Medway Virtual School The core team MVS Headteacher

Medway Virtual School The core team MVS Headteacher Sarah Hall MVS Officer Emma Brown MVS Practice Support Officer Gemma Grim MVS DHT Steve Duthie Email: virtualschool@medway. gov. uk

Medway Virtual School The School Profile

Medway Virtual School Leaving Care Team In October 2018, the Leaving Care Team (LCT) was working with 241 care experienced young people aged 16 -25. By March 2019, the number of care experienced young people in receipt of a service had escalated to 271. The Leaving Care Team comprises of the following: • 1 Social work Team Manager. • 1 Senior Social Worker, • 8 Leaving Care personal advisors • 0. 5 Practice Support Officer. An additional internal temporary PA has been recruited via DFE Rough Sleeping Strategy to support care leavers at risk of homelessness.

Medway Virtual School Key Stage 5 data • Data shared via Microsoft teams with monthly update.

Medway Virtual School NEET/CME early intervention • Medway Virtual School team member • Information Advice & Guidance Service member • Leaving Care Manager All meet monthly after data drop in Microsoft Teams to identify LAC at risk of becoming NEET/CME. MVS representative attends Education Training and Employment Organisational Group

Medway Virtual School NEET/CME early intervention • MVS to cross reference additional data using education and social care systems including review of most recent PEPs and school reports. • Leaving Care team to engage supportive strategies such as the use of a mentor. • IAG service to support identified pupils after Year 11 and their carers with information such as Facebook Page. Signposting to supportive programmes such as Be Yourself

Medway Virtual School Be Yourself Programme

Medway Virtual School Climbing Out

Medway Virtual School Key themes going forward Care-Experienced Students in Higher Education in Medway Analysis reveals similar trends to care-experienced nationally which include: • Care-experienced students tend to be older as they enter HE. • Care leavers accessing HE are more likely to be women, asylum seekers and are more likely to enrol in local part time courses. • Route to HE is more likely to be via FE access courses with pathways back into HE often after gaps in education.

Medway Virtual School Transition • Close Liaison with HE and FE settings and DLACTs • Information sharing with young care leavers who are CME/NEET about opportunities to re-engage with learning. • Providing information around their entitlements and support such as driving lessons, leaving care grants, HE bursary access, scholarship schemes, care leavers foundation etc. • External support through agencies such as Propel, Villiers Park, Causeway, First Star and The Access Project. In addition liaising with university and college outreach teams.

Medway Virtual School www. propel. org. uk

Medway Virtual School www. propel. org. uk

Medway Virtual School Successes HE results for our Medway cohort this year show we are improving year on year with 3 pupils achieving 1 st Class Honours and one achieving a 2. 1. • Gender: equal 50% and 50%. • Age: 25, 23, 23. Route to entry: 2 via access qualifications, 1 via BTech and 1 with A level retakes. • Accommodation: 1 Independent living, 2 in Halls and 1 Staying Put. • Locality: 3 studied in Kent and 1 in Sussex. • Additional needs: 2 suffer from Mental Health conditions and 1 ASD. Support: All 4 have had PAs since 16 or 17 and some have had the same PA who they wish to invite to their graduation ceremony. Bringing together supportive agencies on a monthly basis will enable us to identify FE and HE opportunities and support available to care leavers

Medway Virtual School Contact details Sarah Hall sarah. hall@medway. gov. uk Virtual Headteacher 01634 338566 Steve Duthie steven. duthie@medway. gov. uk Virtual Deputy Head 01634 338189 Emma Brown emma. brown@medway. gov. uk Virtual School Officer 01634 337512 Gemma Grim gemma. grim@medway. gov. uk MVS Practice Support Officer 01634 335664 Virtual School: virtualschool@medway. gov. uk