Tracking and Monitoring

Virtual School Heads (VSHs) are required to track and monitor the individual achievements of each Looked After Child, keeping an account of how they have achieved in the past, how they are currently achieving, how they are predicted to achieve and the targets set for them by their schools.

They will therefore be aware of which children are not achieving according to national expectations or in accordance with how they have achieved in the past.

In Hillingdon, the Virtual School team uses the child's PEP meeting as the main vehicle through which to negotiate with a child's school the best package of support and intervention to support them to make better progress.

VSHs also track and monitor the attendance of the Looked After Children and Children With a Social Worker who are on their school roll. Hillingdon commissions our PEP Partner eGov to monitor our children's attendance. Schools and colleges can log attendance directly onto the platform. Where there are gaps in attendance, Virtual School Officers (VSO) will be contacting schools to request attendance certificates. For those schools who have signed up to Wonde from September 2024 the data can be transferred directly to the ePEP platform. Where reasons for absences are not acceptable, such as a child being taken out of school for a holiday, VSOs will challenge carers and schools to make changes.

The exclusion and suspension of Looked After Children is also monitored by the VSH, and support given to carers, social workers and schools via VSOs where there are frequent suspensions or the threat of permanent exclusion.

Carers, Designated Teachers and social workers should always keep the allocated VSO informed where there is a threat of exclusion to a child in their care.