Coventry Virtual School - guidance and support

Welcome Designated Teachers

Thank you for your vital role as the Designated Teacher (DT) for children in care and previously looked-after children in your school. Your commitment makes a real difference to the lives and educational outcomes of some of the most vulnerable learners in Coventry.

The Virtual School is here to support you in this important role, providing guidance, training, and practical resources to help you champion these young people effectively.

Your role as a designated teacher

The role of the Designated Teacher is a statutory one, as outlined in the Statutory Guidance. The DT must:

• Be a qualified teacher, having completed the appropriate induction period and currently working as a teacher at the school. (It may be the Head Teacher)
• Have responsibility for promoting the educational achievement of children in care and previously looked-after children
• Have sufficient influence within the school—ideally as a member of the Senior Management Team —to ‘make things happen’.

The DT’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Having a thorough understanding of the educational, social, and emotional needs of children in Care in the school, how those needs are being met, and evaluating the success of interventions.
• Ensuring every child in care has a current, high-quality Personal Education Plan (PEP).
• Collaborating with social workers, carers, the Virtual School, and school staff to monitor progress and support pupil development.
• Raising awareness within the school of the unique needs of children in care, including trauma and attachment-informed approaches.
• Supporting transitions, admissions, and inclusion.
• Removing barriers to education, including SEND, attendance, and exclusion. Permanent exclusions must be avoided for children in care. Schools have a duty to work closely with the Virtual School to ensure that appropriate provision and support plans are in place to prevent suspension and exclusion. The Virtual School will collaborate with schools to offer guidance and advice to implement necessary adjustments, and explore creative solutions.

While the Designated Teacher holds overall responsibility, many day-to-day tasks can be delegated to non-teaching staff with appropriate support.

Support available to you

To assist you in your role, Coventry Virtual School offers:

• School Support: Advisory teachers and education advisors will visit your school to support you in delivering your role. This can include attending meetings, reviewing policies, conducting trauma-informed learning walks or school audits, and supporting your engagement with Coventry’s Trauma Informed Attachment Aware Schools (TIAAS) Project.
• PEP Support: Advice and help with completing high-quality PEPs via the ePEP platform.
• Training and Professional Development: Including bespoke induction training for those new to the role.
• Funding Advice: Guidance on Pupil Premium Plus funding use and monitoring.
• One-to-One Advice: Access to advisory teachers and education advisors for tailored support.

Training and network opportunities

We encourage all Designated Teachers to participate in:

• Termly designated teacher network meetings
• Online and face-to-face training sessions
• PEP moderation opportunities
• Coventry’s Trauma Informed Attachment Aware Schools (TIAAS) Project

Upcoming training and booking details can be found on our training page.

We are here to help you ensure every Child in Care and previously looked-after child in your school succeeds. For advice, support or questions about your role, please get in touch.