The Walsall Virtual School is a dedicated education service within Walsall Council that champions the education, wellbeing and future aspirations of care experienced children and young people, as well as other vulnerable learners where the Virtual School has a statutory or strategic responsibility.

Although we are called a "Virtual School", we are not a school in the traditional sense and we do not provide direct teaching. Instead, we work alongside education settings, families, carers and professionals to ensure that every child and young person receives the right support to achieve their potential.

We are ambitious for every child and believe that education is about much more than academic achievement. It is about helping children to feel safe, valued and included, developing confidence and resilience, building positive relationships and creating opportunities that enable them to thrive throughout childhood and into adulthood.

• Children in Care (Looked After Children)
• Previously Looked After Children
• Children with a Social Worker
• Children in Kinship Care
• Care Leavers
• Children and young people involved with Youth Justice

The Virtual School works in close partnership with schools, academies, early years settings, colleges, social care, health services, educational psychology, attendance services and a wide range of other professionals. By working together, we help remove barriers to learning, promote educational stability and ensure children receive coordinated support at every stage of their education.

Our work includes:

• Championing the education, achievement and wellbeing of children in care from Early Years through to Post-16.

• Providing strategic leadership to improve educational outcomes for children with a social worker by working with schools, partners and services to raise awareness of the barriers these children face, promote inclusive practice and influence system-wide improvement.

• Offering advice and guidance to families, schools and professionals supporting previously looked after children, helping schools understand attachment, trauma and the lasting impact of early childhood experiences.

• Supporting children in kinship care by working with carers, schools and partners to improve educational engagement, stability and access to appropriate support.

• Working alongside care leavers and partner agencies to promote successful progression into education, employment and training, raising aspirations and helping young people prepare for adulthood.

• Working with Youth Justice colleagues to improve educational participation, reduce barriers to learning and support successful reintegration into education, training and employment.

• Monitoring educational progress, attendance, suspensions, exclusions, school moves and transitions, ensuring early intervention where concerns are identified.

• Leading and quality assuring Personal Education Plans (PEPs) to ensure education remains central to care planning and that every child has ambitious, achievable educational targets.

• Supporting schools to develop inclusive, attachment-aware and trauma-informed practice through training, advice, guidance and challenge.

• Promoting early identification and effective support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), ensuring appropriate provision and successful inclusion.

• Investing Pupil Premium Plus and other educational funding to provide evidence-informed interventions that improve educational outcomes and remove barriers to learning.

• Providing educational psychology, mental health and wellbeing support through evidence-informed approaches that strengthen resilience, emotional wellbeing and school engagement.

• Delivering professional development, resources and training for schools, carers and partner agencies to improve practice and strengthen outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.

• Creating opportunities through enrichment, cultural experiences, mentoring, careers education, higher education programmes and participation activities that raise aspirations and broaden horizons.

• Listening to the voices of children and young people, ensuring they influence decisions about their education and the continued development of our services.