Shropshire Virtual School’s Jaz-prentice initiative is celebrated at BAFTA event

On 10 October, a care-experienced young person from Shropshire presented on stage at BAFTA in Piccadilly, London, about her experience as a Jaz-prentice, as part of a new Shropshire Virtual School initiative.

Shropshire Council’s Virtual School designed the Jaz-prentices programme in partnership with Jaz Ampaw-Farr, a care-experienced adult and national speaker. A group of secondary aged young people in care to Shropshire have spent a year being coached by Jaz Ampaw-Farr to give them the skills to speak in public and promote the voice of young people in care.

Regular sessions with Jaz Ampaw-Farr have helped the young people develop their confidence, storytelling and public-speaking skills. The Jaz-prentices have then designed and delivered Roadshows in schools, spoken to Corporate Parents (including representatives of the Local Authority) and at a national conference in Birmingham about inclusion for children in care.

All the participants took part in a graduation-style event when they completed their coaching in the summer. The culmination of the project for one student was speaking in public at the BAFTA event in October, where a film about the Jaz-prentices was premiered. At the event, Shropshire Council’s Virtual School team also received an award from Jaz Ampaw-Farr in recognition of the Jaz-prentices programme and for being one of her five ‘Everyday Heroes’.

Shropshire Council hopes the Jaz-prentices and their work speaking in front of groups and organisations about their experiences will inspire other young people in care to speak out and share their voice through channels including Voices of Tomorrow, Shropshire’s Children in Care Council.

Councillor Alex Wagner, Deputy Leader of Shropshire Council, said:

“Shropshire Council’s Virtual School team, social workers and carers work hard every day to provide looked after children with the additional specialised support they need so that they fulfil their potential and thrive, and the Jaz-prentice programme is a brilliant example of this.

“These young people are making a real impact, explaining what life is like for young people in care and how schools and other organisations can be inclusive and support them.”

Shropshire Council’s Virtual School team supports children and young people who are in care, have been in care, a kinship arrangement or have a social worker, to ensure they access the right opportunities to fulfil their educational potential. The Virtual School also provides advice, information and training to schools, settings and partners so that they can best support their children and young people to achieve and thrive.

Shropshire Council is currently delivering a transformation of its children’s services that reflects changes to government statutory requirements affecting children’s services nationwide. It will see a new focus on prevention, and on greater collaboration between agencies and services to ensure a smoother experience for families needing support. Aims of the changes include reducing the number of children who come into care.

To find out more about the Shropshire Virtual School go to the website here. To contact them use email virtualschool@shropshire.gov.uk or phone 01743 250124.