Virtual School extended duties 

In September 2021, local authorities began receiving funding to extend the role of virtual school heads to include strategic responsibility for children with a social worker.

‘Children with a social worker’ refers to a group of children. It includes all children aged 0 to 18 across all education settings subject to a children in need plan or a child protection plan.

Extended duties for Virtual School

The extended duties for the Virtual School in relation to children with a social worker include:

• making visible the disadvantages that children with a social worker can experience, enhancing partnerships between education settings and local authorities, including with children’s social care, to help all agencies hold high aspirations for these children
• promoting practice that supports children’s engagement in education, recognising that attending an education setting is an important factor in helping to keep children safe from harm
• levelling up children’s outcomes to narrow the attainment gap so every child has the opportunity to reach their potential – including helping to ensure that children with a social worker benefit from support to recover educationally from the impact of the pandemic

Virtual school heads are not expected to:

• work directly with individual children and their families - including tracking and monitoring of individual educational progress, providing academic or other interventions
• respond to requests from parents or carers to offer advice, intervention and support in relation to individual children with a social worker
• take responsibility for children with SEND who do not require or need a social worker, as defined above

Universal and targeted support model

In 2022, Cheshire East Virtual School introduced a Universal and Targeted support model for schools. This grew in 2023/24, enabling schools to access various training programs, including:

• Emotional Literacy Support
• Attachment and Trauma
• Emotion Coaching
• Relational and Restorative practices through our Education Psychology service

We also funded additional Safeguarding Training for schools.

We continue exploring ways to support Children with a Social Worker, making the best use of  DfE funding. This includes:

• strengthening partnerships between schools and local authorities for child-focused collaboration
• identifying and addressing barriers to educational progress
• providing advice and support to social workers, Designated Safeguarding Leads, teachers, and school leaders
• offering training opportunities for social workers and schools

Contact Virtual School

If you would like any further information about the Extended Duties then contact email: lucy.sidley@cheshireeast.gov.uk

Page last reviewed: 02 October 2024