Gloucestershire's virtual school for children in care is now up and running, supporting the work of children's own schools.

Children in care nationally don't achieve as well as their peers in school. To raise their attainment, Gloucestershire County Council took the innovative approach of setting up a virtual school for children in care.

With around 400 pupils aged 0-19 at schools across the county, the school is a very unusual one - with no school site and very few teachers. What it does have is an individual online learning programme for every pupil.

Headteacher Jane Featherstone has been in post since September and has been busy visiting schools, talking to headteachers and meeting children, social workers and foster carers to find out what children and young people need from the virtual school.

Jane said: "These children's attainment is often hampered because they don't believe in themselves. We will be working to raise their self-esteem and build on their emotional intelligence which will help to improve their attainment, supporting the education they are getting through their schools.

"This is about making a real difference for children in care. Now children in care will have two headteachers looking at their educational attainment. Our aim over three years is to narrow the gap between children in care and in the long-term for them to achieve the same as other children and young people."

Uniquely for a virtual school, it will have a school council. School council training will take place next Thursday (31st January) at Horizons Youth Centre in Churchdown with Schools Council UK.

Cllr Paul McLain, Cabinet Member for Young People, said: "It's fantastic this will be the first virtual school to have a school council. We want a pupil council to give children in care a real voice. It will look at some of the issues they all face. We have made Schools Council UK take notice and think how they can approach this for other virtual schools."

ENDS Photo opportunity Virtual school teachers and School Council UK trainers at Horizons Youth Centre, Churchdown between 9am and 12pm on Thursday 31st January.

Notes to Editors * Last year 64% of children in care of the appropriate age achieved 1 GCSE A*-G, compared with 98% for Gloucestershire County Council pupils overall.

* 18% of children in care got 5 GCSEs A* - G, compared to 63% for all Gloucestershire County Council pupils.

There are currently 10 virtual schools for children in care running as part of a Department of Children Schools & Families pilot. Gloucestershire's virtual school isn't part of that pilot.

Contact Jane Featherstone, Head of the Virtual School for Looked After Children, 01452 425357 Issued by Sarah Wood, Media and PR Officer, 01452 425107 29th January 2008 Sarah Wood Media& Public Relations Officer, Communications Service Chief Executives Support Unit Gloucestershire County Council Shire Hall Gloucester GL1 2TG Tel: 01452 425107 Fax: 01452 425053 Email: sarah.wood@gloucestershire.gov.uk Gotowww.gloucestershire.gov.uk to find information on any County Council service. It couldn't be easier to find information instantly and in some cases apply for services online.

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