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.

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Children in kinship care

Kinship care is when a child is cared for by a relative, friend or other person who has a connection with them, instead of their parents.

How we support children in kinship care

Since September 2024, the Virtual School has had a strategic role in supporting the education of children in kinship care.

We work with education settings and other services to:

  • raise awareness of the different types of kinship care and the challenges children may experience
  • promote good practice that supports school attendance, participation and engagement
  • promote approaches that improve educational outcomes and help close the attainment gap

We do not work directly with individual children or families as part of this role.

How we support kinship carers

We can provide information, advice and guidance to kinship carers who have a:

  • Special Guardianship Order (SGO)
  • Child Arrangements Order (CAO)

This support is provided as part of our non-statutory role.

We cannot provide information, advice or guidance to informal kinship carers. If you are an informal kinship carer and need support with your child's education, contact their school first.

If your child was previously looked-after

If your child was looked-after by a local authority before becoming subject to an SGO or CAO, they are considered a previously looked-after child (PLAC).

Find out about the support available for previously looked-after children.

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

Resources for kinship carers

You may find these services and resources useful:

If you are an education setting

The Virtual School does not provide direct support to individual children or families under its kinship care role.

We work with education settings to improve understanding of the needs of children living in kinship care and promote effective practice.

Education settings should consider:

  • making sure relevant staff know which children are living in kinship care, including the designated teacher and special educational needs coordinator (SENCO)
  • using trauma-informed and relationship-based approaches to support children in kinship care
  • making sure staff understand effective practice and guidance for supporting children in kinship care
  • understanding the support available to eligible children and families through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund

Education settings can email virtualschool@croydon.gov.uk for advice and guidance about supporting children in kinship care.