The Headteacher’s role is to ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction of the Virtual School in supporting Worcestershire Local Authority in the corporate parenting role. The Headteacher also leads and manages the work of the Virtual School and has an overview of all the achievements of children and young people in care in Worcestershire, support pupils, schools and staff.

More specifically the Virtual School Head (VSH) ensures that there are effective systems in place to:

• maintain an up-to-date roll of its children who are looked after and monitor their education placement, attendance and educational progress
• inform Head Teachers and Designated Teachers (DT) in schools if they have a child on roll who is looked after by Worcestershire Local Authority
• ensure every school has a Designated Teacher for child/ren Looked After, who is a qualified teacher
• ensure that social workers, Designated Teachers, schools, carers and Independent Reviewing Officer (IROs) understand their role and responsibilities in initiating, developing, reviewing and updating the child and young person’s Personal Education Plan (PEP) and how they help meet the needs identified in that PEP
• ensure the educational achievement of children looked after by the authority is seen as a priority by everyone who has responsibilities for promoting their welfare
• ensure children are in receipt of suitable, full-time education unless there are exceptional circumstances which have been agreed in conjunction with the VSH
• ensure all children and young people who are looked after have an up to date, effective and high quality PEP that focuses on educational outcomes
• report regularly on the attainment and progress of children looked after through the Virtual School Governing Body

Virtual School Headteacher: Matthew Stiles

• email: mstiles@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• telephone: 01905 643262

The Education Co-ordinator ensures that the different responsibilities and functions of the Virtual School are working together effectively and targeted where they are most needed. The Education Co-ordinator has daily oversight of a range of information which is used to identify any areas where additional support is required. The Education Co-ordinator will also advise schools and other professionals on more complex cases or issues relating to a Child Looked After. Individual casework will be undertaken by the different network leads. The Education Co-ordinator line manages the statutory school age Learning Advocates and is also responsible for a cohort of CLA.

Virtual School Co-ordinator: Anne Griffin

• email: agriffin@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• telephone: 01905 845405

The Administrator is the first point of contact for the Virtual School through VS email address and dedicated phone line. The administrator collates a variety of data, produces reports focusing on attendance, suspensions, exclusions, Part time timetables, CLA Missing Education and attainment/progress. In addition, the administrator liaises with Designated Teachers (DTs), Social Workers and other professionals as part of the wider (VS) network and Updates the main Virtual School database (Welfare Call)

Crystal Laurentus-George

• email: claurentus-george@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• telephone: 01905 844913

The Business Support Manager supports and contributes to the development of the Virtual School for Children Looked After and Previously Looked After Children. The Business Support Manager manages the spending and payments of the Pupil Premium Grant to schools. The Business Support Manager is also the Clerk to the Virtual School Governing Board and is line managed by the Virtual School Headteacher.

Andrea Brew-Smith

• email: abrewsmith@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• telephone: 01905 844913

The Learning Advocates support Children Looked After placed In and Out of County.

The Learning Advocates facilitate the Personal Education Plan (PEP) process and in partnership with schools and social workers, we are responsible for ensuring every Child Looked After has an up-to-date PEP  which includes individual educational targets set by the child/young person’s school.  Information on every aspect of a child/young person’s progress is recorded within the PEP and monitored regularly by the Virtual School.

The Leaning Advocates work closely with the Designated Teacher within the school or setting and track progress and monitor the appropriateness of pupil premium usage in relation to impact on outcomes.  They also ensure that any barriers to success are challenged, thereby promoting a culture of high aspiration for every individual child/young person in Local Authority care to improve and maximise educational opportunities and outcomes.

Fiona Eades

• Responsible for: PEP process for Children Looked After in years 1-11    
• Contact details: feades@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk

Paula Hemming

• Responsible for: PEP process for Children Looked After in years 1-11
• Contact details: phemming@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• Lead within the Virtual School: Foster carer and IFA training, foster carer newsletter and Designated Teacher Champion hub co-ordinator

Sam Purser

• Responsible for: PEP process for Children Looked After in years 1-11
• Contact details: spurser@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• Lead within the Virtual School: Liaison with welfare call regarding PEPs and foster carer and IFA training

Mary Williams

• Responsible for: PEP process for Children Looked After in years 1-11
• Contact details: Mwilliams2@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• Lead within the Virtual School: Careers, NEET prevention for KS3/4 and transition from KS4 to Post 16

Steve Judd

• Responsible for: PEP process for Children Looked After in years 1-11, predominantly those being educated out of county
• Contact details: sjudd@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• Lead within the Virtual School: Social care training, communications with social workers and team managers on behalf of the Virtual School and UASC lead

Jill Peplow

• Responsible for: PPP process for Children Looked After - post 16 (educated in and out of county)
• Contact details: jpeplow@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• Lead within the Virtual School: Post 16, liaison with WCC Careers & Enterprise Company and development of resources for Post 16

Jess Reece

• Responsible for: PPP process for Children Looked After - post 16 (educated in and out of county)
• Contact details: Jfrancis3@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• Lead within the Virtual School: Post 16, liaison with WCC Careers & Enterprise Company and development of resources for Post 16

Becky James

• Responsible for: PEP process for Children Looked After - predominantly in Reception year (educated both in and out of county)
• Contact details: bjames@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• Lead within the Virtual School: Development of website and designated teacher training

Sarah Haigh

• Responsible for: PEP process for Children Looked After - Pre-School (educated both in and out of county)
• Contact details: shaigh@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• Lead within the Virtual School: SEND pre-school forum

Gemma Brown

The main function of this role is to:

• Make visible the disadvantages that children with a social worker can experience, enhancing partnerships between education settings and local authorities to help all agencies hold high aspirations for these children.
• Promote practice that supports children’s engagement in education, recognising that attending an education setting can be an important factor in helping to keep children safe from harm.
• Improve children’s outcomes and narrow the attainment gap with all children so that every child with a social worker can reach their potential.
• Offer advice support and challenge to schools/settings/providers, parents and external agencies to better meet the educational needs of the cohort of children/young people with a social worker, thus increasing their confidence in using evidence-based interventions and the development of good child protection/children in need planning that effectively promotes, recognises and responds to educational needs.
• Support the identification and promotion of good practice within schools/settings and social care teams relating to the effective educational achievement of children/young people with a social worker.

Kerry Lawrence

• email: klawrence5@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk

The main function of this role is to:

• Promote the educational achievement of previously child/ren Looked After (Adopted, Special Guardianship, Child Arrangement Order) through the provision of information and advice to their parents and educators.
• Ensure the educational attainment of children previously looked after is given a high priority in schools, early years settings and alternative provision.
• Ensure that any barriers to success are challenged thereby promoting a culture of high aspiration for previously looked after children.
• Provide strategic oversight to ensure operational delivery of high quality social emotional and mental health (SEMH) interventions for Children Looked After (CLA) and Previously Looked After (PLAC).
• Create, develop and maintain effective partnerships to maximise and improve social, emotional and mental health outcomes for CLA & PLAC.
• Support, evaluate and monitor (SEMH) interventions for PLAC and CLA to effectively target and mobilise support, intervention and resources appropriately to achieve positive outcomes.

Jade Busby

• email: jbusby@worcschildrenfirst.org.uk
• telephone: 01905 846125