The Virtual School

Warrington local authority has a Virtual School for looked-after children and previously looked-after children. For looked-after children, as part of the local authority’s corporate parent role, the Virtual School is the educational advocate that parents are for other children. For previously looked-after children, the Virtual School is a source of advice and information to help parents to advocate for their children as effectively as possible. Virtual Schools are not acting as part of the corporate parent role in these circumstances, but are there to promote the educational achievement of these children through the provision of advice and information. This advice and information is available to: 

• any person that has parental responsibility for the child;
• providers of funded early years education, designated teachers for previously looked-after children in maintained schools and academies; and
• any other person the authority considers appropriate for promoting the educational achievement of relevant children. 

Previously looked-after children are those who: 

• are no longer looked after by a local authority in England and Wales because they are the subject of an adoption, special guardianship or child arrangements order; or
• were adopted from ‘state care’ outside England and Wales. ‘State care’ is care provided by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other organisation whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society.