The Virtual School

The Virtual School

About The Virtual School

A Virtual School acts as a local authority champion to bring about improvements in the education and outcomes of Looked after Children (LAC) and Young Care Leavers (YCL) and to promote their educational achievement as if they were in a single school. Our key objective is to ensure each LAC receives a high quality education which will give them a secure foundation as they move into adulthood.

Brent Virtual School (BVS) does not exist in real terms, or as a building. Children do not attend it - they remain the responsibility of the school at which they are enrolled. BVS is simply an organisation which has been created for the effective co-ordination of educational services at a strategic and operational level. On average Brent has around 200 LAC of statutory school age, of which approximately 50 per cent are educated in schools in Brent.

BVS also has a role in promoting the education of children and young people who are post LAC and may have been adopted or subject to a special guardianship (SGO) or child arrangement order. The key role with post LAC is to offer advice and guidance to schools and carers.

What the Virtual School does

Promotes the importance of a high quality education and high expectations for all LAC and YCL
Influences policy and develops and improves services for LAC and YCL
Promotes individual achievement and wellbeing by RAG rating our LAC cohorts and ensuring that the right children and young people are targeted with the right intervention at the right time
Provides advice, support and training to a wide range of professionals both in education and social care
Improves access to specialist services, mental health assessments and treatment
Provides access to professional advice and guidance on education, training and employment
Provides additional opportunities for out of school learning and enrichment
Facilitates access to early education and child care
Produces an Annual Achievement Report
Reports on outcomes for LAC
Organises an annual Celebration of LAC Achievement Event.

BVS is governed by Brent’s Corporate Parenting Committee.

How is the Virtual School Organised

BVS comprises of the following roles:

Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher

Together the Headteacher, who is also Head of Inclusion, and the Deputy Headteacher provide strategic and operational leadership and management to the BVS team ensuring that all statutory duties are met and that all Brent LAC and YCL receive appropriate support and intervention. They also oversee the allocation of the Pupil Premium Plus (PPP).

Advisory teachers and workers

Advisory Teachers track and monitor the progress of Brent LAC in their cohorts, with a particular focus on those RAG rated as RED, co-ordinating and deploying BVS support to raise their attainment according to an assessment of their needs. They quality assure statutory Personal Education Plans (PEPs) for LAC in their cohorts. They work with social workers, foster carers and the school’s designated teacher (DT), who has a statutory role within schools that mirrors that of the virtual school head teacher, to ensure that high aspirations and challenge is demonstrated in the PEP. They contribute to training for designated teachers, schools, social workers, foster carers and governors, and act as advocates by positively challenging the practice of schools.

Advisory Workers carry out the same role as the advisory teachers apart from contributing to training. Advisory workers do not have Qualified Teachers’ Status (QTS).

Year 11 life coach

The Life Coach works to support all Year 11 LAC with their transition to post-16 education and training.

Personal advisor for post-16

The Personal Advisor for Post 16 works with the key stage 5 cohort, carrying out PEPs for those in education or training and working with other professionals, in particular social care colleagues, to encourage those not in education, employment or training to re-engage.

Educational psychologist

The Education Psychologist carries out assessments of identified LAC to support applications for statutory assessment. They also contribute to our training programme.

Finance and Admin Officer

The Finance and Admin Officer is responsible for processing all financial payments for BVS, including the payment of PPP to schools. They also support our enrichment programme and other student focused activity.

Data Analyst

The Data Analyst supports the team, schools and social care colleagues with a wide range of data and information. This includes the maintenance of detailed LAC Pupil Tracker.

The Brent Virtual School Extended Duties Team

This is a new team currently being piloted by the Department for Education (DfE).

Each local authority has been given the opportunity to create a system that meets the needs of their cohort of eligible students.

In Brent the team is designed to help demonstrate the benefits of attending an education setting and engaging in education, as well as ensuring there is a way to offer advice and support to teachers and social workers, with the aim of narrowing the attainment gap.

Resources

Last updated 02/01/24