Care experienced learners supported by pilot programme

The Virtual School Model pilot programme has helped to address the needs of children looked after in Wales and support their educational progress, an independent evaluation has found.

Virtual Schools are not physical buildings or classrooms that learners attend. Instead, they are specialist teams that work alongside a learner’s actual school to support their education.

These teams work closely with social workers, carers, and schools to address the unique barriers that care experienced young people often face, such as placement moves, trauma or gaps in their education.

By providing oversight and support, Virtual Schools help to ensure that care experienced learners have consistent educational advocacy regardless of where they live or which school they attend.

The Virtual School Head or equivalent head role plays a key role, ensuring that arrangements are in place to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of children in their local authority, including those placed out of county.

The Welsh Government provided a total of £1.24M to local authorities between 2021 and 2024 to run the pilot.

An independent evaluation of the Virtual School Model pilot (published 17 December) identified a range of positive impacts across Local Authorities that accessed the funding, including enhanced integration between teams supporting care experienced learners and more preventative provision.

The review’s findings will be used to shape continued work to ensure care experienced learners in Wales have the support they need in education.

Cardiff’s Virtual Headteacher, Deborah Williams, said: “Since the launch of the Virtual Headteacher model in Cardiff, we have seen proven success in keeping children looked after in their registered schools, closely tracking attendance and achievement and championing pupils’ rights so every young person gets the education and support they’re entitled to.

“The approach has strengthened partnerships across education, children’s services and health, embedding trauma informed practice and celebrating our learners’ successes with tailored interventions from play therapy to bespoke activities.

“We warmly welcome the independent evaluation and particularly its recommendation to create a consistent national network by introducing a statutory Virtual Head role in every local authority.

“We believe this would provide the strategic leadership and cross border alignment needed to sustain impact, ensure equity, and accelerate the progress we’re already seeing in the capital, for children and young people looked after.

“With the final report now published, we hope Welsh Government will consider all six recommendations and I urge them to embed the model across Wales so that collaboration, engagement and rigorous monitoring continue to give every child in our care the best possible opportunities in life.”

Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle said: “I am grateful to everyone who has worked to support care experienced learners through Cardiff’s virtual school which was initiated as part of our Virtual School pilot.

“I have seen first-hand how this support is making a real difference to learner’s lives and how they have supported schools and school staff to support each young person, considering their individual backgrounds, experiences, and needs.

“Care experienced learners can face difficult times that affect their learning. This review shows we are making good progress in helping them, and I look forward to building on this work to make sure all care experienced learners in Wales get the support they need to reach their full potential.”