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Virtual Schools

Find out more about how Coram works with Virtual Schools and how we can support you.

 

Coram has several services which can help support Virtual Schools. Our expertise across the education sector, training, and working with care experienced young people makes us the perfect partner for your Virtual School.

Reading support

Coram Beanstalk provides one-to-one reading support in schools across England. Click the plus icon to find out more.

A trained reading helper is matched with three children, seeing them for weekly one-to-one sessions. During sessions children and their reading helper will share books together, talk about what they read and play book-based games. As well as improving reading engagement and attainment, the service also has wider benefits such as improvement in confidence and self-esteem, attitude to learning and communication.

Coding for tomorrow's achievers

Coram Tomorrow’s Achievers runs an annual, week long, coding club in partnership with London South Bank University which is attended by young people from virtual schools in and around London. Click the plus icon to find out more.

Led by volunteers and student ambassadors from LSBU, the participants get the opportunity to code and create their own robots – learning and developing their STEM skills in a supportive and participatory environment while also boosting their collaboration and communication skills through team work.  The week culminates in a sharing of their work to an audience of peers in a celebration of their creativity and hard work.

Shakespeare Theatre Festival

Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation can work with virtual schools as part of a specific programme, for example the ‘Shakespeare Schools Festival at Magdalen College’ project. Click the plus icon to find out more.

In this programme, a company of young people prepared an abridged Shakespeare performance in their school, just like with the Theatre Festival, however here there is an additional access-to-higher-education element. Instead of performing their production at a theatre, they performed at Magdalen College Oxford as part of a short residential, centred around raising aspiration and learning about university.

Training sessions for educators

As part of their Members’ Week, CoramBAAF ran a training session on supporting the education of care experienced learners on 25 September. Click the plus icon to find out more.

Virtual Schools have been a feature of the landscape in Scotland since 2019 and England since 2014, yet a series of recent publications have pointed towards a poor understanding of the valuable work they carry out. This session was an opportunity to hear from the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection CELCIS in Scotland and the National Association of Virtual School Heads (NAVSH) in England on how virtual schools support care experienced children and young people.

Find out more

Free legal advice and support

Coram Children’s Legal Centre advises and supports children, young people, parents and carers.

The Child Law Advice and School Exclusions Hub websites run by the team offer free legal advice on the rights to education for looked-after children and previously looked-after children.

Around 84,000

looked after children in 2023

Over 12,000

young people left the care system in 2023

Less than 3,000

children were adopted in 2023

"Our Coram Reading Lead works with siblings who are looked after. She ensures that quality time is spent reading and discussing books, encouraging and promoting wider reading and reading for pleasure. The children look forward to their special reading sessions, which has helped secure a family bond. The programme is an integral part of our provision and is highly valued in school."
"We have had our reading helper in school for a while now, she is amazing and provides a wonderful contribution to our school. She has worked with some of our more vulnerable children and is caring and nurturing towards them, developing their confidence and self-esteem as well as their reading abilities. She is an absolute asset."
Woodhouse Primary Academy
Feedback for Coram Beanstalk
"One particular student lacked confidence in performing in front of people and suffered from nerves to the extent that it may have prevented her taking part in the final performance. However the team work and support was excellent and she performed, exceeding all expectations!"
Headteacher of a Virtual School who took part in a Shakespeare Programme
Feedback for Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation

Get in touch

If you’re interesting in finding out more about our offer for Virtual Schools, please complete the short form below so we can find out more about your requirements. We look forward to working with you.

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