Overview
Over the academic year the Surrey Virtual School (SVS) facilitates training courses, webinars, peer support and networking groups and events for specific roles and groups of professionals working with our cohort of young people. These provide help and advice to achieve the best outcomes for children in care, previously looked-after children and children with a social worker throughout their education.
We can offer:
- training for designated teachers in schools, school governors, social care colleagues, foster carers and a range of partner agencies
- advice, information and guidance on all aspects of education for looked-after children, previously looked-after children and children with a social worker.
The SVS facilitates multiple courses throughout the academic year. We are pleased to confirm our training offer for the 2023 to 2024 academic year is now live and can be booked through the Surrey Education Services website. View our upcoming training and events calendar.
New to role designated teacher training
The statutory guidance for designated teachers (2018) states 'the governing body of a maintained school and the proprietor of an academy must ensure that an appropriately qualified and experienced member of staff (the designated teacher) undertakes the responsibilities within the school to promote the educational achievement of looked-after and previously looked-after children on the school's roll. They must also ensure that the designated teacher undertakes training that is appropriate to carrying out this duty'.
The SVS run termly new to role designated teacher training, consisting of 2 sessions. Dates for the 2023/24 academic year are now available on Surrey Education Services.
This 2-part training course will ensure operational tasks of a designated teacher are looked at in depth and the implications of them considered in practice. It will also enable designated teachers to effectively identify the areas of need and difficulty characteristic of looked after learners. This is underpinned with an introduction to attachment and trauma.
The session will include:
- securing knowledge and practice linked to the statutory duties and the local authority legal corporate parenting duties.
- mechanisms for pupil premium plus grant (PPPG) funding
- completion of PEPs
- consideration of strategic planning for the vulnerable groups linked to the Surrey Virtual School (previously looked after children and children with a social worker)
- care experienced pupil perspectives
Personal Education Plans (ePEPs) and Pupil Premium Plus (PP+)
The SVS team can offer 1:1 training to navigate the Welfare Call platform where ePEPs are recorded. This includes providing current progress and attainment data, setting SMART targets and using pupil premium plus funding to support learning targets.
To request a 1:1 conversation with one of our education support officers, please get in contact with us
Contact us
We are keen to hear from you if you are new to your role and would like to express an interest in our training offers. If you have any questions regarding training, please get in touch via email svs.training@surreycc.gov.uk or telephone 0208 541 7761.
