Virtual School for Looked After and Vulnerable Children
The Virtual School is responsible for liaising and working in partnership with agencies to support the education of looked after/vulnerable children. Lorraine Thompson is the Virtual school Lead and leads on strategic planning and developments, policy, new initiatives and service delivery.
The Virtual School for Looked After Children is not a teaching institution. It is “a model by which the LA provides services and support for the education of looked after children and a constructive challenge to those providing the services”. It works closely and in partnership with Schools, Health, Impact Advisors and Social Care so that there is a holistic and comprehensive approach to the support of Looked After Children in all areas of their lives.
Our overall aim is to help produce better educational outcomes, and enhanced personal and social development, so that our looked after children have better life chances.
Our specific objectives which together will help us achieve this aim are reflected by the targets that we set ourselves each year, i.e. seeking continuous improvement in the number of looked after students who: -
- Achieve Expected Standards at KS2 in each core subject
- Are entered for public examinations and SATs
- Achieve 5+ A – C grades including Maths and English at GCSE or equivalent
- Achieve 5+ A – C grades at GCSE or equivalent
- Achieve 1+ A – G grades at GCSE or equivalent
- Make progress between Key Stages
- Achieve their targets as indicated by FFT
- Have less than 38 sessions absence during 5 half terms.
- Are in education, employment or training in the September following their sixteenth birthday
We will also seek to: -
Reduce the number of days looked after students are excluded, fixed term and permanent, and ensure that excluded students receive alternative provision from day one
Secure objective evidence that: -
- There is increasing student involvement in extra curricular and extension activities
- Special Educational Needs are being met and appropriate interventions are implemented and reviewed in terms of the graduated response
- Fewer students do not have a school place at any one time
- The average time taken to secure a school place for a child is being reduced
- The average number of school days missed per term by children is falling
- The average number of school moves in any 12 week period is being reduced
- The number of children who have an up to date PEP or PEP review is increasing.
Key Workers at the Virtual School
The role of the key worker is as follows:
- To work with schools to raise the educational attainment and aspirations of Looked After Children
- To promote and support positive participation in enrichment activities
- To provide additional support for parents/carers in appropriate cases.
- To work with staff and partner agencies to ensure that a holistic approach is adopted to support C&YP
.The Virtual school Team
- Lorraine Thompson – Virtual School and Vulnerable groups Lead Lorraine.thompson@walsall.gov.uk
- Education Liaison Officer- Vacant post
- Education Liaison Officer-Julie Chilton
- PEP Champion/Co-ordinator-Dawn Garnett-Clarke
- PEP Champion/Co-ordinator-Emma Trevis
- Key worker- Vacant post
- Key worker --Rhian Ferguson
- Key worker--Amara Mignott
- Careers Advisor- Rachael Maybank
- Information Officer- Ruksana Kavde
- Marier Hudson- Admin Assistant- Apprenticeship
- Virtual School Tutor x 5 Leanne Hall, Lee Baker, Maxine Gentle, Charlene Martin, Annette Round
- Virtual School Tel No. 01922 652816