Virtual School

Making a referral into the Virtual School is easy.

To refer a pupil to Education Welfare please complete the form below and return it to educationwelfare@northumberland.gov.uk:

• Education Welfare Pupil referral form

To refer to EOTAS Health Needs for tuition please complete the Virtual School Passport at the link below and send it with a supporting medical letter to EOTASHealth@northumberland.gov.uk:

• Virtual School Passport - Health Needs

To refer to Education Support for Looked After Children (ESLAC) please call 01670 622779 or email us at ESLAC.info@northumberland.gov.uk

Our Virtual School is the champion of good education outcomes for Northumberland's looked after and previously looked after children .

There is no Virtual School building but we do share some features of a ‘real’ school.  Our virtual school has:

• a workforce which includes the
  • Headteacher, Jane Walker;
  • education support for looked-after children (ESLAC) team;
  • designated teachers for looked-after and previoulsy looked-after children in all our schools and academies;
• a multi-agency looked-after partnership (MALAP) - our governing body and critical friend which drives our improvement and promotes high standards of educational achievement;
• a virtual school roll - although pupils are enrolled at and remain the responsibility of  real schools;
• an assessment database which tracks and monitors the progress and attainment of all looked-after children in Northumberland schools and our children in schools or academies outside of our authority; 
• a school improvement plan which sets out our priorities for each academic year;
• statutory guidance from the Department for Education;
• Ofsted inspection (inspecting local authorities' children's services framework).

The ESLAC team works with professionals to create the right conditions for look after children to learn.

ESLAC supports schools and looked after children to achieve the very best they can by:

• ensuring that the on-line Personal Education Plans (ePEPs) are completed by Designated Teachers to a high standard;
• quality assuring the ePEPs to ensure that outcomes are identified for all pupils which meet individual needs and accelerate progress;
• ensuring looked-after children are prioritised and fast-tracked wherever possible through our services;
• advising and supporting Designated Teachers, parents/carers and social care staff regarding the education of looked-after and previously looked-after children;
• remaining up-to-date with the latest government advice and good practice.

The Schools’ Safeguarding and Wellbeing team provides services to create environments where vulnerable pupils are safe to learn and monitors safeguarding standards in schools.

Information for Schools regarding all aspects of safeguarding children in Northumberland can be found on ONE PAGE which is updated regularly by the Education and Skills Service in partnership with our Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB).

For a summary of requirements and responsibilities please view and download our leaflets (revised versions available from January 2019):

• 10 things to do on receipt of a threat to the safety of your school
• 10 things you should know about safeguarding in schools
• 10 things you should know about Prevent
• 10 things your should know about child sexual exploitation
• 10 things you should know about Operation Encompass
• 10 things you should know about Operation Endeavour
• 10 things you should know about safer recruitment

A bulletin is distributed to schools, academies and education providers across Northumberland every half term, the latest issue can be downloaded to view and print here:

• Safe to Learn Issue 22, February 2019
• Safe to Learn Issue 21, December 2018
  • Prevent process  - for reporting a concern about a child
• Safe to Learn Issue 20, October 2018

Education settings are all required to comply with the DfE's statutory guidance for safeguarding children:

• Keeping Children Safe in Education

Training is available from Northumberland's LSCB for schools/academies to access, and as detailed in the brochure for 2017-18:

• NSCB-Catalogue-2018-19

Schools are required to have their own Child Protection Policy which has to be reviewed annually.  A model policy and policy checklist are available here to download and adapt for your setting:

• Model Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
• Checklist for reviewing a Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

The Education Welfare Service fulfils the statutory duties of the local authority for safeguarding children in relation to school attendance, elective home education, children missing education, permanently excluded children, children in entertainment and employment and chaperones.

For a summary of key services provided by the Education Welfare team please view and download our leaflets:

• 10 things you should know about school attendance
• ​10 things you should know about children missing from education
• ​10 things you should know about elective home education
• 10 things you should know about children in entertainment
• ​10 things you should know about child employment

Work is undertaken on behalf of children in partnership with their parents, schools and other professionals to enable each pupil the maximum opportunity to benefit from their statutory entitlement to full time education.

Work is also undertaken at a whole school level to support schools with their policies and practices to improve attendance.  This can involve support which is non-statutory but available through the team's service level agreement.

To apply for a child employment licence, a child entertainment licence or to be a chaperone for a child in entertaiment, please follow this link: child employment licence

Key documents:

• Important information for parents and carers about school attendance
• School Attendance: guidance for maintained schools, academies, independent schools and local authorities (DfE)
• Leave of absence in term time - guidance for schools
• Sample letter for leave of absence during term time (not authorised)
• Sample letter for leave of absence during term time (authorised)
• Sample letter for leave of absence where no request was made but confirming holiday during term time
• Education Welfare Service leaflet guides
• What the law says 2016

Elective Home Education (EHE) is the term used by the DfE to describe a parent's decision to provide education for their children at home instead of sending them to school. This is different to home tuition provided by a local authority or education provided by a local authority other than at a school. ‘Parents’ includes all those with parental responsibility, including guardians and carers.

For a summary please view and download our leaflet:

• 10 things you should know about elective home education

The local authority has duties under the Education Act 1996, with regard to Elective Home Education.  It has to ensure that pupils of statutory school age (5-16) receive their entitlement to full time education and are educated in accordance with the wishes of their parents.

The responsibility for a child’s education rests with their parents.  In England, education is compulsory but school is not.

Under Section 175(1) of the Education Act 2002 local authorities also have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.  This includes ensuring that agencies that work with and have contact with children educated at home by their parents are aware of their responsibility to consider whether children are being adequately safeguarded within those settings and, where appropriate, to notify other agencies of their concerns. Section 175(1) does not give local authorities powers to enter the homes of children undertaking elective home education.  

The guidance on this webpage is intended to help parents who are either considering or have decided to educate their child at home rather than at school. The education of a child at home is a great responsibility for a family.  It demands a serious commitment in terms of time, patience and energy.  This information should make clear the current legislation, together with Northumberland County Council’s policies and ways of working.  We hope the questions and answers will clarify the situation and help you reach the best decision for your child.

• Elective Home Education: Guidance for Parents

Disagreements at school
Children should not be taken out of school because of a disagreement with the school or because you have been asked to.  There are ways of solving problems such as contacting the headteacher, the governors of the school or you can contact the Education Welfare Service.

Education Welfare fulfils the Local Authority's statutory duty to identify children missing education and to get them back into education.

For a summary please view and download our leaflet:

• 10 things you should know about children missing from education

Our arrangements have been developed in partnership with the NSCB and enable us to establish the identities of children in our area who are not registered pupils at a school and who are not receiving suitable education otherwise than at a school.   The agreed procedures include measures to prevent children at risk of becoming missing (or CME, which means children missing education).  

Northumberland Local Authority can demonstrate that the statutory guidance regarding children missing from education is followed. 

Northumberland's arrangements can be downloaded here:

• Children Missing Education

EOTAS is the name given to education provision which is not at school. Alternative education is arrange by the local authority for pupils who are unable to attend school as a result of permanent exclusion or for health and medical reasons.