All looked after children must have a Personal Education Plan (PEP) as part of their Care Plan (DfE, 2014c). PEPs were introduced to ensure that the education of looked after children is prioritised and that looked after children receive educational support. The literature on PEPs is limited and there appears to be only one published study on PEPs (Hayden, 2005). Additional studies have considered PEPs alongside other initiatives to support the education of looked after children. The available literature has noted challenges with PEPs such as variation in their quality (OFSTED, 2012, APPG, 2012) and negativity towards them (Hayden, 2005, Harker et al., 2004, APPG, 2012, Fletcher-Campbell et al., 2003). The current study involved an appreciative inquiry (AI) into personal education planning for secondary school-aged looked after children in one local authority. The AI was grounded in social constructionism. The study aimed to discover professionals' experiences of effective personal education planning and explore their perceptions of core factors for effective personal education planning and their dreams and design for its development. Appreciative interviews and a focus group were carried out with professionals with experience of personal education planning. Interview and focus group data was analysed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006). All participants provided examples of effective personal education planning. Supportive factors for effective personal education planning highlighted by participants included personal education planning being understood, valued and prioritised, people constructing looked after children as learners, school staff knowing looked after children and professionals working together. For participants, effective personal education planning appeared to involve an active plan-do-review process. However, there appeared to be a lack of clarity amongst participants about what a PEP is and what personal education planning involves. Implications of the findings for future research, practice and the profession of Educational Psychology are discussed.