Children’s social care: virtual school head role extension
How local authorities should extend the virtual school head role to champion and promote the education of children with a social worker and children in kinship care.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Virtual school heads are strategic leaders who promote the educational outcomes of children with a social worker. From September 2024, the duties under this non-statutory function will also include children in kinship care.
The guidance on promoting the education of children with a social worker and children in kinship care arrangements:
- defines the cohort of children in scope
- explains what the extended role involves
- provides direction on how to partner with education settings to improve children’s outcomes
The grant determination letter sets out the terms of the section 31 grant that local authorities will receive to support the virtual school head role in promoting the educational outcomes of children with a social worker.
The memorandum of understanding describes the expectations of the Department for Education and the local authority in delivering the virtual school head role to promote the educational outcomes of children with a social worker.
Previous grant determination letters and memorandums of understanding are available in the National Archives:
Statutory guidance on promoting the education of looked-after and previously looked-after children is also available.
Last updated 5 March 2024 + show all updates
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Updated the grant determination letter and memorandum of understanding to support the extension of the virtual school head role to children with a social worker and children in kinship care from September 2024. National funding for 2024 to 2025 has been uplifted to £20.4 million across all local authorities.
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Added 'Promoting the education of children with a social worker and children in kinship care arrangements: virtual school head role extension’. The guidance now includes how virtual school heads should promote the education outcomes of children in kinship care.
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Added ‘Virtual school head role extension: grant determination letter 2023 to 2024’. Updated the memorandum of understanding for 2023 to 2024.
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We have updated the 'Promoting the education of children with a social worker: virtual school head role extension' guidance, 'Virtual school head role extension: grant determination letter' and the 'Virtual school head role extension: memorandum of understanding'.
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Grant determination letter has been updated with funding allocations for North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. Removed information about local authorities returning the memorandum of understanding by 31 July 2021 as the deadline has now passed.
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First published.