Issue - meetings

The Board received the Headteacher of the Virtual School’s Annual Report for 2023-24, on the educational outcomes and achievement for Halton’s Children in Care, and the School’s wider work across Children’s Services.

The Annual Report provided Members with information on the work of the Virtual School throughout the academic year and presented detailed analysis of how Halton’s Children in Care had performed against each of the individual key performance indicators.  This included a summary of the Virtual School’s progress towards its identified key priorities for the academic year 2023-24, and the priorities for the School in 2024-25.

The following additional information was provided in response to Members questions:

·       Pupil Premium Plus and Wider Funding – Approximately £356,972 was spent directly on the children and young people to improve their educational outcomes.  The remainder of the £695,750 grant was centrally retained and spent on the School itself, which provided Education Psychology time, speech and language support and the staff within the Virtual School;

·       Practical interventions could be made for children in care in certain circumstances and the Council could direct a school to admit a child;

·       There were independent services available for children who were victims of crime and violence, depending on age, such as Barnardos.  The Emotional and Mental Health Panel would also intervene in these situations;

·       ‘Growth’ was a Charity that helped with young people not in employment, education or training (NEETS) and worked alongside the Council; and

·       The Education and Health Hub, part of the Reconnecting Runcorn project would be available to offer services to care leavers in the future: https://reconnectingruncorn.info/education-and-health-hub/

It was noted that at the most recent ILACS inspection, the Virtual School had received exemplary feedback from inspectors.

RESOLVED:  That the Board:

1)    notes the information provided; and

2)    accepts the Headteacher of the Virtual School’s Annual Report as an accurate account of the performance on the education outcomes and achievement of Halton’s Children in Care.