CELCIS awarded additional funding for Virtual School Head Teachers’ Network

The Scottish Government has awarded additional funding to formalise and strengthen the support CELCIS provides as the host of Scotland’s Virtual School Head Teachers’ Network.

As part of this increased support, Larissa Gordon, the first Virtual School Head Teacher in Scotland who works in Aberdeen City, has joined CELCIS’s Education Team part-time as a National Virtual School Head Teacher Advisor to develop the network even further.

With this additional resourcing CELCIS be able to continue to drive this work forward to grow and develop the national Virtual School Head Teachers’ Network in Scotland.

A Virtual School Head Teacher is a senior member of education staff in a local authority who works at a strategic level. They have the responsibility for improving the educational experiences and outcomes of all care experienced children and young people in their local authority. A relatively new role in Scotland, there are currently 13 local authorities involved. Since 2019, CELCIS has hosted the Virtual School Head Teachers’ Network. All the local authorities involved link in with each other through the network and meet regularly, something that has continued remotely under the COVID-19 public health emergency.

With the pandemic further exacerbating the challenging circumstances experienced by many vulnerable young people, the strengthening of the Virtual School Head Teachers’ Network at this time will help to build good connections and share knowledge and experiences to respond quickly to meet the needs of children and young people, and equip education colleagues with the resources they need to offer specific support.