Virtual reality for children in care support

Latest news in Yorkshire: November 13, 2017 02:13:58 PM

People who are involved in promoting education outcomes for children in care will be able to access a hub of useful information and advice from Friday, 10 November, when the new virtual school website pages launch.

The pages include:

information on the virtual school what it is, its aims and how it supports education outcomes for children in care
information for children in care themselves on how to get the best out of their learning including information on termly personal education plans, where they can get help and who can support them.
Information for foster carers on how to support the education engagement of children in their care
Information for school designated teachers to support them in fulfilling their statutory duties to promote the education of children in care
Information for social workers to support their role as lead professional in promoting positive educational outcomes for children in care.

The welcome on the home page has been written by a young person in care and the initial concept for the design of the pages came from a child in care’s involvement in take over day when they took over the role of Virtual School Head for the day. The Care For Us Council has contributed to ideas for content.

There are also pages created to celebrate achievement and a space for children in care to share their top learning tips with other children. It is hoped that children in care, schools, and carers will contribute to the pages and the site will continue to grow.

Cllr Tim Cheetham, Cabinet Spokesperson for People (Achieving Potential) said: “I am delighted to announce the launch of the virtual school web pages. Barnsley Council, as corporate parent, has high aspirations for the children in its care and these new pages offer a wealth of information and advice to support the learning outcomes of children in care. I am particularly proud of the contribution of the children themselves.”

The webpages can be accessed at www.barnsley.gov.uk/virtualschool since Friday, 10 November.

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