Christmas and New Year
Find out how your bin collection days and our opening hours are different over Christmas and New Year.
What is a virtual school?
How the Westmorland and Furness virtual school helps children in care.
Our virtual school is not a teaching institution. It is a model we use to provide services and support for the education of children in care.
The virtual school team works with schools that children in care are attending to ensure they reach their full educational potential and go on to succeed in their adult lives.
The virtual school also provides information and advice to parents and carers, educators and other professionals of previously looked after children.
Our aims:
- ensure all children in care make good progress from their starting points
- ensure every child in care has a high quality Personal Educational Plan (PEP) which sets out the actions and support to be provided
- provide advice to schools on effective use of the Pupil Premium Plus for children in care
- improve the attendance of any children in care where this is a problem
- reduce exclusions for children in care
- deliver training to schools, designated teachers, carers, children's services personnel and other partner agencies
- be a source of advice and information for parents and educators of previously looked after children
For more information on the virtual school, you can read our most recent annual report (PDF, 473kb).
Children previously in care
The virtual school can offer information, advice and support to schools, nurseries and colleges, children's social care teams and parents and guardians in relation to children previously in care.
The virtual school will also provide training to help colleagues support this group of pupils in relation to their education or training needs.
The virtual school will not track previously looked-after children and there is no expectation for education providers to complete Personal Education Plans (PEPs).
Designated teachers may seek the advice of the virtual school about meeting the needs of individual children, as long as this is done with the agreement of the child's parents or guardians.
The virtual school will provide this support for previously looked after children who live and attend educational establishments within Westmorland and Furness, unlike looked after children where the virtual school from the placing authority will offer this support.