Devon
a page for information, news and comment in Devon
contents:
related links:
Meeting the LA Education Department
Guidance on improving LEAs
EHE Consultation
In response to an FOI enquiry we have received:
Questions for Consultation
- Do you agree that it is helpful for the DfES to issue guidelines to local authorities?
Answer: Yes
- Do you agree that the description of the law (paragraphs 2.1- 2.3) relating to elective home education is accurate and clear?
Answer: The description of the law is accurate but the law itself is unclear. Section 2.3 is not clear and can be a source of conflict. It would be helpful to have a concise description of what constitutes a “suitable” or “efficient” education. The law needs to include the need for basic skills to be taught providing a baseline for local authorities to be able to assess the home education. The child’s needs should be met, not the parents.
- Do you agree that the description of local authorities’ responsibilities (paragraphs 2.5-2.11) is accurate and helpful?
Answer: No.
Section 2.5: What is “reasonable progress”? We would like clarity of what is meant by this term.
Section 2.6: All children should matter, not just those in schools. The Education and Inspection Act should apply to all children.
Section 2.7 contradicts section 2.3. There ought to be a statutory duty. There should be minimum requirements to prove that the child is receiving a suitable education. We need firm guidance regarding what constitutes suitable education.
Section 2.8 says that parents are under no duty to comply. We feel that there should be such a duty.
Section 2.11: If local authority officers were given powers to enter the home, it would enable the local authority to assess whether the environment was conducive to learning.
4 Do you agree that the section on contact with the local authority (paragraphs 3.4-3.7) is accurate and helpful?
Answer:
Section 3.4: There is a conflict with Every Child Matters.
Section 3.5: We feel that the child has to be seen; even it is outside of the home. Again this conflicts with ECM. We need minimum standards in order to make transparent judgements.
Section 3.7: This should be changed to read that parents must write a report with examples of the child’s work enclosed. There should be guidelines of what should be included in a report and the report should show progression.
Parents should produce a written report, provide samples of the child’s work which demonstrate progression and engage with local authority officers.
5 Do you agree that the section on providing a full-time education (paragraphs 3.11-3.14) – in particular, the characteristics of provision (paragraph 3.13) – is accurate and helpful?
Answer: No, not at all helpful. It is not helpful to have a list stating things parents don’t need to do. It would be much better to have a list of things they should do and how they link with the five outcomes of ECM. It was felt to be contradictory. It would be helpful to know what children are required to do.
Section 3.11: Bullet points are negative. Requirements should be shown in positives not negatives.
Section 3.13: We need more than “characteristics” – we need clarity on minimum requirements.
Section 3.14: This is too vague.
Section 3.16 (Children with SEN): This section is not clear. Parents should know that the local authority will not support a child with a statement with education in the home if they have withdrawn him/her from school to be educated at home.
6 Do you agree that the section on developing relationships (section 4) is useful?
Answer: This does reflect the fact that the majority of parents have a good relationship with their local authority.
Section 4.3: We would welcome clarity on minimum requirements.
Sections 4.4 and 4.16 are repetitive.
Section 4.9: There may be child protection concerns when no one sees the child.
7a. Are the suggested resources in section 5 and appendix 2 useful?
Answer: In exceptional circumstances, this local authority will provide alternative education for older children for whom a return to school would be untenable. There is no other flexibility and the local authority should not be providing resources for home educating families as it is the parent’s decision to withdraw the child (ren).
This county’s Library Service is very supportive and helpful towards home educating families.
Section 5.2: It should be made very clear to potential home-educating parents that by doing so they take full responsibility for their child’s education, including the resourcing of it.
Work experience: There should be more flexibility here as parents can argue that by the child taking part in work they are preparing them for the community in which they live. The child employment guidelines were introduced to stop children who were attending school working until late at night on a school day: this is not applicable to home educated children who can be educated at any time during the day/week.
b. Should any other contacts be included?
Answer: The names of organisations should be shown in alphabetical order.
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Comments:
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News:
Regional groups:
http://www.ed-he.org.uk/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SW_HomeEd/
South Devon Home Education Group - South Devon Home Education Group meet at Harberton Parish Hall, near Totnes, South Devon. Please email Lucinda to find out more:- email - southdevongroup[at]googlemail[dot]com
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