Lancashire County Council runs a school with 1,000 pupils aged four to 19, spread between 276 different sites, under one head teacher. Not as far-fetched as it sounds - Lancashire is one of the first local authorities to employ a "virtual head", Peter Doyle, to keep a watchful eye on the education of children who are in its care.
The virtual head aims to make sure that education is part of the solution, not the problem, by raising awareness, supporting designated teachers, speaking up on behalf of children and providing extra resources.
Looked-after children and young people are often hampered by stereotypes, such as an expectation that they will not do well academically or will get into trouble. Their attainment also tends to be considerably lower than average. Lancashire is committed to turning this trend around, and Doyle supports teachers to make sure that problems are tackled on the spot and with a proper understanding of the issues involved.
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