The Hertfordshire Virtual School Offer
The Virtual School brings together information about children and young people who are looked after by Hertfordshire as if they
attended a single school. We support all children and young people aged between 4 and 19, and up to 25 if they attend further or higher
education. We are looking to extend into the 0-3 age range with the introduction of the Early Years pupil premium funding for children
aged 3-4 in April 2015.
Our role includes:
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championing their learning needs whether they are educated in the county or at a distance;
ensuring they have the best possible education and every chance to realise their potential;
offering personalised support plans and interventions to raise attainment and aspirations for the future;
tracking their progress and targeting resources effectively to promote achievement.
The Virtual School employs a range of advisers and support workers who work with children and young people, schools and
other education settings, social care teams and carers. We are located across Hertfordshire in County Hall, Hertford,
Farnham House, Stevenage, Apsley 2, Hemel Hempstead and The Foyer, Hatfield.
If you would like to find out more about the Virtual School or you have any questions or concerns please contact:
Felicity Evans, Head of the Virtual School for Children Looked After – 01992 556915
Email: virtualschool@hertsccgov.uk
This document is published by the Hertfordshire Virtual School and includes information on the support available to all children and
young people looked after by Hertfordshire, including those with SEN. It fulfils the requirements of the SEN Information Report.
To find out more about Hertfordshire’s local offer of services and provisions for children and young people with SEN visit:
www.hertsdirect.org/localoffer
© The Hertfordshire Virtual School for Children Looked After, 2014
How does the Virtual School know if children and young people need extra help and what should I do if I think the child I
look after may have special educational needs (SEN)?
In the first instance, if you are concerned about the progress the child you are looking after is making or you think they may have
SEN, you should talk to the designated teacher at your child or young person’s school or other education setting.
The Virtual School knows every child or young person well.
We do this by:
 reading every Personal Education Plan (PEP)
 attending some PEP meetings
 collecting and analysing attainment and progress data for every child and young person in school
 holding pupil progress meetings every term
 talking to children, schools, social care teams and carers
How will the Virtual School support the child or young person I look after?
The Head of the Virtual School will:
 ensure the educational achievement of children looked after by Hertfordshire is seen as a priority by everyone who has
responsibilities for promoting their welfare
 create a culture of high aspirations
 implement pupil premium plus arrangements
 plan additional provision or interventions from within the Virtual School resources to promote educational achievement
Education Advisers will:
 work closely with the designated teacher at the child or young person’s school or other education setting to make sure
appropriate provision is in place
 monitor the attendance and educational progress of the children and young people
 deliver training
 oversee the deployment of Education Support Workers
Post 16 Personal Advisers will:
 give direct support to young people to access further education, employment, training and university
 provide advice and guidance to social care teams and young people on further education, employment, training and
university
© The Hertfordshire Virtual School for Children Looked After, 2014
Education Support Workers will:
 offer targeted individual or small group in class support or mentoring
 provide homework and study support in the child or young person’s placement as part of an agreed action in the PEP
How will I know how the child I look after is doing and be involved in discussions and planning for their education?
In addition to school consultation evenings and normal reporting arrangements there will be other opportunities to discuss a child or
young person’s progress at:
 an annual PEP meeting; and
 two PEP termly review meetings.
These may be linked to another education focused meeting such as an SEN review or Looked After Child (LAC) review.
How will the educational provision be matched to the needs of the child I look after?
The Virtual School expects schools and settings to be delivering a graduated response to meeting the needs of children and young
people who are looked after. The diagram illustrates the importance of high quality classroom teaching being in place before
additional school- based interventions are introduced. Additional or different, personalised provision funded by the pupil premium
plus can then be clearly targeted to support specific needs identified in the PEP action plan.
personalised provision
using pupil premium
plus
additional school based
interventions
high quality classroom
teaching for all pupils
© The Hertfordshire Virtual School for Children Looked After, 2014
What support will there be for the wellbeing of children looked after?
We support the wellbeing of all our children and young people by:
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listening to the views, wishes and feelings of children and young people in their PEP meetings and through the
Children in Care Council
mentoring individual children and young people
tracking and monitoring attendance
monitoring children and young people who are in part time or alternative provision with a view to returning to full time
education as soon as possible
including vulnerable groups as a monthly agenda item at the Leadership Team meeting
ensuring we have agreed plans to support children with medical needs taking part in our interventions
working together with colleagues in social care and health
advocating in the exclusion process
leading a project with Hertfordshire BESD (Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulties) schools to improve behaviour and
reduce exclusions
What training have the Virtual School had to support children with SEND?
Everyone is encouraged to attend relevant training on SEND.
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Education Advisers were provided with support and guidance on assessing the progress of children and young people
working well below age related expectations and the use of P scales in summer 2014.
All staff received training on the new special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 - 25 years
in September 2014.
What specialist services and expertise does the Virtual School provide?
Education Advisers, Post 16 Personal Advisers and Education Support Workers work directly with schools and settings and social
care teams. They provide:
 advice and guidance on the education of children looked after
 training
 direct work with a child or young person during term time
 individual or small group interventions during school holidays
© The Hertfordshire Virtual School for Children Looked After, 2014
How will the Virtual School help others to support the education of the child looked after?
We provide regular training for schools and other settings, social care teams and carers on a range of topics and in different
locations in Hertfordshire.
Every year we publish handbooks for designated teachers, social workers, carers, early year’s practitioners and post 16 providers.
These provide up-to-date information on educational issues.
How will the Virtual School identify who should be invited to take part in activities and interventions?
The Virtual School uses an Assess, Plan, Do and Review model to identify children and young people who may benefit from
additional or different provision from within our own resources.
analyse pupil
progress data
collected from
schools
plan interventions to
meet the needs of
children and young
people not making
expected progress
review the
difference the
interventions have
made
deliver
interventions
Children and young people will be invited to take part in these interventions and designated teachers, social care teams and carers
will be informed.
The Virtual School provision map and postcards describe the interventions in more detail.
© The Hertfordshire Virtual School for Children Looked After, 2014
How accessible is the Virtual School?
We aim to ensure all our activities and interventions are accessible.
We welcome individual discussions to ensure we meet the needs of each child or young person.
Glossary
designated teacher
• a designated teacher is responsible for the educational achievement of any children looked after in their school
personal education plan (PEP)
• the personal education plan is a legal part of the Care Plan
• it must be written for children and young people from Reception to Year 11 (5 -16)
• it is good practice to complete a PEP for a younger child of 3 years if in education and for young people in Post 16
education
pupil premium plus
• the pupil premium plus is additional funding to raise the attainment of children looked after and close the gap between
them and their peers
special education needs (SEN)
• a child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disablilty which calls for special educational provision
to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or
she has a significant greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has a disability which
prevents or hinders him or her from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same
age in mainstream schools or mainstream post 16 institutions
Version 2 December 2014
© The Hertfordshire Virtual School for Children Looked After, 2014