The Surrey Virtual School (SVS) training offer has been designed to enable our partners to develop knowledge and understanding of the 4 cohorts, within the SVS working remit, that will make a difference to their education; it will ensure the statutory duties are met and will build capacity within our system.
The target audience for our training is Designated Teachers (DTs) and Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs); we are delighted to extend this training offer to all adults in education settings working with children and young people in the 4 cohorts.
Our increased continued professional development (CPD) offer also specifically relates to Early Years. These sessions are for staff in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector and school nurseries with a child looked-after, previously looked-after child, a child with a social worker or in kinship care arrangements. Bookings can be made through the Early Years Support Services site.
To view and book onto a range of training courses for the 2024/2025 academic year, please visit the Surrey Education Services Hub.
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Introduction to the SVS training offer
The SVS training offer ensures every school (nationally) who has a Surrey looked-after child can access our statutory training, have membership to the SVS Padlet and in addition to this, schools can also attend a variety of webinars and networks on a termly basis.
These sessions will cover topics relating to care experienced pupils, previously looked-after children, children with a social worker and those in kinship care arrangements; and are open to designated teachers, designated safeguarding leads and other members of school staff working with these cohorts of pupils.
We will provide a training record to demonstrate DTs keeping up to date with training as stated in statutory guidance and as additional evidence for external bodies such as Ofsted.
Surrey Virtual School Ambitions app
We are excited to invite designated teachers and other educational practitioners to download the SVS app for schools. This free to use app provides access to a wealth of resources and over 30 training courses designed to support you in assisting vulnerable children and their educational teams.
With bite-sized modules, the app facilitates learning across your settings, enhancing outcomes and maximizing the positive impact professionals can have on vulnerable learners. Don't miss out on this valuable tool!
To find out more about how to access the app, please email: svs.training@surreycc.gov.uk.
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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 Surrey Virtual School runs termly new to role designated teacher training, consisting of 2 sessions. Dates for the 2024/25 academic year are 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 Personal Education Plans (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 Surrey Virtual School team can offer 1:1 training to navigate the Welfare Call platform where Personal Education Plans 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.
Supporting Engagement using the Playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy (PACE) Approach
This course will introduce an approach that staff members can draw upon when interacting with children and young people, designed to build trust and promote positive interactions even when emotions are running high.
PACE is an approach developed by Dan Hughes, an American psychologist who specialises in working with children who have experienced trauma. This training will involve one session covering the PACE model and one session focusing on implementing it in practice. It will therefore cover a mix of theory and practical strategies, with lots of opportunities to consider how the model relates to real life scenarios or to apply it to your daily job role.
This session will provide you with:
- An understanding of why children who have experienced adverse life events need an approach that is highly relational, not one that just tries to change behaviour.
- Knowledge of each part of the 'PACE' model
- An opportunity to consider what 'boundaries' and 'discipline' might look like as part of this approach.
- An awareness of the skills required to adopt a PACE approach, such as mentalisation and reflective capacity, including the importance of the staff member's own regulation and wellbeing.
This course is designed for senior leaders, such as Head Teachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads, SENCo. They are very welcome to bring other members of staff too, but a senior leader should be in attendance.
A range of other training courses can be found on the Surrey Education Services Hub.
Our Shoes Training
Our Shoes is a unique training programme designed to deliver meaningful training to professionals across various sectors, helping them interact more effectively with young people, especially those with care-experience, additional needs and disabilities, mental health challenges, or from the LGBTQ+ community.
Co-designed with our young people to respect them and their experiences. Our Shoes allows young people to be heard and share their stories from their own perspectives. The concept embraces the diversity of individual experiences without presuming to fully understand each individual's journey. The imagery of shoes highlights the uniqueness of each experience and acknowledges that it is impossible to "walk" in someone else's shoes.
Find out more about the Our Shoes training series, if you would like to contact the team to discuss individual training, please email ourshoes@surreycc.gov.uk.
