Bolton
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Meeting the LA Education Department
Guidance on improving LEAs
EHE consultation response
"In response to your request for information received at this office on 18th February 2008, Bolton Council is happy to supply the attached information:
(Word document with exact wording of replies to each question)"
(NB: the word doc did not include the questions and so I have put them in below for ease of reference.)
1 Do you agree that it is helpful for the DfES to issue guidelines to local authorities?
Yes
Clarification of interpretation of ‘Home Education’ guidelines - uniformity and consistency for home educators and the Local Authority responsibilities
2 Do you agree that the description of the law (paragraphs 2.1-2.3) relating to elective home education is accurate and clear?
Yes
3 Do you agree that the description of local authorities' responsibilities (paragraphs 2.5-2.11) is accurate and helpful?
Yes – 2.5 – cost of translation into community language, e.g. letters, website
- 2.6 – the last sentence should be stronger, bold, ‘The guidance issued make it
clear that the duty does not apply to children who are being educated at
home’.
- 2.7 – what is ‘if they have good reason’, where does the good reason come from ‘if
it appears ….’ – how – needs clarification – if parents have no obligation to
discuss provision how can the statements be interpreted. Information,
comment, enquire from professional or member of public – ‘concern’, enquiry
- 2.8 – clear – indicate a concern has been raised?
- 2.9 – clear
- 2.10 - ‘all reasonable steps’ – clarity? – e.g. telephone calls logged on EMS, 3 letters,
in some cases 4 letters and ESW visit?
- 2.11 – clear
4 Do you agree that the section on contact with the local authority (paragraphs 3.4-3.7) is accurate and helpful?
Yes/overall –
- 3.4 - difficult to taken into consideration ‘individual and community’s circumstances’
if the family is not know or limited information. Not to make stereotypical
assumptions or value based judgements. Clarification of work base approach.
- 3.5 – clarification of ‘if information exists’ – what about hearsay,
- 3.6 – clear
- 3.7 – clear
- 3.8 – clear
- 3.9 – clear ‘need for schools to tell Local Authority before de-registering’? Many
schools do not inform the Local Authority about children taken off roll to be
home educated and as a result children are lost in the system. They also
assume parents will contact the Local Authority. 9/2006 registration log.
- 3.10 – ‘parents to submit proposals’ – no requirement to set out proposals only
provide evidence of the provision they are making.
5 Do you agree that the section on providing a full-time education (paragraphs 3.11-3.14) and in particular, the characteristics of provision (paragraph 3.13) -is accurate and helpful?
Yes – 3.11 – clear
- 3.12 – clear
- 3.13 – point 1 could be clearer and also refer to use of tutors and others to provide
educational provision but responsibility rests with parent/carer. Point 2 & 3 ‘
evidence that the child’s needs are being met and are being given
opportunities to achieve their potential’
- 3.14 – clear
- 3.15 – clear, what clarification if the parents/carer choose not to interact and Local
Authority but no ‘evidence of concern’?
- 3.16 - clear – who assesses arrangements made by parents/what if parents don’t
attend review?
- 3.17 – clear
- 3.18 – clarification on ‘any provision’ that the Local Authority has agreed to make’ –
e.g. advice from specialist teachers, advice on resources, speech therapy,
etc
- 3.19 – clear
6 Do. you agree that the section on developing relationships (section 4)is useful?
Yes – 4.1 - clear
- 4.2 – clear but long worded, needs to be shorter and to the point
- 4.3 – last sentence ‘curriculum or approval which parents must follow’
- 4.4 – clear – ‘sourcing of resources’ e.g. local schools, libraries, etc
- 4.5 – clear
- 4.6 – words missing from sentence, what if parents refuse their child the opportunity
to meet and express their views? How can you be sure the child’s rights are
not being upheld?
- 4.7 – clear
- 4.8 – clear
- 4.9 – clear
- 4.10 – clear
- 4.11 – clear
- 4.12 – clear
7a) Are the suggested resources in section 5 and appendix 2 useful?
. – 5.1 – clear
- 5.2 – clear
- 5.3 – clear
- 5.4 – clear
- 5.5 – clear
- 5.6 – clarification needed, that the child needs to be kept on role and not de-
registered – consultation needs to happen prior to letter of de-registration OR a
school approach who will support such a process
- 5.7 – unclear – needs split between employment and work experience made clearer
as to what a child can work under the different categories (hours)
- 5.8 – clarification on what insurance requirements are needed for work experience
for employer/child and where this information can be found.
- 5.9 – clear but obscure
- 5.10 – clarification on responses to home educated children – requirements re:
identification given to children who are home educated by the Local Authority
- 5.11 – although the first sentence is fully agreed with, feel that the rest is not
appropriately placed here.
7 b) Should any other contacts be included?
8 Please use this space for any other comments you wish to make about the guidelines
Annex A – alternative qualifications – prefer not to highlight/process and providers and not
others e.g. Oxford Learning Programme does supported programmes, support
organisation information OK
Annex B – only general sites should be included – not specific ones. There are many
excellent web sites providing face teaching and learning.
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