Section outline

  • Since September 2018, virtual schools have had a statutory duty to provide advice, guidance and information to education settings, parents/carers and professionals, working to improve the educational outcomes of previously looked-after children. This duty extends to supporting educational providers to better understand the needs of care-experienced learners and to promote successful educational participation and achievement. 

    The Virtual School promotes high aspirations, participation, progress and achievement for all vulnerable children and young people. However, unlike its role for children in care, the Virtual School is not the corporate parent for previously looked-after young people, so does not case hold. 

    PLAC status 

    For a young person to be classified as previously looked-after (PLAC), they must have been under the care of a Local Authority for one day or more before moving to a new order of permanence through: 

    • an adoption order 

    • a special guardianship order (SGO) 

    • a child arrangement order (CAO), or residency order (RO) that specifies the child is to live with a named person 

    • other equivalent permanence arrangements recognised in legislation 

    The new order of permanence will state in the first few pages that, prior to the order being granted, the child/young person was under the care of a named local authority. 

    Not all young people subject to a special guardianship order or child arrangements order will have previously been looked after by a local authority. Evidence of previous care status should be available from the relevant legal order or local authority documentation. 

    Key aims 

    • raise awareness of the needs of care-experienced learners 

    • promote attachment-aware, trauma-informed and relational approaches that ensure positive educational experiences and achievement for PLAC 

    • support positive educational experiences, attainment, achievement and progression 

    • strengthen partnerships between learners, parents/carers, designated staff and relevant professionals 

    • promote high aspirations and successful transitions to higher education, apprenticeships, employment and adulthood 

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