Norfolk formulated a concept and structure for a Virtual School to support Looked After Children in 2006 and successfully bid to be part of the national DCSF Virtual School Heads pilot in 2007. We are now a small established team within Children's Services, Educational Achievement, Improvement, Leadership & Governance Team based at the Professional Development Centre, Woodside Road, Norwich.
Evidence shows that historically looked after children as a group do not perform as well educationally as their peers. We are responsible for improving the educational attainment of all Looked After Children in the authority; including those that have been placed in schools in other authorities and those from other local authorities who are being educated in Norfolk.
How does it work?
Our 'pupils' will already be placed in a mainstream school, or sometimes a specialist provision, but additionally they will be on the roll of the Virtual School. The Virtual School has a Headteacher, Governing Body, management team and staff just like a 'real' school and it treats it's pupils as though they were in one school; tracking their progress and providing support and interventions in a targetted way. In this way our children are provided with an additional layer of specialist support if needed that complements what is already happening in school.
Our success comes through close working with our partners - schools, designated teachers, social workers, carers, local authority staff, health and other professional organisations.
Who is on roll?
Currently there are approximately 560 statutory school aged children in the care of Norfolk. In addition there are 190 pre-school children aged 0 - 5 and 210 post 16's.
To deliver our priorities we:-