
- Act in the best interests of the child, and promote their physical and mental health and wellbeing
- Encourage the child to express their views, wishes and feelings
- Take into account the child's views, wishes and feelings
- Help the child gain access to, and make best use of, services provided by the local authority and relevant partners
- Promote high aspirations, and seek to secure the best outcomes for them
- Make sure they are safe and for stability in their home lives, relationships, and education
- Prepare them for adulthood and independent living
For schools, the corporate parenting lens is a useful frame for decision-making. When a looked after child is excluded, misses a trip, or fails to attend a parents' evening, the question to ask is: what would a good parent do in this situation?
Exclusion of Looked After Children
KCSIE 2025 and the DfE exclusion guidance place specific requirements on schools regarding the exclusion of looked after children:
- Before excluding a looked after child, the headteacher must contact the child's social worker and the VSH, and consider whether the exclusion is appropriate given the child's circumstances
- The VSH must be notified of any fixed-term or permanent exclusion of a looked after child
- When considering whether to exclude, schools must take into account the impact of placement disruption — exclusion from school can trigger placement breakdown, which in turn escalates exploitation risk
- Alternative provision for LAC who are excluded must be arranged from day one — the standard 5-day delay does not apply
The Children's Commissioner and NASEN have both highlighted the disproportionate exclusion of looked after children, particularly those with SEND. Exclusion of a LAC should always be treated as a significant event requiring review.
KCSIE 2025: What Schools Are Required to Do
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 sets out the following specific requirements in relation to looked after children:[6]
- Schools must appoint a designated teacher who is responsible for promoting the educational achievement of looked after and previously looked after children
- The designated teacher must be appropriately trained — the DfE guidance sets out what this training should cover
- The designated teacher must work with the VSH to ensure LAC have access to support that meets their needs
- The school must ensure that information about a child being looked after is kept confidential — only those who need to know should be informed, and the child's consent should be sought where appropriate
- Governing bodies and proprietors must ensure the designated teacher role is fulfilled — it is a governance responsibility, not just an operational one
- The school's safeguarding arrangements must specifically address the particular vulnerabilities of looked after children, including their disproportionate risk of criminal and sexual exploitation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the designated teacher for looked after children?
A statutory role in every maintained school and academy, required under the Children and Young Persons Act 2008. The designated teacher is responsible for promoting the educational achievement of looked after and previously looked after children — including leading PEP meetings, liaising with the Virtual School Head, and ensuring effective use of Pupil Premium Plus. The role is distinct from the DSL, though the same person may hold both in smaller schools.
What is a Personal Education Plan (PEP) and when must it be completed?
A PEP is a statutory document that records a looked after child's educational needs, achievements, and the support they are receiving. The first PEP must be completed within 10 working days of a child becoming looked after. It must be reviewed at least every term. The designated teacher leads the PEP from the school side; the social worker and foster carer/keyworker must also attend. The VSH receives a copy.
Who controls Pupil Premium Plus spending?
The Virtual School Head holds and directs Pupil Premium Plus spending (£2,570 per LAC per year in 2024/25) — not the school. The designated teacher proposes how it should be spent in the PEP; the VSH approves and releases funds. Schools implement the agreed support and record its impact. Previously looked after children attract the same rate of Pupil Premium, but this is held by the school.
Why are looked after children at higher risk of exploitation?
Multiple factors: a history of trauma and attachment disruption; placement instability reducing trusted adult relationships; residential care settings targeted by exploiters; unmet emotional needs that make manipulative "relationships" appealing; and the higher prevalence of SEND and mental health difficulties. Unexplained absences, new older peers, and unexplained gifts must always be treated as potential exploitation indicators and reported to the social worker and DSL immediately.
Do previously looked after children (adopted children) have PEPs?
No — PEPs are only statutory for currently looked after children. However, the designated teacher role extends to previously looked after children (those who left care through adoption, special guardianship, or a child arrangements order). They attract the same Pupil Premium rate (£2,570, held by the school). The VSH has no formal role for PLAC; the designated teacher works directly with adoptive parents or special guardians.
Key Contacts and Further Reading
⚠️ Immediate safeguarding concern about a looked after child
- Immediate danger: Call 999
- Child missing overnight: Report to police (101 or 999) and notify the social worker immediately
- Social worker (all hours): Use the Emergency Duty Team number held in your child protection records
- NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000 (free, 24/7) — for professional advice on any concern
Support and networks for designated teachers
- Your local Virtual School Head: Contact via your local authority children's services — this is the designated teacher's primary professional relationship for LAC
- Become (formerly Catch22 Charity): National charity for care-experienced young people — training and resources for schools: becomecharity.org.uk ↗
- National Association of Virtual School Heads (NAVSH): navsh.org.uk ↗
- Coram BAAF: Research, training, and resources on looked after children: corambaaf.org.uk ↗
- Childline: 0800 1111 (free, 24/7) — for children and young people
Statutory guidance
References:
[1] DfE (2024). Children Looked After in England Including Adoption: 2023 to 2024. gov.uk. Statistical First Release.
[2] DfE (2018). The Designated Teacher for Looked-After and Previously Looked-After Children: Statutory Guidance. gov.uk.
[3] DfE (2024). Pupil Premium: Allocations and Conditions of Grant 2024 to 2025. gov.uk.
[4] NHS Digital (2023). Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2023. digital.nhs.uk.
[5] Children and Social Work Act 2017, s.4.
[6] DfE (2025). Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025. gov.uk. In force 1 September 2025.
Last reviewed: June 2026.