Fun and frustration
I would like to be telling you all about the fun the Wee One and I have been having. We are a bit exhausted and I am longing for the end of term so we can have some more free time to just hang out and do nothing but we have also been doing extra untimetabled things in the sun which are energizing us.
Instead I am angry and frustrated that after years of home educating and dealing directly with Manchester LA to try to improve things, they have gone and published shit guidelines which are worse than ever. Luckily I haven't actually dealt with them personally since they got in touch about 6 or 7 years ago and I said I didn't want any more contact. Home educators are also worried about proposed legislation and new draft guidelines for home education that just plain suck. I am frustrated with suspicions and ignorance and control freaks.
So I have found a little bit of time to fill out my consultation response, which is a terribly constructed document and obviously written by person or persons relying on technical help for grammar and who know nothing about the issues they are trying to deal with. Shit! I didn't have to time to do it to the best of my ability, but I did it, and since an algorithm someplace is the only reader I will ever have, I am not going to feel too guilty about it.
Information about home educated children
8 How effective are the current voluntary registration schemes run by some local authorities? What would be the advantages and
disadvantages of mandatory registration of children educated at home, with duties on both local authorities and parents in this regard?
Registration - text:
They are more effective where the local authority respects parents' choices and recognizes the value of home education and interacts with parents as equals.
I do not agree with a mandatory registration scheme while so many local authorities treat home educators with disrespect and have no interest in working with
parents to ensure good outcomes for the children of home educating families. My LA of Manchester currently has a policy which states that although there are no
legal requirements for home visits (and if there were it would be a civil liberties issue) if a home educating parents declines having one, they will be referred to
Social Services.
The only advantage would be having an accurate count of the numbers of home educated children.
Home educating families would receive no advantages since opting out of the system means there are no funds for anything.
Local Authorities would experience many disadvantages as their budgets would have to cover the extra cost of dealing with all of these families. Since many local
authorities such as my own of Manchester have appalling policies regarding contact with families, a mandatory register with the current state of play would
worsen relations between home ed parents and authorities.
The first thing that needs to happen is for local authorities to be required to have accurate policy and procedure published for parents to access.
9 What information is needed for registration purposes, and what information is actually gathered by local authorities? Would it help the
efficacy of these schemes, and the sharing of information between authorities, if there were a nationally agreed dataset or if data could be
shared by national agencies, such as DWP or the NHS?
Data - text:
I do not agree with registration. I do agree with mandatory training for LA employees covering relevant issues.
There is no need to hold any information other than place of education for a given child.
10 Does experience of flexi-schooling and similar arrangements suggest that it would be better if the scope of registration schemes
included any children who do not attend a state-funded or registered independent school full-time? If so, do you think that local authorities
should be able to confirm with both state-funded and independent schools whether a named child is attending that school full-time?
Other settings - text:
Flexi-schooled children are on a school roll and so are outside the remit of this consultation. Whether or not flexi-schooled children are attending full time is a
matter for the school.
11 Would the sanction of issuing a school attendance order for parental non-compliance with registration be effective, or is there another
sanction which would be more useful?
Sanctions - registration - text:
I find it disturbing that sanctions are already being discussed when registration is not currently required. We cannot know what the response would be to a
hypothetical registration requirement which means discussing hypothetical sanctions is useless.
As stated previously, the first thing that needs to happen is for local authorities to be required to have accurate policy and procedure published for parents to
access.
Sanctions can apply to the local authorities which not do this.
12 What steps might help reduce the incidence of schools reportedly pressuring parents to remove children to educate them at home?
Pressure on parents - text:
This is not a problem for parents who chose to home educate their children. This is a problem for local authorities which would need to sanction the school for
taking such action.
Alternatively, the government could fund education so that getting rid of pupils who require a lot of resources were not considered so undesirable as to warrant
schools wanting to get rid of them.
13 Is there an argument for some provision which allows a child to return to the same school within a specified interval if suitable home
education does not prove possible?
Yes
Monitoring educational provision made at home or for home-educated children
14 How effective is local authority monitoring of provision made for children educated at home? Which current approaches by local
authorities represent best practice?
LA monitoring practice - text:
There is no current requirement for local authorities to monitor home educating families, therefore it cannot be very effective.
Best practice would be noted in Local Authorities which have published policy and procedure, neither of which make ultra vires demands, and who have
employees who have training or expertise in alternatives to mainstream schooled education, and who communicate with parents as equals.
I don't know of any Local Authority which meets these standards.
15 If monitoring of suitability is not always effective, what changes should be made in the powers and duties of local authorities in this
regard, and how could they best ensure that monitoring of suitability is proportionate?
Changes: monitoring - text:
I know of no case where monitoring of suitability has not been effective. Monitoring is not a legal requirement so its efficacy is hypothetical. The problems arise
because Ofsted are telling LAs that they have to monitor when in fact there is no duty on LAs to monitor.
Effective communications between home educating parents and local authorities happens when the parents are treated with respect and can have a conversation
as equals with the Local Authority representatives.
16 Should there be specific duties on parents to comply with local authorities carrying out monitoring if such LA powers and duties were
created, and what sanctions should attach to non-compliance?
Monitoring: duties on parents - text:
I do not agree with such powers or duties being created.
There should be specific duties on Local Authorities to ensure their staff are trained and informed regarding education statute and issues relevant to home
education.
If they were created, they should apply to the parents and not the children. There should be NO population which is required to submit their children for inspection
to ascertain whether or not they are performing according to government targets.
I would imagine non-compliance to be similar to parents taking schooled children on holiday in term time.
17 Is it necessary to see the child and/or the education setting (whether that is the home or some other place), in order to assess fully the
suitability of education, and if so, what level of interaction or observation is required to make this useful in assessing suitability?
Seeing the child - text:
No.
Anybody who says yes to this question has a basic mistrust of parents.
The state should not interfere in home life where there is no cause for concern.
18 What can be done to better ensure that the child’s own views on being educated at home, and on the suitability of the education
provided, are known to the local authority?
Children's views - text:
The right to home educate is the parent's right, not the child's.
If the child's preference were to be taken into account, the precedent would be set for all children's' preferences to be taken into account.
Ask all children if they are happy with their educational setting.
19 What are the advantages and disadvantages of using settings which are not registered independent or state schools, to supplement
home education? How can authorities reliably obtain information on the education provided to individual children whose education
‘otherwise than at school’ includes attendance at such settings as well as, or instead of, education at home?
Other settings - text:
In the more than 2 decades I have been home educating my children, we have used many settings which are not registered independent or state schools to
supplement home education. We have used church halls, Scout huts, leisure centres, libraries, living rooms, community centres, Mersey Valley warden visitor
centres, the National Trust, and many more settings.
If you are concerned about unregistered schools, then look to legislation that directly addresses that issue. Do not confuse home education with attendance at an
unregistered school.
20 What are the advantages and disadvantages of using private tutors to supplement home education? How can authorities best obtain
information on the education provided to individual children whose education at home includes private tuition, or whom attend tuition
away from home?
Private tutors - text:
Local Authorities have no need to obtain this information. Parents are responsible for education otherwise than at school.
If LAs wish to work with parents to ensure the safety of children, then they should publish useful and legally accurate information for parents which tells parents
what to look for in a tutor, i.e. DBS checks, references and usually pricing schemes.
This information would be useful for all parents, not specifically home educating parents.
21 Are there other matters which stakeholders would wish to see taken into account in this area? If so please insert comments below.
Yes
Monitoring: other considerations - text:
As a home ed parent I consider myself a stakeholder.
There should be requirements for local authorities to be adequately trained with regards to home education, and different types of learning styles.
There should be a requirement that Local authorities have to publish their policy and procedure when it come to contacting home educating families. Procedure
should take into account that the parent be able to choose the best way for them to communicate with the LA , i.e. sending in a report, arranging a meeting,
submitting an educational diary, etc.
There should be a requirement that parents are invited to respond to Ofsted reports of the local authority in which they live.
Support for home-educating families
22 What might be done to improve access to public examinations for children educated at home?
Access to examinations - text:
LAs should allow access to exams for private candidates, either through schools or a separate centre. This would apply to home educated pupils as well as adults
who may be returning to education.
23 What good practice is there currently in local authority arrangements for supporting home-educating families? Should there be a duty
on local authorities to provide advice and support, and if so how should such a duty be framed?
LA support - text:
There should be a duty on local authorities to provide legally accurate information and to have published policy and procedure regarding home education.
Many LAs now have inaccurate information that make ultra vires demands. For example, my LA of Manchester currently has a policy which states that if you
decline a home visit, they will refer to Social Services. Yet there is no legal requirement to have a home visit.
Local Authorities should not be required to offer advice or support. They can refer parents to relevant charities and organizations for such support.
Local Authorities should be required to have accurate legal information regarding home education easily available and accessible for parents. If they fail to do
this, they should be sanctioned. They should also provide exam access.
Other matters
24 Should there be a financial consequence for schools if a parent withdraws a child from the school roll to educate at home?
No
Financial consequences of withdrawal - text:
There should, however, be a sanction for schools who leave a child's name on the register for census purposes in order to get that pupil's funding.
25 Should there be any changes to the provision in Regulation 8(2) of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006
requiring local authority consent to the removal of a child’s name from the roll of a maintained special school if placed there under
arrangements made by the local authority?
Children attending special schools: removal from roll - text:
Provided the removal of the name is not prevented unreasonably, then no.
27 What data are currently available on the numbers of children being educated at home in your local authority area?
Data on numbers of home educated children - text:
Unknown.
26 Are there any other comments you wish to make relating to the effectiveness of current arrangements for elective home education and
potential changes?
Other comments on effectiveness of current arrangements - text:
The current climate for home educating parents is a hostile one.
Ensure that Local Authorities are acting within the law and are trained properly with regard to home educating issues. Parents making this choice should be
recognised as acting perfectly legally and should be treated with respect by representatives of the Local Authority. This would make current arrangements much
more effective AND SHOULD HAPPEN BEFORE ANY CHANGES ARE MADE TO REQUIREMENTS FOR PARENTS.
28 Do you have any comments on any of the contents of the call for evidence document in relation to equality issues?
Equality issues - Call for Evidence - text:
This document is poorly written and far too time consuming for parents to fill in. It is almost as if you didn't want people to respond and don't have any idea of the
issues relevant to families.
Published policy and procedure for LA employees would aid in treating all families equally. LA training would help as well.
Draft revised DfE guidance on home education: for local authorities
29 Comments on Section 1: What is elective home education?
What is elective home education?:
This section is ok.
30 Comments on Section 2: Reasons for elective home education - why do parents choose to provide it?
Parents' reasons:
Parents choose this option for many reasons - as listed.
Their reasons are not the concern of the LA unless it becomes apparent that a LA run school is off-rolling or has a sudden increase in parents choosing to leave
due to the school's failure.
The provision of education is the important thing, not the reasons for choosing it.
31 Comments on Section 3: The starting point for local authorities
The Starting Point:
I conceded that the position of local authorities is a confusing one due to conflicting demands being made on the local authority.
Section 3.4 does not clarify the situation.
I believe that section 3.5 should be made compulsory. As stated previously, local authorities should be compelled to have published and legally accurate policy
and procedure for parents.
Section 3.7 "Home-educated children are NOT vulnerable by definition..." This statement needs to be emphasized and repeated.
32 Comments on Section 4: How do local authorities know that a child is being educated at home?
Local authority knowledge:
4.4 The use of other data sources to track down home educated children is problematic. GDPR does not allow for this type of information sharing.
Encouraging GPs and other health professionals to report home educated children for no other reason than they are being home educated, sends the message
that home education is a red flag and that place of education should generate concern. This is not the case. Education otherwise than at school is equal in law to
schooled education.
4.5 If a school fails to notify the local authority that they have removed a child from the register, then it is the school which should be sanctioned.
33 Comments on Section 5: Local authorities’ responsibilities for children who are, or appear to be, educated at home
LA responsibilities:
5.4 The first, third, fourth and fifth bulleted points are good.
34 Comments on Section 6: What should local authorities do when it is not clear that home education is suitable?
LA action when not clear if home education is suitable:
6.2 "Every week in which a child is not being educated properly is a week lost."
This statement shows a complete ignorance of how home education works.
Local authorities should not act if they are this ignorant of how learning happens.
A more direct answer would be, they should help the parent by putting them in touch with organisations and people who know more about home education than
the LA and can support the parent.
35 Comments on Section 7: Safeguarding: the interface with home education
Safeguarding:
There is adequate legislation for a local authority to intervene if they have cause for concern. Home education is NOT cause for concern. Use current statute and
procedure to act where necessary.
36 Comments on Section 8: Home-educated children with special educational needs (SEN)
SEN:
37 Comments on Section 9: What do the s.7 requirements mean?
S.7 requirements:
9.6 Local authorities are often ignorant of how home education can work, particularly when it comes to unregimented or autonomous education. To tell local
authorities that they can state their expectations in their policy documents is to encourage them to make ultra vires demands.
9.8 -9.9 My experience of educating my children to date is that it is all encompassing. We do not have learning time and/or not learning time. We are constantly
engaged in something. The idea that I could count the hours is anathema to how it works.
38 Comments on Section 10: Further information
Other matters:
Draft revised DfE guidance on home education: for parents
39 Comments on Section 1: What is elective home education (EHE)?
What is elective home education?:
40 Comments on Section 2: What is the legal position of parents who wish to home educate children?
Legal position of parents:
41 Comments on Section 3: So what do I need to think about before deciding to educate my child at home?
So what do I need to think about?:
42 Comments on Section 4: If I choose to educate my child at home, what must I do before I start?
What must I do before I start?:
43 Comments on Section 5: What are the responsibilities of your local authority?
LA responsibilities:
Local Authorities should be compelled to have legally accurate policy and procedure published and accessible to parents.
44 Comments on Section 6: Further information
Further information:
Draft guidance documents: equality issues
45 Do you think that anything in the revised guidance documents could have a disproportionate impact, positive or negative, on those
with 'relevant protected characteristics' (including disability, gender, race and religion or belief) - and if so, how?
Equality - guidance documents: text:
The fear of radicalisation and use of unregistered schools will have a disproportionate effect on Muslim home educators. I already know of several Muslim families
who are being treated differently by our LA of Manchester than white middle class families.
The encouragement of data sharing will have a negative impact on families and on relationships between home educating parents and the local authorities.
Families with children who have SEN seem to be most adversely affected in that they are being presented with more hoops to jump through.
Instead I am angry and frustrated that after years of home educating and dealing directly with Manchester LA to try to improve things, they have gone and published shit guidelines which are worse than ever. Luckily I haven't actually dealt with them personally since they got in touch about 6 or 7 years ago and I said I didn't want any more contact. Home educators are also worried about proposed legislation and new draft guidelines for home education that just plain suck. I am frustrated with suspicions and ignorance and control freaks.
So I have found a little bit of time to fill out my consultation response, which is a terribly constructed document and obviously written by person or persons relying on technical help for grammar and who know nothing about the issues they are trying to deal with. Shit! I didn't have to time to do it to the best of my ability, but I did it, and since an algorithm someplace is the only reader I will ever have, I am not going to feel too guilty about it.
Information about home educated children
8 How effective are the current voluntary registration schemes run by some local authorities? What would be the advantages and
disadvantages of mandatory registration of children educated at home, with duties on both local authorities and parents in this regard?
Registration - text:
They are more effective where the local authority respects parents' choices and recognizes the value of home education and interacts with parents as equals.
I do not agree with a mandatory registration scheme while so many local authorities treat home educators with disrespect and have no interest in working with
parents to ensure good outcomes for the children of home educating families. My LA of Manchester currently has a policy which states that although there are no
legal requirements for home visits (and if there were it would be a civil liberties issue) if a home educating parents declines having one, they will be referred to
Social Services.
The only advantage would be having an accurate count of the numbers of home educated children.
Home educating families would receive no advantages since opting out of the system means there are no funds for anything.
Local Authorities would experience many disadvantages as their budgets would have to cover the extra cost of dealing with all of these families. Since many local
authorities such as my own of Manchester have appalling policies regarding contact with families, a mandatory register with the current state of play would
worsen relations between home ed parents and authorities.
The first thing that needs to happen is for local authorities to be required to have accurate policy and procedure published for parents to access.
9 What information is needed for registration purposes, and what information is actually gathered by local authorities? Would it help the
efficacy of these schemes, and the sharing of information between authorities, if there were a nationally agreed dataset or if data could be
shared by national agencies, such as DWP or the NHS?
Data - text:
I do not agree with registration. I do agree with mandatory training for LA employees covering relevant issues.
There is no need to hold any information other than place of education for a given child.
10 Does experience of flexi-schooling and similar arrangements suggest that it would be better if the scope of registration schemes
included any children who do not attend a state-funded or registered independent school full-time? If so, do you think that local authorities
should be able to confirm with both state-funded and independent schools whether a named child is attending that school full-time?
Other settings - text:
Flexi-schooled children are on a school roll and so are outside the remit of this consultation. Whether or not flexi-schooled children are attending full time is a
matter for the school.
11 Would the sanction of issuing a school attendance order for parental non-compliance with registration be effective, or is there another
sanction which would be more useful?
Sanctions - registration - text:
I find it disturbing that sanctions are already being discussed when registration is not currently required. We cannot know what the response would be to a
hypothetical registration requirement which means discussing hypothetical sanctions is useless.
As stated previously, the first thing that needs to happen is for local authorities to be required to have accurate policy and procedure published for parents to
access.
Sanctions can apply to the local authorities which not do this.
12 What steps might help reduce the incidence of schools reportedly pressuring parents to remove children to educate them at home?
Pressure on parents - text:
This is not a problem for parents who chose to home educate their children. This is a problem for local authorities which would need to sanction the school for
taking such action.
Alternatively, the government could fund education so that getting rid of pupils who require a lot of resources were not considered so undesirable as to warrant
schools wanting to get rid of them.
13 Is there an argument for some provision which allows a child to return to the same school within a specified interval if suitable home
education does not prove possible?
Yes
Monitoring educational provision made at home or for home-educated children
14 How effective is local authority monitoring of provision made for children educated at home? Which current approaches by local
authorities represent best practice?
LA monitoring practice - text:
There is no current requirement for local authorities to monitor home educating families, therefore it cannot be very effective.
Best practice would be noted in Local Authorities which have published policy and procedure, neither of which make ultra vires demands, and who have
employees who have training or expertise in alternatives to mainstream schooled education, and who communicate with parents as equals.
I don't know of any Local Authority which meets these standards.
15 If monitoring of suitability is not always effective, what changes should be made in the powers and duties of local authorities in this
regard, and how could they best ensure that monitoring of suitability is proportionate?
Changes: monitoring - text:
I know of no case where monitoring of suitability has not been effective. Monitoring is not a legal requirement so its efficacy is hypothetical. The problems arise
because Ofsted are telling LAs that they have to monitor when in fact there is no duty on LAs to monitor.
Effective communications between home educating parents and local authorities happens when the parents are treated with respect and can have a conversation
as equals with the Local Authority representatives.
16 Should there be specific duties on parents to comply with local authorities carrying out monitoring if such LA powers and duties were
created, and what sanctions should attach to non-compliance?
Monitoring: duties on parents - text:
I do not agree with such powers or duties being created.
There should be specific duties on Local Authorities to ensure their staff are trained and informed regarding education statute and issues relevant to home
education.
If they were created, they should apply to the parents and not the children. There should be NO population which is required to submit their children for inspection
to ascertain whether or not they are performing according to government targets.
I would imagine non-compliance to be similar to parents taking schooled children on holiday in term time.
17 Is it necessary to see the child and/or the education setting (whether that is the home or some other place), in order to assess fully the
suitability of education, and if so, what level of interaction or observation is required to make this useful in assessing suitability?
Seeing the child - text:
No.
Anybody who says yes to this question has a basic mistrust of parents.
The state should not interfere in home life where there is no cause for concern.
18 What can be done to better ensure that the child’s own views on being educated at home, and on the suitability of the education
provided, are known to the local authority?
Children's views - text:
The right to home educate is the parent's right, not the child's.
If the child's preference were to be taken into account, the precedent would be set for all children's' preferences to be taken into account.
Ask all children if they are happy with their educational setting.
19 What are the advantages and disadvantages of using settings which are not registered independent or state schools, to supplement
home education? How can authorities reliably obtain information on the education provided to individual children whose education
‘otherwise than at school’ includes attendance at such settings as well as, or instead of, education at home?
Other settings - text:
In the more than 2 decades I have been home educating my children, we have used many settings which are not registered independent or state schools to
supplement home education. We have used church halls, Scout huts, leisure centres, libraries, living rooms, community centres, Mersey Valley warden visitor
centres, the National Trust, and many more settings.
If you are concerned about unregistered schools, then look to legislation that directly addresses that issue. Do not confuse home education with attendance at an
unregistered school.
20 What are the advantages and disadvantages of using private tutors to supplement home education? How can authorities best obtain
information on the education provided to individual children whose education at home includes private tuition, or whom attend tuition
away from home?
Private tutors - text:
Local Authorities have no need to obtain this information. Parents are responsible for education otherwise than at school.
If LAs wish to work with parents to ensure the safety of children, then they should publish useful and legally accurate information for parents which tells parents
what to look for in a tutor, i.e. DBS checks, references and usually pricing schemes.
This information would be useful for all parents, not specifically home educating parents.
21 Are there other matters which stakeholders would wish to see taken into account in this area? If so please insert comments below.
Yes
Monitoring: other considerations - text:
As a home ed parent I consider myself a stakeholder.
There should be requirements for local authorities to be adequately trained with regards to home education, and different types of learning styles.
There should be a requirement that Local authorities have to publish their policy and procedure when it come to contacting home educating families. Procedure
should take into account that the parent be able to choose the best way for them to communicate with the LA , i.e. sending in a report, arranging a meeting,
submitting an educational diary, etc.
There should be a requirement that parents are invited to respond to Ofsted reports of the local authority in which they live.
Support for home-educating families
22 What might be done to improve access to public examinations for children educated at home?
Access to examinations - text:
LAs should allow access to exams for private candidates, either through schools or a separate centre. This would apply to home educated pupils as well as adults
who may be returning to education.
23 What good practice is there currently in local authority arrangements for supporting home-educating families? Should there be a duty
on local authorities to provide advice and support, and if so how should such a duty be framed?
LA support - text:
There should be a duty on local authorities to provide legally accurate information and to have published policy and procedure regarding home education.
Many LAs now have inaccurate information that make ultra vires demands. For example, my LA of Manchester currently has a policy which states that if you
decline a home visit, they will refer to Social Services. Yet there is no legal requirement to have a home visit.
Local Authorities should not be required to offer advice or support. They can refer parents to relevant charities and organizations for such support.
Local Authorities should be required to have accurate legal information regarding home education easily available and accessible for parents. If they fail to do
this, they should be sanctioned. They should also provide exam access.
Other matters
24 Should there be a financial consequence for schools if a parent withdraws a child from the school roll to educate at home?
No
Financial consequences of withdrawal - text:
There should, however, be a sanction for schools who leave a child's name on the register for census purposes in order to get that pupil's funding.
25 Should there be any changes to the provision in Regulation 8(2) of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006
requiring local authority consent to the removal of a child’s name from the roll of a maintained special school if placed there under
arrangements made by the local authority?
Children attending special schools: removal from roll - text:
Provided the removal of the name is not prevented unreasonably, then no.
27 What data are currently available on the numbers of children being educated at home in your local authority area?
Data on numbers of home educated children - text:
Unknown.
26 Are there any other comments you wish to make relating to the effectiveness of current arrangements for elective home education and
potential changes?
Other comments on effectiveness of current arrangements - text:
The current climate for home educating parents is a hostile one.
Ensure that Local Authorities are acting within the law and are trained properly with regard to home educating issues. Parents making this choice should be
recognised as acting perfectly legally and should be treated with respect by representatives of the Local Authority. This would make current arrangements much
more effective AND SHOULD HAPPEN BEFORE ANY CHANGES ARE MADE TO REQUIREMENTS FOR PARENTS.
28 Do you have any comments on any of the contents of the call for evidence document in relation to equality issues?
Equality issues - Call for Evidence - text:
This document is poorly written and far too time consuming for parents to fill in. It is almost as if you didn't want people to respond and don't have any idea of the
issues relevant to families.
Published policy and procedure for LA employees would aid in treating all families equally. LA training would help as well.
Draft revised DfE guidance on home education: for local authorities
29 Comments on Section 1: What is elective home education?
What is elective home education?:
This section is ok.
30 Comments on Section 2: Reasons for elective home education - why do parents choose to provide it?
Parents' reasons:
Parents choose this option for many reasons - as listed.
Their reasons are not the concern of the LA unless it becomes apparent that a LA run school is off-rolling or has a sudden increase in parents choosing to leave
due to the school's failure.
The provision of education is the important thing, not the reasons for choosing it.
31 Comments on Section 3: The starting point for local authorities
The Starting Point:
I conceded that the position of local authorities is a confusing one due to conflicting demands being made on the local authority.
Section 3.4 does not clarify the situation.
I believe that section 3.5 should be made compulsory. As stated previously, local authorities should be compelled to have published and legally accurate policy
and procedure for parents.
Section 3.7 "Home-educated children are NOT vulnerable by definition..." This statement needs to be emphasized and repeated.
32 Comments on Section 4: How do local authorities know that a child is being educated at home?
Local authority knowledge:
4.4 The use of other data sources to track down home educated children is problematic. GDPR does not allow for this type of information sharing.
Encouraging GPs and other health professionals to report home educated children for no other reason than they are being home educated, sends the message
that home education is a red flag and that place of education should generate concern. This is not the case. Education otherwise than at school is equal in law to
schooled education.
4.5 If a school fails to notify the local authority that they have removed a child from the register, then it is the school which should be sanctioned.
33 Comments on Section 5: Local authorities’ responsibilities for children who are, or appear to be, educated at home
LA responsibilities:
5.4 The first, third, fourth and fifth bulleted points are good.
34 Comments on Section 6: What should local authorities do when it is not clear that home education is suitable?
LA action when not clear if home education is suitable:
6.2 "Every week in which a child is not being educated properly is a week lost."
This statement shows a complete ignorance of how home education works.
Local authorities should not act if they are this ignorant of how learning happens.
A more direct answer would be, they should help the parent by putting them in touch with organisations and people who know more about home education than
the LA and can support the parent.
35 Comments on Section 7: Safeguarding: the interface with home education
Safeguarding:
There is adequate legislation for a local authority to intervene if they have cause for concern. Home education is NOT cause for concern. Use current statute and
procedure to act where necessary.
36 Comments on Section 8: Home-educated children with special educational needs (SEN)
SEN:
37 Comments on Section 9: What do the s.7 requirements mean?
S.7 requirements:
9.6 Local authorities are often ignorant of how home education can work, particularly when it comes to unregimented or autonomous education. To tell local
authorities that they can state their expectations in their policy documents is to encourage them to make ultra vires demands.
9.8 -9.9 My experience of educating my children to date is that it is all encompassing. We do not have learning time and/or not learning time. We are constantly
engaged in something. The idea that I could count the hours is anathema to how it works.
38 Comments on Section 10: Further information
Other matters:
Draft revised DfE guidance on home education: for parents
39 Comments on Section 1: What is elective home education (EHE)?
What is elective home education?:
40 Comments on Section 2: What is the legal position of parents who wish to home educate children?
Legal position of parents:
41 Comments on Section 3: So what do I need to think about before deciding to educate my child at home?
So what do I need to think about?:
42 Comments on Section 4: If I choose to educate my child at home, what must I do before I start?
What must I do before I start?:
43 Comments on Section 5: What are the responsibilities of your local authority?
LA responsibilities:
Local Authorities should be compelled to have legally accurate policy and procedure published and accessible to parents.
44 Comments on Section 6: Further information
Further information:
Draft guidance documents: equality issues
45 Do you think that anything in the revised guidance documents could have a disproportionate impact, positive or negative, on those
with 'relevant protected characteristics' (including disability, gender, race and religion or belief) - and if so, how?
Equality - guidance documents: text:
The fear of radicalisation and use of unregistered schools will have a disproportionate effect on Muslim home educators. I already know of several Muslim families
who are being treated differently by our LA of Manchester than white middle class families.
The encouragement of data sharing will have a negative impact on families and on relationships between home educating parents and the local authorities.
Families with children who have SEN seem to be most adversely affected in that they are being presented with more hoops to jump through.
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