Virtual school

Enfield Virtual School

For looked-after children – previously looked-after children and children with a social worker.

Securing tomorrow by raising aspirations today – future proofing for all.


Message from the headteacher

Enfield Virtual School was established in 2001 and is committed to working with social workers, foster carers, teachers, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHs), and health colleagues, to support and champion the education achievements of Enfield’s looked after children. We have been providing advice, guidance and training on the educational responsibilities for children in care, including admissions, attendance, suspensions, permanent exclusions and achievements, as well as on specific issues that relate to developmental, learning, social, emotional and behaviour needs for many years. We also work with other services to ensure that Enfield’s looked after children are prioritised for intervention, for example within the Education Psychology Service (EPS) and Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Service.

Since its establishment, Enfield Virtual School has continued to grow and develop. In 2018 the role of virtual schools was extended by the DfE to include promoting the education of previously looked-after children, whereby Enfield Virtual School invested in employing a dedicated officer responsible for providing advice and guidance specifically for previously looked after children to schools, practitioners and families.

In 2021, virtual schools role was extended further to improve the educational outcomes of children with a social worker, and further still in 2024 to improve the education outcomes of children in kindship care. As the responsibilities of virtual schools have grown, so has Enfield's Virtual School team, which includes a variety of staff from a range of disciplines committed to improving the attainment, achievements and educational outcomes of Enfield’s vulnerable children, all underpinned by our fundamental principle of ‘would this be good enough for my child.’

Enfield's Virtual School pages have been designed to support all those who are committed to improving the educational outcomes (and life outcomes) of Enfield’s vulnerable children, with finding out who we are, and how we can support you to achieve your aims. I hope that you find it useful.

Mrs Suzanne Rowson

Virtual School Headteacher, Head of Corporate Parenting, HEART CAMHs Manager, and Youth Justice Service Strategic Lead for Education


Parents and carers

Teenage boy on laptop with parent

Parents and carers

Children and young people

Teenagers joining hands

Children and young people

For more information about Enfield children and family services, visit the Children's Portal.

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