Virtual School

Cambridgeshire Virtual School supports children and young people in care between the ages of 2 and 18.

Since April 2014, every local authority in England has had to appoint at least one person to fulfil the local authority’s statutory duty to promote the educational achievement of its children in care, wherever they live or are educated. This person is called the 'Head of the Virtual School'. Within Cambridgeshire we have a team of education professionals that supports the Virtual School Head in fulfilling these responsibilities.

The statutory remit of the Virtual School expanded in September 2018 to include information and advice for children previously in care including those who have been adopted from care and those under special guardianship and child arrangement orders. Cambridgeshire Virtual School are responsible for previously looked after children and young people attending a Cambridgeshire school or education setting.

Cambridgeshire Virtual School promote high aspirations and raise achievement through challenge, support and targeted intervention. This is fulfilled by:

• Supporting care experienced children and young people to access and achieve in education and training
• Promoting care experienced children and young peoples’ need to access high quality support, which meets their needs in a timely way
• Working closely with all those involved in providing education to ensure they understand the issues and challenges facing our children and young people and their role in working together to respond to and overcome them
• Working to reduce the challenges resulting from changes of care placement or school
• Challenging barriers to engagement and good attendance
• Promoting equality and equity

Further information on the work of Cambridgeshire Virtual School on our Learn-Together website