Supporting the education of children in care and care leavers
The Virtual School Head (VSH) is responsible for:
- maintaining an up-to-date roll of looked after children for whom the local authority is responsible
- having knowledge and information about every looked after children attending the local authority schools
- informing head teachers and designated teachers in schools if they have a looked after child on roll
- supporting the identification of, and access to, school places for looked after children
- knowing how looked-after children are doing academically
- gathering information about their education placement, attendance and educational progress
- monitoring progress and achievement, identify where individual or groups of looked after children are underperforming and work with school to address any issues
VSHs are also responsible for managing pupil premium funding for the children they look after and for allocating it to schools and alternative provision (AP) settings. These are places that provide education for children who can’t go to a mainstream school.
Children who have been in local authority care for one day or more attract £1,900 of pupil premium funding.
VSHs are also responsible for managing the early years pupil premium (EYPP). They are in charge of giving the premium to the early years providers that educate looked-after children (children in local-authority care), who are taking up the free early education entitlement for 3 or 4 year-olds.
The pupil premium must be used for the benefit of the looked-after child’s educational needs as described in their personal education plan (PEP).
The Virtual School Headteacher and the school or educational setting must be able to demonstrate how the pupil premium and EYPP funding is raising the achievement of looked-after children.
Contact the Virtual School team
Our team includes staff from a range of services working together to promote and support the education of children in care.
The Headteacher of Swindon Virtual School is Gemma Meiklejohn.
- Telephone: 07989 346763
- Email: vsadmin@swindon.gov.uk