Blog

Why Prioritising Value Over Cost Matters in Virtual School Procurement

Balancing limited budgets with growing responsibilities has always been a challenge for Virtual School Heads. The extension of your role, increasing complexity of data needs, and rising expectations for outcomes mean decisions about where and how to invest resources are… Read more

Posted by on 14th August 2025

What the 2025–26 Grant Letter Tells Us About the Future of the Virtual School Head Role

The Department for Education has now published its 2025–2026 grant determination letter for the extended Virtual School Head (VSH) role. This update confirms continued investment in both the Children With a Social Worker (CWSW) and Kinship Care strands, with… Read more

Posted by on 22nd July 2025

Virtual Schools Forum Highlights: Two Powerful Days of Insight, Connection and Shared Purpose

Over the past fortnight, Welfare Call was proud to host two Virtual Schools Forums – first in York, then in London – bringing together professionals from across the country for two energising days of learning, collaboration, and reflection. With over… Read more

Posted by on 3rd July 2025

A Simpler Way to Procure Trusted Solutions for Virtual Schools: Everything You Need to Know

Finding and procuring education software shouldn’t be an exhausting process. We understand that local authorities and Virtual School Heads need to make confident, informed decisions, especially when it comes to systems supporting vulnerable children.  That’s why many of our customers… Read more

Posted by on 16th June 2025

Making Every Pound Count: How Welfare Call’s ePEP Optimises Pupil Premium Plus Funding

Virtual School Heads play a vital role in ensuring that looked-after children (CLA) achieve the best possible educational outcomes. A key tool in this effort is Pupil Premium Plus (PP+), funding designed to provide additional support and close the attainment… Read more

Posted by on 30th April 2025

Electronic PEPs: their rise in popularity and the benefits of moving your PEPs online

Over the last 15 years Welfare Call has witnessed – and been a crucial part of – a fundamental evolvement in the way children’s personal education plans (PEPs) are accessed and completed.   Whilst there is still a proportion of… Read more

Posted by on 14th February 2023

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    How fantastic! This is really excellent stuff.… Read more

     

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    Fay Blyth, Virtual School Headteacher for Waltham Forest

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    Senior managers feel that the analytics is impressive and are keen to have as many dashboards as possible to show Ofsted for our annual conversation.… Read more

     

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    Helen Bushell, (Previous) Head of Virtual School for Rutland

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    I’m a bit giddy, I love the ePEP dashboards – How clever are you lot! Gosh I love this system.… Read more

     

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    Michaela Blair, PEP Co-ordinator for Oldham

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    I like the dashboards. They are very clear. I also like the jump-to’s and the ability to drill down to individual young people. On the whole really happy. I am looking forward to other attainment-based dashboards – especially one that… Read more

     

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    Calvin Kipling, Virtual School Headteacher for Darlington

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    I’m absolutely loving Analytics and the updates coming through are very helpful.… Read more

     

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    Nickie West-Jarrett, Attendance and Inclusion Officer for Lewisham Virtual School

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    We have worked with Welfare Call for over 3 years, it has transformed the way we work in terms of the way we have been able to utilise our resources and deploying staff differently as they are able to proactively… Read more

     

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    Graeme Ferguson, Virtual School Head, Derby City Council

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    Children in care have positive education experiences. In school, children in care have good attendance and behaviour. Permanent and fixed exclusions for pupils who are in care are low. The virtual school provides good support for schools to produce increasingly… Read more

     

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    London Borough of Merton – Children’s Services Inspection

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    Electronic personal education plans are detailed, focus on the key areas, and include pupil targets and the pupils’ perspectives. A range of extra-curricular activities are available to support and enrich the lives of children in care. The virtual school carefully… Read more

     

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    Rutland County Council – Children’s Services Inspection

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    The virtual school has a clear sense of purpose and direction and makes good use of performance data to target its activity to best effect. As a result, its influence and impact continue to grow. Ninety-six per cent of children… Read more

     

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    London Borough of Harrow – Children’s Services Inspection

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    The rate of children’s attendance at school is rising. Relationships between the virtual school and designated teachers are strong. The personal education plan (PEP) process is well established and comprehensive. Children are making good educational progress.… Read more

     

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    Bedford Borough Council – Children’s Services Focused Visit

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    The virtual school systematically monitors and evaluates the quality of personal education plans (PEPs), and, as a result, the quality of plans is improving. All PEPs have a clear focus on academic progress.… Read more

     

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    Cornwall Council – Children’s Services Inspection

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    Personal education plans (PEPs) provide a sound basis to plan and review the progress children make. Children in care receive effective support from the virtual school staff, who understand their individual needs and act as effective advocates for them. This… Read more

     

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    Swindon Borough Council – Children’s Services Inspection

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    The virtual school provides effective support for the progress and attainment of children in care. The virtual school team has a sound understanding of the progress that children are making. As a result of effective support, many make good progress… Read more

     

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    Worcestershire County Council – Children’s Services Inspection

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    Children and young people make good educational progress in care. Those who do not attend school have prompt access to suitable, good-quality registered alternative provision. Children’s progress is closely reviewed through personal education plans which have well-written targets, and this… Read more

     

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    London Borough of Tower Hamlets – Children’s Services Inspection

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    Welfare Call provides a highly professional and cost competitive service that has enhanced our ability to collect progression and impact information for the majority of learners attending our courses. Welfare Call has made this mammoth task into a much easier… Read more

     

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    Mobin Chothia, Service Development Officer, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

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    The role of the Virtual School Head continues to remain a challenging one where the dynamics are as varied as each individual that we work with. Given increasingly limited resources of Local Authorities, it’s also vital that investments are made… Read more

     

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    Kashif Nawaz, Virtual School Head, Bracknell Forest

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    The strong emphasis on ensuring that PEPs are of good quality and completed in a timely way is contributing well to children’s progress.… Read more

     

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    London Borough of Barnet – Children’s Services Inspection

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    Education is actively promoted for children in care and the virtual school is increasingly effective in ensuring that children make good progress and reach their potential. The quality and timeliness of personal education plans have improved significantly. Children benefit from… Read more

     

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    London Borough of Enfield – Children’s Services Inspection

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    Our PEPs are much better quality and are completed on time. Welfare Calls ePEP system has been a massive help towards this. There are a number of Ofsted quotes which are looking slightly dated (given they are from 2017) therefore… Read more

     

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    Kate Harm, Specialist Education Officer for Children in Care, Derby Virtual School

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    We have been using the Welfare Call ePEP for a number of years having previously had a paper based PEP. Over this period we have seen: our timely completion rates for the ePEP improve from 85% to 95% an improved… Read more

     

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    Graeme Ferguson, Virtual School Head, Derby City Council