Coventry Virtual School - overview

Advisory teachers

Each Advisory Teacher has responsibility for supporting the education of looked after children in a specific Key Stage.

Advisory Teachers track and monitor the progress of looked after children within their Key Stage. Support from the Virtual School is identified and initiated to raise the children's attainment according to an assessment of needs.

Part of the role of Advisory Teachers is to quality assure all Personal Education Plans, as well as provide advice and support for transition planning when required.

They also provide training for designated teachers, schools, social workers, and foster carers, and act as advocates by positively challenging the practice of schools when necessary.

Next Steps Mentor (Post 16)

Ensure that looked after children have a clear understanding of how they can attain their aspirations, by supporting students with ensuring they are receiving impartial careers information, advice and guidance.

To oversee post 16 destinations for looked after children/care leavers. Providing information, advice, guidance and signposting to specialist agencies about a range of issues; such as careers, education, employment and training.

To develop and oversee the implementation of the Post 16 PEPs.

LAC Mentor

The Lead Mentor manages the mentoring programme; recruiting and training the mentors and matching them to young people who have been referred.

The LAC Mentoring Programme provides looked after children, aged 10 - 21 years, with an individual mentor. The young people are able to talk to their mentors in complete confidence, about any subject, although they are always informed that this confidentiality does not extend to issues of child protection.

The mentors are all volunteers, some of whom are released from their employment to enable mentoring to take place. They receive training before the mentoring starts, and are expected to make a commitment to support the relationship over a substantial period.

Engagement Officer

To devise and deliver programmes of educational and cultural experience for LAC outside of the school setting.

To promote the progress and raise the aspirations of Looked After Children via their engagement in school and educational experiences outside their school setting.

To work on behalf of the Virtual School to facilitate opportunities to enrich the learning experiences of Looked After Children.

To promote and raise awareness of cultural experiences for Looked After Children.