Agenda item

The Committee has requested a report on the Virtual School.

Cllr Sean Gaul, Cabinet member for Children and Young People, Lisa Lyons, the Director of Children’s Services, Annette Perrington, Interim Deputy Director: Education, and Clare Pike, Head of the Virtual School, have been invited to present the report and to answer the Committee’s questions.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Report to follow

Cllr Sean Gaul, Cabinet member for Children and Young People, Lisa Lyons, the Director of Children’s Services, Charlotte Davey, Assistant Director, and Annette Perrington, Interim Deputy Director: Education, were invited to present the report and to answer the Committee’s questions.

The Interim Deputy Director presented a retrospective report on the virtual school, reviewing the 2024/25 academic year with a focus on the progress and attainment of children in care and care leavers. She explained that, while the virtual school’s remit had expanded to include support for children with social workers and those in kinship care, the report concentrated on its core statutory responsibilities. The main priorities identified were ensuring suitable school placements, improving attendance and reducing absences, supporting educational progress, and encouraging participation in cultural activities.

The Interim Deputy Director highlighted notable improvements, such as a reduction in the time children spent out of school following placement moves and an increase in the number of care leavers progressing to higher education. She reported that attendance rates in both primary and secondary phases were either above or improving on national averages, and that there had been a decrease in persistent absences and suspensions, with only one permanent exclusion recorded during the year.

The Interim Deputy Director emphasised the significance of trauma-informed practice and the ongoing training of designated teachers. While acknowledging the positive direction of travel, she concluded that the identified priorities would remain for the coming year due to persistent challenges.

During the discussion, Members sought clarification on the effectiveness of partnerships supporting the virtual school, requesting examples and information on how their impact was monitored. In response, the Interim Deputy Director explained that the strength of partnerships varied, particularly between in-county and out-of-county placements. She cited strong regional collaboration through the National Association of Virtual School Heads (NAVSH), which had proved instrumental in overcoming barriers for children placed outside Oxfordshire, and also referenced close working relationships with health professionals and the Corporate Parenting Board. The Director added that the virtual school maintained robust links with the Youth Offending Partnership Board and provided integrated support, including in-house psychological services, to ensure effective collaboration for vulnerable children.

Further points were raised regarding persistent absences among children supported by the virtual school, with particular interest in the actions that had contributed to reducing these rates and how the Council might further improve to meet the national average. The Interim Deputy Director explained that attendance had been a central focus, with each child’s attendance discussed at personal education plan meetings to identify and address barriers. She stressed the importance of targeted, individual interventions, reasonable adjustments, and multi-professional collaboration. The Director and Assistant Director added that social care teams closely monitored absences on a weekly basis, worked directly with families and carers, and utilised support services to encourage attendance, attributing improvements to this detailed, hands-on approach.

The Committee also explored how the system supported the Council as corporate parent in fulfilling informal parental duties, such as attending parents’ evenings and engaging at the school gate. The Director and Assistant Director explained that carers, key workers, and social workers were expected to build close relationships with schools and participate in typical parental activities, thereby helping looked-after children feel included. They described how staff and carers were encouraged to attend events, communicate with teachers, and support children informally, aiming to replicate the experience of children in their birth families as closely as possible.

Concerns were also expressed about internal, informal, and permanent exclusions of children in care. The Director reported that the team regularly engaged with schools to challenge and address practices such as isolation or informal exclusions, ensuring these were not used routinely. She acknowledged that, while some children might require a short break during the school day, persistent informal exclusion was not acceptable. The Interim Deputy Director confirmed that the past year had seen a reduction in absences due to suspensions, with only one permanent exclusion, and that focused work continued to keep children in school through trauma-informed approaches and individual support.

The Committee AGREED to the following recommendations:

• That the Council should continue to work on improving attendance of those who are part of the Virtual School;
• That the Council should continue to highlight the work of the virtual school with governing boards and social workers to ensure they are well informed and engaged in supporting the education of children in care.

The Committee adjourned at 11:31 and reconvened at 11:40.