Topic outline

  • Previously Looked-After Children

    This brief video provides useful information for parents and carers. 

     Previously Looked-After Children – Key Information for Parents and Carers

    The Virtual School has a statutory duty to provide advice and guidance to parents, carers, schools, education settings and other professionals to promote and improve the educational experiences and outcomes of previously looked after children (PLAC). Hampshire Virtual School provides this service for the families and associated professionals of children attending Hampshire schools, even if the child does not live within the county. If you live in Hampshire but your child attends school in a different local authority, then you should contact the Virtual School in the area that your child is being educated 

    Previously Looked After Child (PLAC) Status  

    For a child to be classified as PLAC, they must have been under the care of a Local Authority for one day or more before moving to a new order of permanence through adoption, a special guardianship order (SGO), care arrangement order (CAO) or a residency order (RO, issued up until 2014). 

    What Can I Expect from my Child's School?

    • A named Designated Teacher (DT) for looked after and previously looked after children. The DT is required to attend statutory training (run by the Virtual School) to fulfil their role. 
    • Positive partnerships that support you and your child with all aspects of school: supporting learning, attendance, social and emotional / pastoral needs and ensuring your child achieves well.  
    • Regular communication about the strengths and the needs of your child. Whilst it is NOT a statutory requirement, a personalised plan, such as an Education Support Plan (ESP), created collaboratively between school and home, is valuable. 
    • Shared information about the use of Pupil Premium (PP+) to support pupils in school. 
    • Regular communication with your child so that their voice is heard and listened to. 
    • Targeted, early intervention and support in response to any emerging needs  
    • Engagement with wider support, organisations etc

  • Pupil Premium Funding

      The DfE states that schools should be ‘satisfied’ of PLAC status in order to record this information on the Autumn term school census and receive pupil premium plus funding. Parental consent is needed to share information about a child’s previously looked after status, this means that schools may not know this information unless you have told them directly, or have given consent for one school to share with another (for example as part of transition from infants to juniors or primary to secondary school etc). 

      Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) is additional funding provided to schools to help support the education of children who were previously looked after. This funding is designed to help close the attainment gap and ensure that previously looked after children have the best possible opportunities to succeed in school. As a parent or carer, you play a vital role in working with the school to help identify your child’s strengths and needs in order to consider the most effective support.

  • Virtual School Support

    The Virtual School is working to:  

    • provide advice, guidance to parents, carers, schools and other professionals 
    • signpost to other services, resources and support available for the families of PLAC 
    • provide training and development projects to schools & partners to develop understanding of the distinct needs of previously looked after children and advocate attachment aware and trauma informed practice 
    • promote relational practice that ensures positive educational experiences and achievement for PLAC 
    • enhance partnerships between parents/ carers, education settings, social workers, family practitioners and other professionals as appropriate 


    The Virtual School does not work with individual children who have PLAC status - including tracking and monitoring educational progress of individual children and providing academic or other interventions.