Students

What is the Virtual School and what do we do for you?

Our job, in the Virtual School, is to check out how you are doing in your education. We work to make sure your needs are understood and met by all the adults around you so that you have a positive experience of education and make lots of progress. 

We do this by asking the adults around you (including staff from your school or education setting) to come together to review all aspects of your education. When things are hard, staff from the Virtual School will work with the adults around you to support everyone to better meet your needs.   

Other work we do includes:  

  • Making sure your voice is heard, including understanding your interests,
  • Offer training, advice and guidance to adults who work with you,
  • Checking that funding is spent appropriately to support your development,
  • Identify suitable education,
  • Making sure staff support you to have high aspirations.
  • Ensuring that everyone around you recognises and celebrates your successes and strengths,
  • Helping you navigate next steps as you progress through your educational journey. 

We have lots of meetings to discuss your education.

If you are in care, the government says that your school and social worker need to work closely together to make sure that you are having a good educational experience. They need to meet regularly to make sure this is happening. This is called a PEP meeting. Typically, you will be invited to participate in your PEP meetings which happen once a term. When you choose not to attend, your voice will always be captured, shared and considered. 

These meetings happen at least twice per year.  Many of the adults around you attend these meetings to share their views. Education is always discussed at these meetings and your school or education provider will attend.

We have a range of other meetings that take place where your education is discussed and reviews. These meetings include: reviewing reduced timetables where they are used, attending designated teacher meetings and frequent education meetings where they are needed.