The County Councils Network (CCN) is calling for a government review of virtual schools, after finding them to be a “hidden asset” of the education system.
A CCN report, based on the experiences of local authority staff and virtual school pupils, has found that virtual schools – pupil premium plus-funded teams embedded in councils to support the education of children in care – are a valuable asset to both schools and councils.
It is urging the government to undertake a review of the operation of virtual schools across England, to inform a national plan for the future development of these systems.
This call follows the expansion of the role of virtual schools to include all young people with a social worker, rather than just catering to children in the care system.
