Hackney Virtual School for Looked After Children

Service details

Who are we?  

The Virtual School service is responsible for making sure Looked After Children (LAC) and Care Leavers, young people in the youth justice system, adopted children and all children with a social worker achieve the best possible educational outcomes.

Hackney's Virtual School service has a multi-disciplinary team that works with Young People, schools, colleges, social workers, and foster carers to support young people through school and into further or higher education, employment, or training.

What support can we provide?

Hackney’s Virtual School provides advice and guidance about education provision for all looked-after and adopted children placed in Hackney.

The advice and support we offer include detailed knowledge of individual schools, the admissions process, and how to access additional support.

We provide:

  • A bespoke service that provides support to young people in educational settings
  • Additional learning experiences
  • Support with school moves
  • Advice and guidance on educational pathways
  • Training to schools, social workers, and foster carers on educational issues.

We have three teams which lead on three key areas of work:

1. 0–16 Team:
Focussed on school-aged children, supporting Personal Education Plans, and work with the educational network.

2. Post-16 Team:
Focussed on ensuring all young people are engaged in appropriate education, employment, and training. This includes young people in care as well as those open to the Youth Offending Team.

3. Children with a Social Worker:
Following the Department for Education Children in Need Report 2021, Hackney Virtual School has a Learning Manager leading all advisory and strategic support for children on Children In Need and Child Protection Plans.

Read Hackney's Virtual School Offer in full here (PDF 355 KB PDF)

Supporting Outcomes for Children In Need (including disabled children in receipt of social care support)

As a result of the Department for Education’s Children In Need Review 2021, new guidance and an extension of the Virtual School role have been agreed (PDF 141KB). This includes ‘supporting educational outcomes for Children in Need’.

Hackney Virtual School has appointed 2 new Learning Managers who will be improving outcomes for these children and young people. They are here to support, bring networks together, and overcome difficulties and barriers to achieving for Children in Need.

The Virtual School plans to work with schools, the Children and Families Service, and Hackney Education to enhance partnerships between education settings and the local authority. This will:

  • support agencies to work together for better outcomes
  • identify the needs of children and young people eligible for the service and intervene to overcome barriers to poor educational outcomes
  • ensure pupils reach their potential
  • support and advise key professionals to help children make progress, including through increasing their confidence in using evidence-based interventions.

This will not involve direct work with children, however, the Virtual School will be providing oversight and advice where required. If you would like to discuss this project further or discuss particular issues relating to a child, please contact the Virtual School.

Hackney Personal Education Plans - Virtual School Guidance

All Children Looked After should have a Personal Education Plan (PEP) which is part of the child’s care plan or detention placement plan. These plans are in place to ensure social workers, designated teachers and schools, carers and IROs (Independent Reviewing Officers) understand their role and responsibilities in initiating, developing, reviewing, and updating the child’s PEP and how they help meet the needs identified in that PEP.

Hackney's Personal Education Plans

Children aged 3 years to 16 years old should have PEPs completed.

The Hackney PEP process is split into two parts:

1. PEP Touch In – led by CFS
2. PEP Attainment – led by the Virtual School

Read the full Hackney Personal Education Plans - Virtual School Guidance here. 

SEND Local Offer

Local Offer Age Bands
Primary 4 -10
Secondary 11-14
Preparing for Adulthood 14-18
Young Adults 18 - 25
Parents and Carers
SEN Provision Type
  • Specialist
SEND Information
Hackney Education - Children in Care
Hackney Council - Children in Care

Who to contact

Contact Name
Nick Corker
Contact Position
Headteacher of Virtual School
Telephone
020 8356 5016 020 8356 5016
E-mail
Nick.Corker@hackney.gov.uk

Where to go

Address
Hackney Service Centre
Hackney Education - Floor 3
1 Hillman Street
London
Postcode

E8 1DY

View E8 1DY on a map
Venue Notes

Buses: 30, 38, 388, 55, 106, 236, 242, 253, 276, 277, D6

Train: London Fields, Hackney Central, Hackney Downs

Limited disabled parking available in Hilman Street opposite the Service Cantre and in Reading Lane . 

Time / Date Details

Session Information
Learning support for children and young people in educational settings.
Support all year for care leaver aged 16-25 to access education, employment or training

Other details

Who is eligible?

The definition of a child in need as stated in Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, says a child will be considered in need if:

  • they are unlikely to achieve or maintain or to have the opportunity to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development without provision of services from the Local Authority;
  • their health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired, without the provision of services from the Local Authority;
  • they have a disability.

Children in need may be:

  • children with SEND
  • young carers
  • children who have committed a crime
  • children whose parents are in prison
  • asylum seeking children.

Children and young people who are eligible to receive a service from the Virtual School team are;

  • All young people who enter or leave the care system including care leavers and adopted children. .
  • All children who are known to the Youth Justice team.
  • All children with a social worker.
Referral required?

Yes

Referral Details

Referrals via the Virtual School's Headteacher Nick Corker

What to do if you have a complaint

How you feel about having used or experienced a service is important. Services often ask for feedback to help them understand how to make sure people they work with have a good experience.

If you have feedback about this service you can talk to the person who worked with you or, if you feel more comfortable, a service manager. They will try to help sort out any problems.

If you are still not happy with the service you can raise your concerns formally. This means someone who is not part of the service will look at your feedback or concern and see if anything can or needs to be done to help make things better.

If you need to make a formal complaint you can use the London Borough of Hackney complaints procedure.

Feedback from parents and others who have used this service

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Disclaimer

Read our disclaimer - important information about Hackney SEND Local Offer and FIS

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