Adopters, special guardians and kinship carers
The Department for Education's guidance, Promoting the education of looked after and previously looked after children, published in March 2018, states:
"The role of the Virtual School Head for previously looked-after children is to promote their educational achievement through the provision of information and advice to their parents, educators and others who the Virtual School Head considers necessary."
Role of the Virtual School Head (VSH)
The Virtual School Head supports previously looked after children by:
- responding to requests from parents for advice and information, such as support with school admissions
- providing advice and information to early years settings, schools, academies and alternative provision providers about individual children supported by the local authority
- building strong relationships with designated teachers who support previously looked after children
- sharing guidance and good practice to help schools and early years settings understand and meet the needs of previously looked after children
- providing information on the effective use of Pupil Premium Plus
Guide for Parents and Carers
Adoption UK's guide, Meeting the Needs of Adopted and Permanently Placed Children, provides advice and support to help families understand and meet their child's educational and emotional needs.
Free Training for Parents and Carers
The West Midlands Virtual Schools Creating Chances Training Programme offers 14 free online training sessions for:
- foster carers
- adoptive parents
- special guardians
- kinship carers
- carers of children subject to Child Arrangements Orders
The programme covers a range of topics, including:
- starting and moving schools
- attachment and trauma
- special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
- supporting reading and literacy
- emotional regulation
- executive functioning skills
- sensory needs
- post-16 education and career pathways
- the PACE approach
All sessions are delivered online and are free to attend.
Training Programme
Download the training programme:
The sessions are free for carers, kinship carers, adoptive parents and special guardians.
Further Information and Resources
You may find these resources helpful:
- Staffordshire EPPLAC Guidance
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Resources
- Pupil Premium Plus for Previously Looked After Children (PLAC) (DOCX, 59.82 KB)
These resources provide additional guidance and practical support for parents, carers and education professionals working with previously looked after children.
