Warrington
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Meeting the LA Education Department
Guidance on improving LEAs
EHE Consultation
In response to a FOI request, Warrington LA wrote:
"Helen Humphrey, Senior Adviser in our School Improvement Team responded electronically to the consultation on 31 July 2007 in her role as Elective Home Education Co-ordinator, having consulted briefly with colleagues in Warrington Children’s Services who support her work in this area. This was not an official response on behalf of the organisation. A copy of the questions and her responses are attached."
This appears to be contradictory; Ms Humphrey responded "in her role as Elective Home Education Co-ordinator", consulted colleagues, gave her place of work e-mail address and the name of the Organisation as " Warrington Children’s Services" and says she is best described as "Local authority", though she inserted "No" in the box asking if it was a response on behalf of an organisation. The response is posted below.
Copy of e-consultation 31.07.07
Personal Details
Name: Helen Humphrey
Email: hhumphrey@warrington.gov.uk
Address:
Organisation: Warrington Children’s Services
Response on Behalf of an
Organisation: No
Keep Response confidential: No
Allowed to contact in the future: No
Request a response
Acknowledgement: No
Request to information when the
Consultation results are published: No
Respondent Information Questions
Which of the following best describes you:
Local authority
Answer/Comments
Elective Home Education Co-ordinator
Consultation Questions
1. Do you agree that it is helpful for the DfEs to issue guidelines to local
authorities?
Yes
Answer/Comments
-Provided they reflect the consultation!
There is a need for some clarification and definitions.
There is a conflict between the LA requirement to ensure that the education is appropriate and the absence of a right to visit.
There is a further conflict between this and the need to ensure safeguarding for this potentially vulnerable group of children and young people.
Guidance to schools, as well as local authorities, would be helpful.
2. Do you agree that the description of the law (paragraphs 2.1-2.3) relating to elective home education is accurate and clear?
No
Answer/Comments
If the Education Act is not clear on the definition of ‘efficient’ and ‘suitable’ then it would be helpful for the guidance document to clarify.
(2.4) WHY are parents not required to register their children with the local authority? They effectively ARE required to get approval form the LA – if I visit and find they are not receiving an appropriate education I take steps to remedy this.
3. Do you agree that the description of local authorities’ responsibilities (paragraphs 2.5-2.11) is accurate and helpful?
No
Answer/Comments
Not very helpful. Not all children who are apparently being educated at home are actually receiving an appropriate education. We can only visit occasionally – how do we know if they are missing or not?
If we cannot enter the home – or even SEE the child – how can we make judgements about the quality of education. I make judgements based on first hand evidence. This does not fit with paragraph 3.7, which says I should only accept reports from the parents.
How does the safeguarding duty in 2.11 fit with the inability to see the child?
2.6 Why does the guidance on the Education Act 2006 not apply to children who are being educated at home?
4. Do you agree that the section on contact with the local authority
(paragraphs 3.4-3.7) is accurate and helpful?
No
Answer/Comments
3.4 It is possible that parents do not want the involvement of the local authority because they are abusing their children.
3.5 It is hard to see how the LA might gather any relevant information if parents are not required to let us even see the child (2.11).
3.7 I really cannot accept that a report from the parents would provide the basis for me to feedback to them on the quality of the education they are providing.
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?
No
An extensive list of what is NOT required (3.11) is followed by a ‘woolly’ indication of what might be expected (3.13).
If the LA have no right of inspection/monitoring how will parents demonstrate that they are providing an appropriate education?
6. Do you agree that the section on developing relationships (section 4) is useful?
No
Answer/Comments
It would be helpful to include Numeracy and Literacy specifically at 4.3. Under 4.5 – is there any potential to provide an indication for parents and professional on what constitutes ‘outstanding’ ‘good’ ‘satisfactory’ and ‘inadequate’ home education? This would lend real strength to the guidelines and is an approach used throughout education. Many of ‘my’ parents would aspire to be ‘outstanding’. A definition of what constitutes ‘satisfactory’ would help others.
The potential to have some funding for this work would make a real difference.
7a. Are the suggested resources in section 5 and appendix 2 useful?
Yes
Answer/Comments
Useful information is set out helpfully on the whole.
Flexi schooling is a nightmare. This is particularly the case because schools have demanding attendance targets to meet, so it is not an attractive proposition. This needs to be investigated, because it could provide a real alternative for some young people who will become totally disengaged.
There are funding issues related to work experience risk assessment for home-educated pupils.
7b. Should any other contacts be included?
Not Sure
Answer/Comments
I am concerned about e-safety for home-educated children.
7. [Should read 8] Please use this space for any other comments you wish to make about the guidelines.
Answer/Comments
Some guidance for schools would be helpful
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