Virtual School Teacher | London | £negotiable

The post holder will fulfil an important role within the Council and as part of the Council’s Virtual School Team will be responsible for ensuring that the council fulfils its statutory responsibilities to promote the educational attainment of children in public care. As part of the Virtual School Team the Virtual School Advisory Teacher will assist professionals in developing, promoting, and implementing strategies to improve the educational attainment of children who are in the care of the Local Authority. In particular they will provide support, advice and challenge to social workers, carers and school staff in order to identify barriers to children in care achieving in education and develop strategies to improve their educational attainment. The Virtual School Advisory Teacher will use a high level of technical knowledge in relation to all aspects of education, including Special Education Needs, exclusions, and behaviour management.

• Be responsible for a pupil caseload and ensuring the continued educational improvement of the Council’s children in public care. This would include making arrangements for the monitoring and support of children in care and ensuring their needs are met and that the pupils follow an appropriate educational programme.
• Assist social workers, school staff and carers to ensure that children in public care have an effective, up to date Personal Education Plans (PEPs) in line with statutory obligations. Provide high quality advice and information for social workers, carers and teachers involved in the compilation of such plans.
• To manage the review process of PEPs and critically evaluate the effectiveness of their arrangements.
• To monitor all children in public care who do not have access to an education placement. Devise and pursue plans in liaison with key professionals to ensure all such children gain access to education with minimum delay. Make contact with key personnel in Children’s Services and schools in order support and challenge professionals and overcome situations where children are not receiving appropriate education for unnecessary periods of time.
• Gather qualitative and quantitative information and data on all schools and educational placements attended children in public care and record this on appropriate databases.
• Assist the Virtual School Head with training to professionals, including carers, teachers and social services staff and to develop effective working relationships with all professionals. Assist the manager with the organisation and administration of events such as training sessions, enrichment activities and celebration events
• Implement and monitor with the Virtual School Head a strategy to oversee school attendance levels of children in public care to allow prompt action to be taken should any young person miss significant amounts of schooling.
• To understand and implement the Council’s policy of Equal Opportunities in employment as well as other relevant council policies and schemes.
• To ensure that effective records are maintained with all due reference to legislation and issue of confidentiality and accuracy.
• To provide statistical, management and financial information as required in relation to both the caseload and the service.
• To perform such duties as may be required by the Virtual School Head consistent with overall job purpose and to meet the exigencies of the service.
• These duties may be varied from time to time to meet the needs of the service.

Key Skills and Experience:

• Qualified Teacher Status or related field working with children and young people in an education setting.
• Minimum of two years’ experience of teaching or related field working with children and young people in an education setting
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant education and social care legislation and policy relating to children in public care
• Effective communication and presentation skills and an ability to build constructive relationships with a diverse group of clients and professionals
• Ability to identify and record evidence of progress (outcomes) by children
• Experience and proven capability in the use of IT systems
• A high level of organisational skills with a proven ability to prioritise and balance a challenging workload
• Experience in compiling reports for a variety of audiences and evidence of ability to meet deadlines
• Appropriate understanding and approach to children’s development
• Effective team member
• Non-judgemental approach
• Clear professional boundaries
• Being a reflective practitioner

The post is hybrid working and initially for 3 months.

For more information please forward your CV here, or call us on 020 7760 7562 to arrange to speak to a consultant for an initial chat.

Bamberry Consulting is a specialist recruitment company for public sector operating since 2012. We are an equal opportunity recruiter and employer and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.