Following the Children and Social Work Act 2017, the work of the Virtual School was extended to include a wider group of children, specifically those who were previously looked after by a local authority.

The DFE February 2018  Guidance defines PLAC as a child “who is no longer looked after in England and Wales because s/he is the subject of an adoption, special guardianship or child arrangements order”… or has been adopted from ‘state care’ outside England and Wales if s/he is in the care of or accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other organisation the sole or main purpose of which is to benefit society.”

The Virtual School has a duty to promote the educational achievement of previously looked after children through the provision of advice and information to

• any person that has parental responsibility for the child
• providers of funded early years education, Designated Teachers for previously looked-after children in maintained schools and academies
• any other person the local authority considers appropriate for promoting the educational achievement of relevant children.