Virtual School Head Teacher
Supporting all children in care
Responsibilities
Directors of Children’s Services and lead councillors for Children’s Services should ensure that:
- Closing the attainment and progress gap between looked after children and their peers and creating a culture of high aspirations for them is a top priority.
- Children in care have access to a suitable range of high quality education placement options and that commissioning services for them takes account of the duty to promote their educational achievement.
- Virtual School Head Teachers (VSHs) are in place and that they have the resources, time, training and support they need to discharge the duty effectively.
- The Sandwell Virtual School head teacher has discretion about how the pupil premium is used for all Sandwell children in care.
- VSHs have robust procedures in place to monitor the attendance and educational progress of the children their authority looks after.
- Most of the £2530.00 (2023/2024) will be distributed to schools as they are usually best placed to decide on the interventions and support appropriate for each child.
- The Virutal School consults with children in care through the Voices of Sandwell forum, ensuring that educational issues are raised with schools.
The VSH should be 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 out-of-authority.