Member

Lastly, Amendment 83, in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Bellingham, would require the Secretary of State to carry out a review of the role and effectiveness of virtual school heads. As I have already stated, understanding the effectiveness of virtual school heads is crucial for assessing their impact on educational outcomes and for ensuring that they are adequately resourced. It is important that, by making the role statutory, virtual school heads will have a stronger legal basis to support these children’s educational outcomes. It also gives local authorities greater certainty over the future of the role. Current data has shown the role’s positive impact, with nearly two-thirds of virtual school heads reporting an increase in school attendance of children with a social worker. We expect the extension of the role to continue positively impacting children with a social worker and children in kinship care arrangements.