Virtual School for Cared for Children

Extended duties of the Virtual School

Children with a social worker

Following the Child in Need review, the Department for Education expanded the Virtual School's role from September 2021 to support the educational outcomes of children aged 0-18 years old who have or previously had a social worker.

The review found that these young people tend to have lower attendance, engagement, and academic performance, as well as higher risks of social, emotional, and mental health challenges, including substance misuse.

To address this, an Advisory Teacher for children with a social worker has been appointed to collaborate with schools and social care professionals. Their goal is to remove barriers to learning and creating a culture of high aspirations.

The Virtual School champions educational success for these children by:

  • Encouraging school self-assessment
  • Enhancing data systems
  • Providing research-based training
  • Sharing best practices
  • Connecting services and partners
  • Advocating for improvements where needed
  • Creating guidance for families, social workers, and schools

Research, including work by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), continues to explore ways to improve outcomes for children with social workers. What works in education for children who have had social workers

For more information, contact us using the details on this page.

Kinship care

In March 2024, the Virtual School Head took on a new role to improve education for children with a social worker and those in formal kinship care. Research shows that children in kinship care often perform better academically than those in other care arrangements.

Kinship care occurs when a child is raised by a friend or family member instead of their parents, either temporarily or long-term. It includes informal care, short-term arrangements, private fostering, and legal guardianship through orders like Child Arrangements or Special Guardianship.

The Virtual School ensures children in kinship care receive educational support by:

  • Raising awareness of their challenges
  • Promoting school attendance and engagement
  • Closing the attainment gap to improve outcomes

Kinship is the leading kinship care charity in England and Wales. Get kinship care support from Kinship

Reporting concerns about attendance

We have specific responsibilities to oversee the attendance patterns of children who have, or have had, an allocated social worker and also those children who are in care.

If you are concerned about school attendance patterns, you can contact your child's school or social worker if your child:

  • has an allocated social worker
  • is previously looked after
  • previously had a social worker
  • is in a kinship arrangement

You can discuss what support may be available to help your child to improve their engagement with their education.

If a child is in care and is not attending school regularly, we have increased responsibilities and powers to work with relevant partners to remove any known barriers to regular attendance.

Advice for schools and social workers

If you work for a school or are a social worker and need to access advice, support or training, get in touch with us at VirtualSchool@rochdale.gov.uk

Excluding cared for children

The exclusion of cared for children should be avoided where possible and​ school’s should only ever exclude a child as a last resort.

The Virtual School has worked closely with the Fair Access team to develop the ‘Cared for Children at Risk of Permanent Exclusion in Mainstream Schools Protocol’

The Fair Access Team monitors all exclusions and can offer further support and advice to schools, social workers and carers. You can contact them at exclusions@rochdale.gov.uk​​.​​​​