CO, designated teachers should work closely with the SENCO to ensure the implications of a child being both looked-after or previously looked- after and having SEN are fully understood by the relevant school staff. Virtual School Head (VSH) Since 2014 all local authorities are required to appoint an officer to discharge the duty placed on every local authority under the Children Act 1989 to promote the educational achievement of the children it looks after as if they were in a single school. The VSH role is about raising attainment and ensuring progression of all looked-after children from that authority. They work strategically across the authority and with schools 49 to monitor and support the educational achievement of looked-after children as if they were in a single school. The Children and Social Work Act 2017 extends the role the VSH to include providing information and advice to schools, parents and guardians in respect of previously looked- after children. Virtual schools Most local authorities have adopted a virtual school model to support the VSH’s role. The VSH and the virtual school will be a very important partner for the designated teacher and will provide an invaluable source of support and advice to designated teachers both about individual children and the education of looked-after children more generally. Virtual schools may be able to: • provide information on specialist services; • help identify resources to support specific activities; • co-ordinate support that may be required beyond that which is already provided by educational services; and • provide training for designated teachers on aspects of social care. 50 © Crown copyright 2018 This publication (not including logos) is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except wh