Resources and publications for the Virtual School
Resources for foster parents, parents, schools, social workers, children and young people.
On this page
Service updates
- One page Briefing for Schools and Settings on Expansion of Statutory Duties from Sept 2026 (pdf format, 110 KB)
- Slides from Virtual School Online Briefing for Schools and Settings - 23-04-2026 (pdf format. 1 MB)
- Video recording of Briefing for Schools and Settings on Expansion of Statutory Duties from Sept 2026
Newsletters
Designated Teachers:
For those with parental responsibility:
- Parents' and Carers' Update - Summer 2 2025/26 (pdf format, 750KB)
- Care to Dance 2026-27 (pdf format, 2.5MB)
If you want to access previous versions of either newsletter, contact us.
Designated teacher resources
- Ofsted-aligned framework for evaluating school effectiveness for Virtual School cohorts (pdf format, 259 Kb)
- PEP meeting guidance (pdf format, 72Kb)
- PEP Toolkit (pdf format, 293Kb)
- Primary Education Support Plan (ESP) for previously cared for children (docx format, 110 KB)
- Secondary Education Support Plan (ESP) for previously cared for children (docx format, 114 KB)
For parents and carers
- Life story work (pdf format, 1.3Mb)
A resource for foster carers, residential social workers, adoptive parents and kinship carers, to support this work. - 30 hours information sheet for social workers and foster parents (pdf format, 553Kb)
- 30 hours application form (docx format, 95Kb)
Supporting your child with reading and spelling
- First 100 high frequency sight words (pdf format, 38Kb)
- Second 100 high frequency sight words (pdf format, 44Kb)
- Helen Arkell paired reading (pdf format, 95Kb)
- Helen Arkell supporting children to read at home (pdf format, 960Kb)
- Helen Arkell supporting children to spell at home (pdf format, 591Kb)
- How to use a spelling window (docx format, 325Kb)
Online safety guides
For children and young people
Become is a charity dedicated to supporting children we care for and care leavers, focusing on improving their life chances and well-being. Workshops on offer include:
For schools and teachers
- Working definition of trauma-informed practice - GOV.UK. This document seeks to provide a working definition of trauma-informed practice for practitioners working in the health and care sector.
- OCC Educational Psychology Service
- Condition-specific videos - This suite of introductory training videos from the National Association for Special Educational Needs was created in 2019 with the aim of providing Early Career Teachers (ECTs)/ Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) with helpful pointers, techniques and advice on inclusive teaching strategies. The videos cover ADHD, Acquired Brain Injury, Autism, Down’s Syndrome, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Hearing Impairment, Physical Disability, Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Speech, Language and Communication Needs and Visual Impairment.
- Ofsted‑aligned framework for evaluating the effectiveness of school provision for Virtual School cohorts (docx format, 97 KB)
- Virtual School top tips for outstanding provision and improved outcomes for Children We Care For (pdf format, 93 KB)
- Attachment difficulties in children and young people - overview (pdf format, 215Kb)
- Looked-After Children and Young People[K] Barriers to, and facilitators for supporting learning needs of looked-after children and young people (October 2021)
- The adopted child in school (pdf format, 2Mb)
- Oxford Brain Story Toolkit – Building Stronger Brains Together
- Supporting risk assessment (doc format, 114Kb)
- Welcoming adopted children to nursery (pdf format, 20Kb)
- Welcoming adopted children to primary school (pdf format, 20Kb)
- Welcoming adopted children to secondary school (pdf format, 20Kb)
- Welcome to Beacon House -Beacon House is a specialist, innovative and creative therapeutic service for young people, families and adults
Pack to aid schools in identifying and supporting speech, language, and communication needs in vulnerable learners
- 9 reasons to use visuals graphic (pdf format, 1Mb)
- NHS Oxford Health Communication Screening Obs check (docx format, 28Kb)
- NYCC Secondary Pupil Communication Checklist Oxon (docx format, 157Kb)
- Oxfordshire SLCN Guidance for Vulnerable Learners (docx format, 347Kb)
- Oxfordshire SLCN resources for secondary schools (docx format, 348Kb)
- Oxfordshire SLT Service Lesson Observation proforma (docx format, 21Kb)
- Oxfordshire Universal Provision for SLCN (docx format, 21Kb)
- Pathway for Exploring SLCN in Vulnerable Learners (docx format, 418Kb)
- SLCN Training from the Virtual School and Dr Hester Riviere(pptx format, 3.6Mb)
- Supporting Vocabulary Development - Primary (pptx format, 623Kb)
- Supporting Vocabulary Development - Secondary (pptx format, 2Mb)
- The Communication Trust Universally Speaking 5 to 11 years Checklist (pdf format, 209Kb)
- The Communication Trust Universally Speaking 11 to 18 years (pdf format, 1Mb)
Dyslexia
For governors
School governing bodies should receive, at a minimum, an annual report from the school's designated teacher for Children We Care For and Previously Cared For Children, to monitor the effectiveness of the role.
Templates for reporting to governors about Children We Care For and Previously Cared For Children by the Designated Teacher can be found below. These documents were updated in April 2026.
- Appendix A Primary (docx format, 332 KB)
- Annual report to school governors (docx format, 158 KB)
- Appendix B Secondary KS3 (docx format, 144 KB)
- Appendix C Secondary KS4 (docx format, 127 KB)
- Guidance for Governors (pdf format, 213Kb)
- 10 questions to be asked by a governor meeting with the Designated Teacher for Children We Care For and Previously Cared for Children (pdf format, 104Kb)
- Designated Teacher Statutory Guidance
- Children in Care Governors Guide (pdf format, 3 KB)