Virtual School and Language Support Service

Doncaster Virtual School exists to improve the educational outcomes of children in the Care of Doncaster (CiC) as well as of previously looked after children (prev-CiC), those of Gypsy and Traveller (GT) ethnicity, those who are ethnic Roma (R), and other children who have English as an Additional Language (EAL), who are resident in the borough.

About

The Virtual School is not a real school in a building of its own. It is the team of professionals who monitor the educational offer for Children in Care.

Although the majority of Children in Care in Doncaster attend Doncaster settings some attend settings in other boroughs throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The Virtual School works together with the setting to make sure Children in Care in Doncaster make progress and achieve their educational goals.

The Virtual School exists to ensure that children and young people in care have access to good quality education, providing them with improved life chances.

We expect that every Child in Care will:

Have a school/ setting place
Have a current Personal Education Plan (PEP)
Attend a full time educational placement
Achieve their potential

Frequently Asked Questions

A child on our roll has entered the care of the local authority, what do I do?

If you have other Doncaster children or young people in care on your roll, then you should already be in contact with a Virtual School officer. Please get in touch with them and inform them of this development. We can then help you begin a number of statutory processes and look to give you an immediate release of additional funding.

This is our first child or young person to enter care on our roll, what do I do?

Please contact the Virtual School on 01302 737880 or using referrals@doncaster.gov.uk who will direct you to a Lead Officer. They will help you understand and meet the required statutory processes, allocate an officer of your own and will consider an immediate release of additional pupil premium plus funding to support the child during this period of change.

A child or young person in care has moved into our area and applied and/or secured a place on our school roll, what do I do?

Please be aware that the local authority that the child or young person was living in when they entered care is critical; once they have become the responsibility of that local authority, regardless of where they move then they remain the responsibility of their ‘home local authority’.

Therefore, please confirm which local authority is responsible for the child or young person. If this is Doncaster, then follow the above advice in questions 1 and 2. If this is another local authority, then you will need to establish contact with that authority’s Virtual School. All 142 local authorities have one.

We are experiencing challenges or have concerns as a school or setting based on the education of the child or young person, what do I do?

Please contact your named virtual school officer and discuss your concerns and challenges with them; if your concerns are immediate and significant and you cannot contact them directly, please call Doncaster Virtual School on 01302 737880.

We are experiencing challenges or have concerns as a school or setting based on the care of the child or young person, what do I do?

Please contact the child’s named social worker and discuss your concerns and challenges with them; if your concerns are immediate and significant and you cannot get in contact with the social worker, please contact Doncaster Children’s Services by calling 01302 737777 in the evening or at weekends call 01302 796000. Please also inform your allocated Virtual School officer of these developments.

If you have urgent concerns regarding a child or young person’s mental health, please call the duty team on 01302 796191.

We are experiencing challenges or have concerns as a school or setting based on the education of a previously looked after child, what do I do?

If the child is care experienced, adopted, on a child arrangement or special guardianship order and/or lives with Kinship carers, please contact your allocated Virtual School officer who can provide advice and guidance. If you do not have an allocated Virtual School officer, please contact the Virtual School on 01302 737880 or using referrals@doncaster.gov.uk who will direct you to a Lead Officer for support.