A virtual school headteacher will help raise educational standards for Dudley children in care after the council was chosen to run a ground-breaking scheme.
Dudley Council is one of just 20 local authorities selected from 100 councils which applied to the Department for Education and Skills to be part of the exciting pilot project.
A virtual school headteacher in Dudley borough will give added impetus to improving the educational standards for children in care.
They will be responsible for ensuring every child in care receives the very best education and that all their needs are met, just as headteachers in all other schools operate.
They will ensure they have up-to-date personal education plans and that these are translated into action. It will also ensure that all concerned give the very highest priority to improving outcomes for this disadvantaged group.
Councillor Liz Walker, cabinet member for children’s services, said:
“We are delighted the Department for Education and Skills has recognised our good practice in working with children in care by allocating funding to Dudley. This will help us to develop a national pilot project for improving educational standards for children in care.”
In Dudley there are around 500 children in care and Dudley Council already has a specialist team supporting the children, their social workers, foster carers and schools to ensure these children achieve as well as they can.
John Freeman, director for children’s services, said:
"The virtual school headteacher will work closely with the existing team, with headteachers and support staff in schools across the borough, and will be a champion for children in care in all that they do.”
The headteacher will report to the director of children's services and the cabinet member for children's services, as the council is the corporate parent for children in care - whether they are in foster care or in a children's home.
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