What is a Virtual School?
The Virtual School is a statutory service which fulfils the Local Authority’s statutory duties with education.
The Virtual School is a statutory service which fulfils the Local Authority’s statutory duties in ensuring that children and young people in care, previously in care and those with a social worker receive the best possible educational provision and outcomes.
The Children and Families Act 2014 requires councils in England to appoint a Virtual School Head Teacher (VSHT) to discharge the local authority's duty to promote the educational achievement of its children in care.
The VSHT is the lead responsible officer for ensuring that arrangements are in place to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of the authority's children in care, including those placed outside the Worcestershire Authority's boundaries.
The remit of the Worcestershire Virtual School includes supporting Children who are Looked After (CLA) from the age of 2 years through their statutory school education. Extension of the Virtual School role now includes supporting our young people through their post-16 years (16 to 18 years).
For previously looked-after children (PLAC), the Virtual School will be a source of advice and information to help their parents to advocate for them as effectively as possible.
The Virtual School are not acting as part of the corporate parent role in these circumstances, but are there to promote the educational achievement of these children through the provision of advice and information to relevant parties.
From September 2021, the Virtual School Head’s role has been extended to include the strategic leadership of promoting the education outcomes of all children and young people with a social worker (CWSW).
It covers all children who were assessed as needing a social worker at any time due to safeguarding and/or welfare reasons, which includes all those subject to a Child in Need plan or a Child Protection plan. This includes children aged from 0 up to 18 in all education settings.