Croydon Virtual School

Our aim to better the educational and employment outcomes, as well as the life chances, of each and every child who passes through or stays in the care of us.

Contents

Kinship carers

How we support children in kinship care

In September 2024, our role was further expanded to include championing the educational attendance, attainment, and progress of children in kinship care.

Our strategic role includes:

  • raising the visibility of the distinct needs of children in different types of kinship care arrangements and the disadvantages that they can experience
  • promoting practice that supports attendance and engagement in education
  • promoting practice that improves children in kinship care’s outcomes to narrow the attainment gap, so that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential

Furthermore, we will extend to provision of advice and information, on request, to all kinship carers with special guardianship and child arrangements orders as part of their non-statutory role.

This will be an important step in helping more kinship carers to navigate the education system, in turn helping them to advocate for the educational achievement of their children. More children in kinship care will receive the help they need to thrive at school.

For more information, please email virtualschool@croydon.gov.uk.

Our support to kinship carers

The following details of our offer to support the carers of children in kinship care:

VS nest App

Find out more about the VS nest training app.

National kinship strategy

The National Kinship Care Strategy for England (December 2023) sets out the Government’s plans, new commitments and £20 million pounds investment from 2024 to 2025.  The expansion of the Virtual School role is one of the commitments of the strategy.

Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF)

The UK government have opened up the Adoption Support Fund (ASF) to Special Guardians and those caring for children under a Child Arrangement Order.

Read guidance for the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGF).

Kinship Compass

Kinship Compass is an independent online information, advice and support hub just for kinship carers.

Kinship is the leading kinship care charity in England and Wales who work with all kinship carers; including family members and friends, who are caring for children when their parents cannot.

Find out how schools should and could support children in kinship care.

Online advice and information for kinship carers

For further information, visit Kinship Compass's online advice and information finder.

Resources include:

  • financial support and benefits
  • childcare and education
  • health and wellbeing
  • your rights
  • death and bereavement
  • becoming a kinship carer
  • contact time with family
  • parenting
  • support for you and types of kinship care

Kinship Together podcast

Kinship Together is a podcast that features real-life stories, experiences and advice from kinship carers. You can listen to an episode or find and subscribe to the podcast on Apply Podcasts or Spotify.