AfC Virtual School was established in January 2016 to support children, schools, and professionals through a wide range of educational services.

Our Assistant Headteachers are here to support you and hold detailed knowledge of the progress and needs of individual students. They attend key meetings across Social Care and Education, and regularly visit schools to discuss pupil progress.

We are committed to working collaboratively to provide educational stability for our cohorts, fully aware of the potential impact of school moves. Where a move is unavoidable, our Outreach Worker ensures an attachment-aware transition, enabling all professionals to access the information they need to give the child the best possible start.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela

We strongly encourage Designated Teachers to contact us as early as possible if challenges arise. Our Educational Psychologist and Outreach Worker work together to address a broad range of barriers to learning. Through targeted support, we aim to reduce exclusions and help our students remain on track for successful school careers.

We recognise that being a Designated Teacher (DT) can sometimes feel isolating. To support you, we offer half-termly DT network sessions and regular training days covering a variety of topics. Whether you're based within Richmond, Kingston, Windsor & Maidenhead, or further afield, you'll receive a warm welcome, useful information, and ongoing support at our events.

We also offer dedicated assistance and training for Foster Carers. If you need advice about changes to the school system or your young person’s educational journey, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Interventions such as our Letterbox parcels and the annual Foster Carer Conference in May are specifically designed to support you in your role.

We work closely with Social Workers and are the first point of contact when a young person comes into care. This enables us to minimise time out of education and ensure a high-quality, well-matched school placement. Attendance is a key focus for us, and we celebrate student success each term with rewards for those achieving 100%, 95%, and improved attendance.

Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. Social Workers, Designated Teachers, Foster Carers, Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs), and the Virtual School team work together to create and share Personal Education Plans (PEPs). These drive educational progress through clear, SMART targets and careful tracking of Pupil Premium impact.

Thank you to everyone who works with us to support the education and well-being of our students. We truly value your professional collaboration and look forward to seeing you at a training session or hearing from you soon.

Warm regards,
 

Suzanne Parrott
Headteacher