The duty comes from section 20 of the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 for maintained schools, and applies to academies through their funding agreements (KCSIE 2026 paragraph 239 and footnote 50). The designated teacher must be a qualified teacher with appropriate training and experience. In other schools and colleges, KCSIE says an appropriately trained teacher should take the lead.
In practice the designated teacher:
- is the school's first point of contact for social workers, carers and the virtual school head
- leads on the school's part of each child's personal education plan and agrees how pupil premium plus is used
- makes sure staff understand how care experience, loss and trauma can affect learning and behaviour
- reports to governors on how looked-after and previously looked-after pupils are doing.
Designated teacher or DSL? They are different roles, although in a small school one person may hold both. The DSL leads on safeguarding; the designated teacher leads on education for children in or leaving care. KCSIE footnote 49 says the DSL should work closely with the designated teacher. Where a looked-after child has SEN, the SENCO should be involved too.