Multi Agency Working
Multi-Agency Working
The VS has a duty to work with others to ensure they also consider the educational achievement of Looked After Children to be of prime importance, that they encourage them to be aspirational and that they have high expectations in supporting them to realise their full academic potential.
It is particularly important that those in the team around the child do not work in their individual 'silos'. The VS will often attend additional meetings outside of PEPs, such as Annual Reviews and LAC Reviews, to ensure the education of the child in question is kept to the fore in discussion and planning.
The Virtual School Head must work closely with their local authority schools to ensure
- their governing bodies understand the role of the local authority as corporate parent,
- they appoint an appropriate designated teacher,
- they understand the needs of Looked After Children
- they understand the need for specific professional development for at least their senior leaders and designated teachers
Training
Virtual Schools have a duty to train other teams and individual professionals in matters relating to the education of Looked After Children.
Hillingdon VS provides and commissions a variety of training for schools, carers and social workers, topics include:
- Attachment and trauma
- Attendance and exclusions
- How to support children at different key stages at home
- Pupil Premium Plus
Commissioning extra support
In order to promote the educational achievement of the children on its role, the VS may commission extra support for them using funds from centrally held Pupil Premium Plus.
Examples of extra support Hillingdon VS may use:
- Residential visits
- One-to-one tuition
- Mentoring
- Literacy schemes, such as Letterbox and Text Now
- Numeracy schemes, such as MyMaths
- Flash Academy
