Virtual school
Virtual school
Read more about:
- The York Virtual School for children and young people in care
- Personal Education Plans
- Online information for children and young people in care
- Who we are
- Early education funding for children in care
- Useful resources
The York Virtual School for children and young people in care
The aim of the Virtual School is to enhance the life opportunities for children and young people in care by supporting their education and enabling them to achieve the best they can.
The Virtual school does not replace the school or educational provision of children or young people in care, it's an additional resource which exists to support and challenge all those involved in the education of children and young people in care.
The Virtual School is involved in or promotes various initiatives, to support the educational achievement of children and young people in care. Including providing training and advice for schools, council staff and carers.
The City of York Council Virtual School works closely with colleagues within the council and external agencies as part of an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to supporting children and young people in care.
The Virtual School approach is to work with children and young people in care as if they were in a single school, liaising with the schools they attend to:
- raise educational attainment
- track pupil progress and supporting them to achieve as well as possible
- ensure good school attendance
- improve educational stability
- promote high aspirations and raise the profile of children in care
- ensure that every child in care has a high-quality personal education plan, which is monitored and reviewed by the school
Personal Education Plans
All children and young people in care should have a Personal Education Plan (PEP). This is provided through eGov Solutions; an online tool which both schools and social workers can log into and complete before the face-to-face meeting.
The PEP is the statutory tool to ensure that everyone is actively prioritising the education of the young person, carefully tracking their progress and supporting them, to achieve well and to be aspirational.
All children and young people in care have a statutory Care Plan, which is drawn up and reviewed by the Local Authority that looks after them. The PEP is a legal part of the Care Plan; which is a statutory requirement for all of our children and young people from pre-school to the age of 18.
The key personnel who should be involved in every PEP meeting are the:
- young person
- young person's Social Worker
- young person's carer
- Designated Teacher or named lead for children and young people in care from the young person's education or training setting, Nursery, School, College or provider
Listen to me resources are currently available on request by email: [email protected].
Online information for children and young people in care
Speak Up is the name of York's Children in Care Council. The Speak Up website provides information for children and young people on anything and everything to do with being in care.
Who we are
We're made up of:
- Karron Young, Headteacher - email: [email protected]
- Dan Bodey, School Inclusion Adviser and Deputy Headteacher of the Virtual School - email: [email protected]
- Danielle Hoyle, Educational Psychologist - email: [email protected]
- Rachel Duffield, Learning and Wellbeing Worker - email: [email protected]
- Kerry Bramwell, PEP Coordinator - email: [email protected]
- Nicola Dos Santos, Early Years Inclusion Advisor - email: [email protected]
- Sandeep Lota, Specialist Learning and Employment Advisor - email: [email protected]
- Ellie Briddon, Business Admin Apprentice - email: [email protected]
Early education funding for children in care
Children in Care become eligible for the universal 15 hours funded (free) childcare the term after they turn 2-years-old. The funding is accessed by applying for a code via the Early Years Funding Team. Payment is made direct to early years settings from the Department for Education, through the early years funding team and not the virtual school. The table below shows when children become eligible to claim for funded hours:
| Child's second birth is between | When you can claim |
|---|---|
| 1 January to 31 March | the beginning of summer term on or after 1 April |
| 1 April to 31 August | the beginning of autumn term on or after 1 September |
| 1 September to 31 December | the beginning of spring term on or after 1 January |
Useful resources
