For Part 1 of the "Badman Review", see here.
(From page 32)
7. Special Educational Needs
7.1 In formulating a response to the evidence submitted to this inquiry I have tried to retain in the forefront of my mind the particular issues that relate to those young people educated at home with special educational needs (SEN). For although as a group they simply form part of the cohort of those educated at home and should be covered by the generality of regulation, I am quite clear that their support and monitoring from local authorities or other agencies should be significantly different. The evidence offered is punctuated by very convincing case studies of hardship, anxiety and misunderstanding that would confirm the research evidence that many parents whose children have needs as diverse as dyslexia and autism, withdrew their child often in despair that their needs were not being adequately met in school. In such instances, it is often a case of ‘home education by default’ rather than ‘elective home education’
7.2 Evidence submitted to this review by the National Autistic Society, Autism in Mind and particularly the Independent Panel for Special Educational Advice (IPSEA), all raise searching questions about the quality of support that follows a child into elective home education, and the methodology by which that support is offered. Similar points are made by individual parents, some of whom seek no help from the local authority even when their child has a statement of special educational needs. Many point to the need for greater sensitivity in intervention, indeed some are fearful that the act of monitoring would in itself be damaging to the child.
7.3 IPSEA, in its submission to this review, cite a range of reasons why children with special educational needs become educated at home:
“…some families with children with SEN make a positive choice to educate their children at home. For others it is the least bad option which may come about for a number of reasons:
*Inadequacy of local SEN provision e.g. lack of special schools or lack of appropriately
resourced units in mainstream schools
*School or LA failure to make statemented provision
*Breakdown of relationships with school &/or LA
*Withdrawal as an act of desperation in the interests of the child’s mental or physical well-being e.g. when he/she is being badly bullied
*Being asked to leave/exclusion by a school which cannot cope with the extreme behaviour linked with the child’s disability
*Neutral position pending tribunal hearing (e.g. on secondary transfer)
*Response to unsuccessful tribunal
* Religious reasons e.g. lack of local school of relevant faith which can cater for SEN child*Response to threats of prosecution when a child is out of school for reasons above
*It is clearly a matter of grave concern that some of the most vulnerable children including those with very complex special needs, should end up out of school through a default in the system. Once a child is being home educated, Local Authorities may decline to provide support or make special educational provision. This is a situation which IPSEA commonly encounters.”
7.4 They also express concern about the amount of time a child may be ‘in limbo’ awaiting a new assessment or out of school pending a First-Tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). Almost all of the evidence submitted to the review around special needs points to the need for constructive relationships and adequate training of local authority staff. In line with the approach outlined in Recommendation 6, local authorities could commission new, independent experts and existing third sector organisations to support and monitor children with special educational needs who are educated at home, and meet the proposed duty of the local authority to monitor the elective home education, and in some cases, the statement of SEN. IPSEA endorse this approach.
More work needs to be done in this area and I therefore recommend:
Recommendation 17
That the Ofsted review of SEN provision give due consideration to home educated children with special educational needs and make specific reference to the support of those children.
7.5 That being said I also believe that immediate action should be taken both to regularise the current position, ensure that local authorities meet their obligation to monitor statements of special educational needs and secure adequate resources and support for the child. To that end I recommend:
Recommendation 18
That the DCSF should reinforce in guidance to local authorities the requirement to exercise their statutory duty to assure themselves that education is suitable and meets the child’s special educational needs. They should regard the move to home education as a trigger to conduct a review and satisfy themselves that the potentially changed complexity of education provided at home, still constitutes a suitable education. The statement should then be revised accordingly to set out that the parent has made their own arrangements under section 7 of the Education Act 1996. In the wake of the Ofsted review, changes to the SEN framework and legislation may be required.
Recommendation 19
That the statutory review of statements of SEN in accord with Recommendation 18 above be considered as fulfilling the function of mandatory annual review of elective home education recommended previously.
Recommendation 20
When a child or young person without a statement of special educational needs has been in receipt of School Action Plus support, local authorities and other agencies should give due consideration to whether that support should continue once the child is educated at home – irrespective of whether or not such consideration requires a new commissioning of service.
7.6 Local authorities should also pay particular attention to the Lamb Inquiry (17) comments relating to partnership with parents and the need for transparency in communication (18) . In the same inquiry, comments made regarding better and more communication with parents (19) could equally well be applied to the expectation parents should have of local authorities when they elect to home educate.
(17) Lamb Inquiry Review of SEN and Disability Information; Brian Lamb; April 29th 2009 HTU www.dcsf.gov.uk/lambinquiry/.
(18) Ibid p 7, para 27 19 Ibid p6, para 24
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8. Safeguarding
8.1 Of all the matters considered during the course of this inquiry the question of safeguarding electively home educated children has prompted the most vociferous response. Many parents have expressed anger and outrage that it was suggested that elective home education could be used as a cover for abuse. They have not been slow to point out that the most dangerous and damaging abuse of children is often before statutory school age or where children have been withdrawn from school or are already known to children’s social care.
8.2 Many home educators argue that press coverage of this review has cast them as “guilty” with a need to prove “innocence” just by virtue of being a home educator. And many have argued for a measured response to prevent “hard cases becoming bad law”. In addressing this issue I have tried to answer two fundamental questions:
*First, if there is abuse of children within the home education community, is it disproportionally high, relative to the general population?
*Secondly where abuse does exist, would a change of regulation with regard to elective home education have either prevented or ameliorated such abuse?
8.3 It would be wrong to assume that home educators do not take the question of child safety, their own and others, very seriously. Some home educators who contributed to this review argued for periodic spot checks by authorities. The view was also expressed that attendance at school was no guarantee of a child’s safety, as other tragic cases have indicated.
8.4 I understand the argument but do not accept it in its entirety in that attendance at school brings other eyes to bear, and does provide opportunity for the child to disclose to a trusted adult. Furthermore the 2004 Children Act, with its emphasis upon five outcomes for children including their safety not just their achievement, places new responsibilities upon schools to work with other agencies in a preventative way.
8.5 Some home educators have access to support and guidance from their organisations on recognising and dealing with child protection and many in conversation stressed to me the importance of their informal networks and knowledge of their own community. I am not persuaded that, although laudable, this is sufficient. Apart from which, on the basis of local authority responses to my questionnaire, there are many children likely to be unknown to the authorities or engaged in such networks. The process of registration recommended earlier should address this issue.
8.6 In seeking to answer the two questions posed earlier I have sought evidence and advice from protecting services and a range of third sector and other agencies that are engaged in the promotion of child safety and the protection of children. I have also analysed recent serious case reviews and sought information from local authorities on the number of electively home educated children subject to a child protection plan or were previously on the Child Protection Register.
The NSPCC is quite clear in its response in seeking a registration scheme and changed guidance. (20)
“We do not agree that the status quo should be maintained and do think that monitoring should be strengthened. We are concerned that the child’s safety and welfare should be paramount and that there is nothing in the current guidance or framework that would prevent children from being abused by people who may claim to be home educators. The current guidance on EHE [elective home education] says that the local authority can investigate if they have a concern about the child’s education, but they do not have the powers to visit or meet the child. The guidance (paragraph 2.15) refers to the ability to see a child under s47 of the Children Act 1989. In order for a professional to use s47 they “must have reasonable cause to suspect that a child who lives or is found, in their area is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm”. If a child who is being abused is not afforded opportunities outwith the house, then the slim chances of them being identified become even smaller than they already are. In such a situation, because there is no education concern, the local authority does not investigate, as there are no grounds to do so. If a member of the public sees the child (and this would need to be regularly) then they are unlikely to contact an appropriate body. It then becomes a catch 22 as no concern is raised, because the child or the environment in which they are cared for is not seen.”
8.7 The National Children’s Bureau both in its response and through membership of my reference group to this inquiry have raised similar concerns.
8.8 The National Association of Social Workers in Education (NASWE) is more equivocal in its response but recognises the difficulty for local authorities under existing guidance to exercise their duty of care.
(20) NSPCC Response to DCSF Call for Evidence, April 2009
“The lack of regulation has made it very difficult for local authorities to exercise their duty of care to the child or young person concerned and may compromise a child’s right to education. The legislation only makes it possible to consider the education on offer and this goes against all other aspects of their work with children which, encourages the consideration of a range of factors contributing to the ECM outcomes. EHE is not in itself a safeguarding issue although the failure to provide a satisfactory education (in any context) may seriously compromise a child’s future opportunities. EHE removes the opportunity for what is a very efficient method for monitoring and surveillance through attendance at school. Consequently the issue of EHE has become conflated with safeguarding concerns which may exist regardless of the method by which a child receives education.”
8.9 Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI), in her submission, makes it clear that irrespective of the number of cases, change in regulation is necessary, furthermore that there is an unacceptable variation in the practice of local authorities and Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB):
“Our experience from inspections of children’s services and evaluations of serious case reviews is that there is variation across the country in how proactively local safeguarding children boards ensure these children are safeguarded. Some local child protection procedures address this robustly while others do not. Current DCSF guidelines for local authorities on elective home education place insufficient emphasis on safeguarding the welfare of children. In a small number of cases, our evaluation of serious case reviews has identified that a lack of oversight of children receiving home education contributed to a serious incident or the death of a child. Schools have an important responsibility to monitor children’s safety and welfare but this safety net is missing for children educated at home. In addition, children who are educated at home may have less access to trusted adults who they can turn to if they are concerned about their home circumstances.”
8.10 Ofsted go on to report findings from a small study they conducted in 2008 into the effectiveness of local authority policies to manage the risks to children who are not attending school nor receiving education elsewhere.
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“Some authorities expressed the view that securing adequate safeguarding would be easier if they had a clear right of access to family homes in the course of monitoring the suitability of home education. Some authorities reported that national organisations for home education were advising parents to deny access to officers from children’s services who were attempting to establish the suitability of the provision. Ofsted is concerned that this advice may increase the risk of harm to some children. Children who are educated at home but are not known to the local authority may be more likely to be at risk. Local authorities are notified when children are removed from local authority school rolls. However, during the survey referred to above, five local authorities expressed concern that some independent schools in their area did not notify them when pupils were taken off roll.” (21)
8.11 Some of the concerns raised by the above are dealt with in earlier recommendations. However, in the light of the submission by HMCI and the other evidence, I recommend:
Recommendation 21
That the Children’s Trust Board ensures that the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) reports to them on an annual basis with regard to the safeguarding provision and actions taken in relation to home educated children. This report shall also be sent to the National Safeguarding delivery Unit. Such information should be categorised thereby avoiding current speculation with regard to the prevalence of child protection concerns amongst home educated children which may well be exaggerated. This information should contribute to and be contained within the National Annual Report.
8.12 To return to the two questions posed earlier. First, on the basis of local authority evidence and case studies presented, even acknowledging the variation between authorities, the number of children known to children’s social care in some local authorities is disproportionately high relative to the size of their home educating population. Secondly, despite the small number of serious case reviews where home education was a feature, the consideration of these reviews and the data outlined above, suggests that those engaged in the support and monitoring of
(21) DCSF is planning to implement Sir Roger Singleton’s recent recommendation, as outlined in his report ‘Keep our school safe’ (2009), to “ensure that all independent and non-maintained schools are required to notify the LA when children of compulsory school age leave the roll, and to inform them of the destination where this is known to them”. This change will be included the revision of the Independent School Standards that will take effect from September 2010
Home education should be alert to the potential additional risk to children. So saying is not to suggest that there is a causal or determining relationship, but simply an indication of the need for appropriately trained and knowledgeable personnel. To that end, I recommend:
Recommendation 22
That those responsible for monitoring and supporting home education, or commissioned so to do, are suitably qualified and experienced to discharge their duties and responsibilities set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (22) to refer to social care services children who they believe to be in need of services or where there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.
Recommendation 23
That local authority adult services and other agencies be required to inform those charged with the monitoring and support of home education of any properly evidenced concerns that they have of parents’ or carers’ ability to provide a suitable education irrespective of whether or not they are known to children’s social care, on such grounds as:
*alcohol or drug abuse
* incidents of domestic violence
*previous offences against children
* And in addition: anything else which may affect their ability to provide a suitable and efficient education.
8.13 This requirement should be considered in the Government’s revision of Working Together to Safeguard Children Guidance. Local authorities have a general duty, when carrying out functions in the education context, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (section 175 Education Act 2002). Provision for the protection of children is contained in the Children Act 1989 and includes provision that local authorities have a duty to investigate where they have reasonable cause to suspect
(22) DCSF (2006) Working Together to Safeguard Children, TSO, London.
that a child in their area is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm. Whether a child may or may not have already come to the attention of the local authority because of safeguarding concerns, I believe it is of crucial importance in any registration scheme to give the local authority a discretion to prevent a child being electively home educated for safeguarding reasons. I therefore recommend:
Recommendation 24
That the DCSF make such change as is necessary to the legislative framework to enable local authorities to refuse registration on safeguarding grounds. In addition, local authorities should have the right to revoke registration should safeguarding concerns become apparent.
8.14 With regard to other specific groups within the remit of this inquiry I can find no evidence that elective home education is a particular factor in the removal of children to forced marriage, servitude or trafficking or for inappropriate abusive activities. Based on the limited evidence available, this view is supported by the Association of Chief Police Officers. That is not to say that there are not isolated cases of trafficking that have been brought to my attention.
8.15 The foregoing would confirm my view that had there been different regulations in place as proposed, they may well have had a mitigating effect without necessarily guaranteeing prevention. However, any regulation is only as effective as its transaction. To that end I believe it is important to hold local authorities to account, identify and disseminate good practice and ensure that in addition to the training proposed earlier, that local authority and other staff are adequately and properly trained in safeguarding procedures and requirements:
Recommendation 25
That the DCSF, in its revision of the National Indicator Set indicated in its response to the recent Laming Review, should incorporate an appropriate target relating to the safeguarding of children in elective home education.
Recommendation 26
DCSF should explore the potential for the Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People’s Services (C4EO) and other organisations, to identify and disseminate good practice regarding support for home education.
Recommendation 27
It is recommended that the Children’s Workforce development Council and the National Safeguarding delivery Unit include the needs of this group of officers in their consideration of national training needs.
9. Resources
9.1 Irrespective of any estimate of the number of children currently electively home educated, it is the case that should they return to school, they would immediately draw down the Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU) value for a child of their age within that locality. At present no such funding attaches to them on becoming electively home educated. Local authorities meet their own costs and the cost of services provided are met from within their own resources – which in part accounts for the disparity of support provision. I do not believe this to be fair or just.
9.2 Yes, they (sometimes) and their parents have chosen to leave the schooling system but they remain in education and the state has a responsibility to use its best endeavours to promote their safety and achievement. To implement the registration scheme and meet the other requirements of this report, will undoubtedly require further resources. However, recognising that these resources are part of a complex arrangement between local authorities and the DCSF, I recommend:
Recommendation 28
That the DCSF and the Local Government Association determine within three months how to provide to local authorities sufficient resources to secure the recommendations in this report.
10. Issues Out of Scope of this Inquiry and the need for further research
10.1 Inevitably during the course of an inquiry, matters arise that require answers, yet either no answer is easily forthcoming, or in searching for it, one becomes aware that the evidence does not exist. In particular I am concerned by two issues.
First, what constitutes ‘autonomous’ learning. Could it be, as many home educating parents have argued, it defies definition but provides the ultimate opportunity for children to develop at their own rate and expands their talents and aptitudes thought the pursuit of personal interest. Or, does it present a more serious concern for a quality of education that lacks pace, rigour and direction. I come to no conclusion but believe further research into the efficacy of autonomous learning is essential.
Case law offers some insight: (23)
“...in our judgment “education” demands at least an element of supervision; merely to allow a child to follow its own devices in the hope that it will acquire knowledge by imitation, experiment or experience in its own way and in its own good time is neither systematic nor instructive…such a course would not be education but, at best, child- minding.” (23)
10.2 My second issue in part relates to the first. I am not convinced by the existing research studies on the outcomes for home educated children both in this country and elsewhere. Although some (but not all) studies have found that home educated children outperform schooled children on a range of indicators, the results may be attributable to parental characteristics (e.g. better educated parents with higher incomes). Some of the studies were also based on small samples and therefore the ability to generalise is limited. Some were based on self selecting, and therefore biased, samples. The diverse characteristics of home educated children make it difficult to generalise about their academic performance.
10.3 Furthermore, little is known about the collective outcomes for home educated children in terms of their qualifications and employment. Evidence offered to this inquiry on the proportion of home educated young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) was inconclusive. Again I believe further research is necessary that seeks information on progression to further and higher education and employment.
10.4 I suspect that should the recommendations in this report be accepted, these matters will demand and receive further attention.
(23) Harrison and Harrison v Stevenson (1982) QB (DC) 729/81
11.Conclusion
11.1 International comparison suggests that of all countries with highly developed education systems, England is the most liberal in its approach to elective home education. Legislation from the 1930s banning elective home education still persists in Germany and most European countries require registration, whereas New Zealand demands that the “person will be taught at least as regularly and as well as in registered school.”(24)
The majority of other countries also have processes for registration and the systematic monitoring of elective home education and require evidence of progress, often specifically in mathematics and reading. The recommendations in this review do not go that far.
11.2 I have sought to strike a balance 11.2 between the rights of parents and the rights of the child, and offer, through registration and other recommendations, some assurance on the greater safety of a number of children.
11.3 I recognise that much of what is proposed can be implemented and achieved through advice and changes in guidance in due course. However I believe certain recommendations require immediate action. To that end, I urge the DCSF to respond to recommendations 1, 7, 23 and 24 as summarised in the next chapter, at the next available opportunity.
(24) New Zealand Education Act 1989 No. 80 (as at 17 December 2008) Public Act, 21(1)(a)(i)
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12.Summary of Recommendations
Recommendation 1
That the DCSF establishes a compulsory national registration scheme, locally administered, for all children of statutory school age, who are, or become, electively home educated.
* This scheme should be common to all local authorities.
*Registration should be renewed annually.
*Those who are registering for the first time should be visited by the appropriate local authority officer within one month of registration.
*Local authorities should ensure that all home educated children and young people already known to them are registered on the new scheme within one month of its inception and visited over the following twelve months, following the commencement of any new legislation.
*Provision should be made to allow registration at a local school, children’s centre or other public building as determined by the local authority.
*When parents are thinking of deregistering their child/children from school to home educate, schools should retain such pupils on roll for a period of 20 school days so that should there be a change in circumstances, the child could be readmitted to the school. This period would also allow for the resolution of such difficulties that may have prompted the decision to remove the child from school.
*National guidance should be issued on the requirements of registration and be made available online and at appropriate public buildings. Such guidance must include a clear statement of the statutory basis of elective home education and the rights and responsibilities of parents.
*At the time of registration parents/carers/guardians must provide a clear statement of their educational approach, intent and desired/planned outcomes for the child over the following twelve months.
*Guidance should be issued to support parents in this task with an opportunity to meet local authority officers to discuss the planned approach to home education and develop the plan before it is finalised. The plan should be finalised within eight weeks of first registration.
*As well as written guidance, support should encompass advice from a range of advisers and organisations, including schools. Schools should regard this support as a part of their commitment to extended schooling.
*Where a child is removed from a school roll to be home educated, the school must provide to the appropriate officer of the local authority a record of the child’s achievement to date and expected achievement, within 20 school days of the registration, together with any other school records.
*Local authorities must ensure that there are mechanisms/systems in place to record and review registrations annually.
Recommendation 2
That the DCSF review the current statutory definition of what constitutes a “suitable” and “efficient” education in the light of the Rose review of the primary curriculum, and other changes to curriculum assessment and definition throughout statutory school age.
Such a review should take account of the five Every Child Matters outcomes determined by the 2004 Children Act, should not be overly prescriptive but be sufficiently defined to secure a broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum that would allow children and young people educated at home to have sufficient information to enable them to expand their talents and make choices about likely careers. The outcome of this review should further inform guidance on registration. Home educators should be engaged in this process.
Recommendation 3
That all local authorities analyse the reasons why parents or carers chose elective home education and report those findings to the Children’s Trust Board, ensuring that this analysis contributes to the debate that determines the Children and Young People’s Plan.
Recommendation 4
That the local authority should establish a Consultative Forum for home educating parents to secure their views and representative opinion. Such a body could be constituted as a sub-group of the Children’s Trust with a role in supporting the development of the Children’s Trust, and the intentions of the local authority with regard to elective home education.
Recommendation 5
That the DCSF should bring forward proposals requiring all local authorities to report to the Children’s Trust Board making clear how it intends to monitor and support children and young people being educated at home, in accord with Recommendation 1.
Report to the Secretary of State on the Review of Elective Home Education in England
Recommendation 6
That local authorities should where appropriate commission the monitoring and support of home education through the local Children’s Trust Board, thereby securing a multidisciplinary approach and the likely use of expertise from other agencies and organisations including the voluntary sector.
Recommendation 7
The DCSF should bring forward proposals to change the current regulatory and statutory basis to ensure that in monitoring the efficiency and suitability of elective home education: That designated local authority officers should:
* have the right of access to the home;
*have the right to speak with each child alone if deemed appropriate or, if a child is particularly vulnerable or has particular communication needs, in the company of a trusted person who is not the home educator or the parent/carer. In so doing, officers will be able to satisfy themselves that the child is safe and well.
*That a requirement is placed upon local authorities to secure the monitoring of the effectiveness of elective home education as determined in Recommendation 1.
*That parents be required to allow the child through exhibition or other means to demonstrate both attainment and progress in accord with the statement of intent lodged at the time of registration.
Recommendation 8
That reasonable warning of intended visit and invitation to exhibit should be given to home educators, parents and carers, not less than two weeks in advance. A written report of each visit must be filed within 21 days and copied to the home educating parent and child. A suitable process for factual correction and challenge to the content must be in place and made known to all parties.
Recommendation 9
That all local authority officers and others engaged in the monitoring and support of elective home education must be suitably trained. This training must include awareness of safeguarding issues and a full understanding of the essential difference, variation and diversity in home education practice, as compared to schools. Wherever possible and appropriate, representatives of the home
educating community should be involved in the development and/or provision of such training. It is recommended that all officers be trained in the use of the Common Assessment Framework.
Recommendation 10
That all local authorities should offer a menu of support to home educating families in accord with the requirements placed upon them by the power of wellbeing, extended schools and community engagement and other legislation. To that end local authorities must provide support for home educating children and young people to find appropriate examination centres and provide entries free to all home educated candidates who have demonstrated sufficiently their preparedness through routine monitoring, for aII DCSF funded qualifications.
Recommendation 11
That in addition to Recommendation 10 above, local authorities should, in collaboration with schools and colleges: Extend and make available the opportunities of flexi-schooling.
*Extend access to school libraries, sports facilities, school visits, specialist facilities and key stage assessment.
*Provide access to specialist music tuition on the same cost basis.
*Provide access to work experience.
* Provide access to post 14 vocational opportunities.
* Signpost to third sector support where they have specialist experience and knowledge, for example, provision for bullied children.
Recommendation 12
*BECTA considers the needs of the home educating community in the national roll out of the home access initiative
*That local authorities consider what support and access to ICT facilities could be given to home educating children and young people through the existing school networks and the use of school based materials
*That the QCA should consider the use of ICT in the testing and exam process with regard to its impact on home educated children and young people.
That local authority provision in regard to elective home education is brought into the scope of Ofsted’s assessment of children’s services within the Comprehensive Area Assessment through information included in the National Indicator Set (Recommendation 25), the annual LSCB report (Recommendation 21) and any other relevant information available to inspectors.
Recommendation 14
That the DCSF require all local authorities to make an annual return to the Children’s Trust Board regarding the number of electively home educated children and young people and the number of School Attendance Orders and Education Supervision Orders as defined in the 1996 Education Act, issued to home educated children and young people.
Recommendation 15
That the DCSF take such action as necessary to prevent schools or local authorities advising parents to consider home education to prevent permanent exclusion or using such a mechanism to deal with educational or behavioural issues.
Recommendation 16
That the DCSF bring forward proposals to give local authorities power of direction with regard to school places for children and young people returning to school from home education above planned admission limits in circumstances where it is quite clear that the needs of the child or young person could not be met without this direction.
Recommendation 17
That the Ofsted review of SEN provision give due consideration to home educated children with special educational needs and make specific reference to the support of those children.
Recommendation 18
That the DCSF should reinforce in guidance to local authorities the requirement to exercise their statutory duty to assure themselves that education is suitable and meets the child’s special educational needs. They should regard the move to home education as a trigger to conduct a review and satisfy themselves that the potentially changed complexity of education provided at home, still
constitutes a suitable education. The statement should then be revised accordingly to set out that the parent has made their own arrangements under section 7 of the Education Act 1996. In the wake of the Ofsted review, changes to the SEN framework and legislation may be required.
Recommendation 19
That the statutory review of statements of SEN in accord with Recommendation 18 above be considered as fulfilling the function of mandatory annual review of elective home education recommended previously.
Recommendation 20
When a child or young person without a statement of special educational needs has been in receipt of School Action Plus support, local authorities and other agencies should give due consideration to whether that support should continue once the child is educated at home – irrespective of whether or not such consideration requires a new commissioning of service.
Recommendation 21
That the Children’s Trust Board ensures that the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) reports to them on an annual basis with regard to the safeguarding provision and actions taken in relation to home educated children. This report shall also be sent to the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit. Such information should be categorised thereby avoiding current speculation with regard to the prevalence of child protection concerns amongst home educated children which may well be exaggerated. This information should contribute to and be contained within the National Annual Report.
Recommendation 22
That those responsible for monitoring and supporting home education, or commissioned so to do, are suitably qualified and experienced to discharge their duties and responsibilities set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children to refer to social care services children who they believe to be in need of services or where there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.
Recommendation 23
That local authority adult services and other agencies be required to inform those charged with the monitoring and support of home education of any properly evidenced concerns that they have of parents’ or carers’ ability to provide a suitable education irrespective of whether or not they are known to children’s social care, on such grounds as
*alcohol or drug abuse
* incidents of domestic violence
*previous offences against children
*And in addition: anything else which may affect their ability to provide a suitable and efficient education
This requirement should be considered in the Government’s revision of Working Together to Safeguard Children Guidance.
Recommendation 24
That the DCSF make such change as is necessary to the legislative framework to enable local authorities to refuse registration on safeguarding grounds. In addition local authorities should have the right to revoke registration should safeguarding concerns become apparent.
Recommendation 25
That the DCSF, in its revision of the National Indicator Set indicated in its response to the recent Laming Review, should incorporate an appropriate target relating to the safeguarding of children in elective home education.
Recommendation 26
DCSF should explore the potential for Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People’s Services (C4EO) and other organisations, to identify and disseminate good practice regarding support for home education.
Recommendation 27
It is recommended that the Children’s Workforce Development Council and the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit include the needs of this group of officers in their consideration of national training needs.
Recommendation 28
That the DCSF and the Local Government Association determine within three months how to provide to local authorities sufficient resources to secure the recommendations in this report.
Annex A – Review Terms of Reference
Background and Rationale
The Department is committed to ensuring that systems for keeping children safe, and ensuring that they receive a suitable education, are as robust as possible. An independent review of home education is part of this continuing commitment. Parents have a well established right to educate their children at home and Government respects that right. There are no plans to change that position.
However, where local authorities have concerns about the safety and welfare, or education, of a home educated child, effective systems must be in place to deal with those concerns. The review will assess the effectiveness of current arrangements and will, if necessary, make recommendations for improvements.
Terms of reference
The review of home education will investigate:
*The barriers to local authorities and other public agencies in carrying out their responsibilities for safeguarding home educated children and advise on improvements to ensure that the five Every Child Matters outcomes are being met for home educated children;
*The extent to which claims of home education could be used as a ‘cover’ for child abuse such as neglect, forced marriage, sexual exploitation or domestic servitude and advise on measures to prevent this;
*Whether local authorities are providing the right type, level and balance of support to home educating families to ensure they are undertaking their duties to provide a suitable full time education to their children;
*Whether any changes to the current regime for monitoring the standard of home education are needed to support the work of parents, local authorities and other partners in ensuring all children achieve the Every Child Matters outcomes.
Timing
The review will be conducted over 4 months, starting in January 2009 and concluding in April 2009 with a published report in May 2009. Ministers will then consider whether any further work is required on any aspect of home education, on the basis of the findings contained in the review report.
Scope
The Review will focus on practice in England but may consider relevant material from the devolved administrations within the UK and elsewhere. Review methodology The review will be led by Graham Badman, former Managing Director, Children, Families and Education in Kent. It will: Map existing practice and consider the effectiveness of different practice – including
*identifying best practice – in England and elsewhere in monitoring home education from an Every Child Matters perspective;
*Identify what evidence there is that claims of home education are, or could be, used as a ‘cover’ for child abuse under current monitoring practice;
*Consider evidence of the effectiveness of current monitoring practice contained in Serious Case Reviews, Joint Area Reviews and other relevant inspections and reviews;
*Seek evidence on how the systems operate in practice from key stakeholders including home education groups, home educating families, local authorities and children’s charities;
*Identify areas for improvement and make recommendations for any changes to strengthen current arrangements.
The review will gather views and evidence through a literature review, a review of the law and guidance and a series of interviews with key stakeholders representing the range of interests. It will consider how effectively arrangements are currently operating, focusing on the operation of systems and procedures and not on individual cases. The review team will contact key stakeholders and invite submissions. Other stakeholders who wish to contribute can do so via a questionnaire available at www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations. The review will also consider the views of stakeholders gathered as part of the recent public consultation on the statutory guidance on children not receiving a suitable education.
Annex B – List of Consultees
Association of Chief Police Officers
Association of Directors of Children’s Services
Association of Education Welfare Managers
Autism in Mind
Bedfordshire County Council
Birmingham City Council
British Dyslexia Association
Cheshire County Council
Professor James Conroy
Department of Health
Derbyshire County Council
Education Otherwise
Family Education Trust
Forced Marriage Unit, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Gloucestershire County Council Home Education Advisory Service
Home Education Research Association
Independent Panel for Special Educational Advice (IPSEA)
Islamic Home Schooling Advisory Network
Arthur Ivatts
Leicestershire County Council
Local Government Association
National Association of Social Workers in Education
National Autism Society
NCB North Yorkshire County Council
NSPCC
Ofsted
Dr Paula Rothermel
Alison Sauer, Sauer Consulting
Professor Alan Thomas
Staffordshire County Council
Wandsworth Council
West Sussex County Council
Wolverhampton Council
Worcestershire County Council
And numerous home educating parents and children.
Annex C – Public call for evidence questionnaire
Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire about home education. The Government is committed to ensuring that systems for keeping children safe, and ensuring that they receive a suitable education, are as robust as possible. An independent review of home education is part of this continuing commitment. The Review will look in particular at if and how far home educated children have access to the five Every Child Matters outcomes (see www. everychildmatters.gov.uk for more information). These outcomes are:
*Be healthy
* Stay safe
*Enjoy and achieve
*Make a positive contribution
*Achieve economic wellbeing
The full terms of reference for the review are available on-line at ww.everychildmatters.gov.uk/ete/ homeeducation
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has asked Graham Badman CBE, to lead this independent review. Mr Badman is gathering evidence about current working arrangements from a range of key stakeholders such as home educating families and home educated children; local authority staff responsible for ensuring the safety, wellbeing and education of children and young people; and other organisations that represent children, young people and families, such as children’s charities.
As part of that process, we would be very interested to hear your responses to the questions below. Please return your completed questionnaire by Friday 20th February 2009 to
homeeducation. review@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk T
hank you for taking time to respond to these questions.
Section One – About You
1. Please specify in what capacity you are responding to this questionnaire. Please tick
Please provide more information if you wish
A home educating parent
A home educated child Working in local authority with responsibility for home educated children Working in local authority with other responsibilities
Working with children or families in another capacity (e.g. third sector)
Member of the general public
Other organisation/capacity (please specify)
========================================================
2. Do you think the current system for safeguarding children who are educated at home is adequate?
Yes Why do you think that?
No Why do you think that?
Don’t know
==========================
3. do you think that home educated children are able to achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes? Yes/No/Don't Know.
Please say why for each of the five outcomes.
Be healthy
Stay safe
Enjoy and achieve
Make a positive contribution
Achieve economic well-being
===============================
4. Do you think that Government and local authorities have an obligation to ensure that all children in this country are able to achieve the five outcomes?
Yes/No/Don't Know
How do you think Government should ensure this? Why do you think that?
===============================
5. Do you think there should be any changes made to the current system for supporting home educating families? Yes/No/Don't Know
What should they be?
Why do you think that?
========================
6. Do you think there should be any changes made to the current system for monitoring home educating families? Yes/No/Don't Know.
What should they be? Why do you think that?
==========================
7. Some people have expressed concern that home education could be used as a cover for child abuse, forced marriage, domestic servitude or other forms of child neglect. What do you think Government should do to ensure this cannot happen again?
Thank you for taking time to respond to these questions. Please return your completed questionnaire, by Friday 20th February 2009, to homeeducation.review@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
==========================================================
Annex D – Questionnaire to local authorities
Independent Review of Home Education in England
Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire about processes for supporting and monitoring home education. You may find it helpful to read through the questionnaire before attempting to complete it. Completion of the questionnaire is entirely voluntary.
Responses will be completely confidential and used only for the purposes of the independent review.
The Government is committed to ensuring that systems for keeping children safe are as robust as possible. As part of this continuing commitment, an independent review of home education will assess whether the right systems are in place for ensuring that home educated children have access to the five Every Child Matters outcomes. This includes whether Government should do more to support local authorities in discharging their duties in relation to home educated children.
The full terms of reference for the review are available on-line at www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/ete/ homeeducation
As organisations responsible for ensuring the safety, wellbeing and education of children and young people in your localities, we very much value your input into this review.
Please note, the Director of Children’s Services and Lead Member for Children and Young People are asked to sign off the response to this questionnaire before submitting it.
Please return your completed questionnaire by Friday 6 February to homeeducation.review@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
Or by post to: Elizabeth Green Home Education Review DCSF Level 2 Sanctuary Buildings Great Smith Street London SW1P 3BT
Thank you for taking time to respond to these questions.
=========================================================
Questions for local authorities:
About your local authority
Name of LA
Tel.
No of main contact
E-mail of main contact
Would you be willing to take part in the next phase of the research in March (including in-depth interviews with key personnel in your organisation)? Yes/No
1. Who is involved in supporting and monitoring home educated children within the local authority and other agencies? Team with main responsibility – List all teams/professionals involved
Support Monitoring
Describe how you ensure collaboration and communication between these teams/individuals Section Two – data and Tracking
2. How many children are currently home educated in your local authority? Phase Registered with LA Non-registered children Primary age Secondary age Total
3. Are these figures accurate or based on estimates? Accurate/Estimate
Where do you get this data from? How do you know the data are accurate?
What data have you used to arrive at this figure? (List all sources)
4. How confident are you in the accuracy of this data? Very confident/Fairly confident/Don’t know/Not very confident/Not at all confident
5. How often does the local authority get updated data?
List frequency for each source separately
6. Thinking about your home educated population, what proportions have the following characteristics?
Please say whether these figures are based on estimates or accurate data. Characteristic Proportion
Delete as appropriate
Statement for SEN Estimate/accurate
Non-statemented SEN Estimate/accurate
Gypsy, Roma, Traveller heritage Estimate/accurate
Other BME Group (please state below) Estimate/accurate
7. do you believe the local authority knows about all the home educated children in your area?
Yes, we are confident we know about all home educated children in the area
We think we know about the vast majority of home educated children in the area
We probably do not know about a fair number of home educated children in the area
We probably do not know about a significant proportion of home educated children in the area
8. do you think that you will be better able to track children in your area in the near future?
e.g. planned changes to your own systems, ContactPoint, other system improvements? Yes/No/Don't Know.
Why do you think that?
Section Three – Supporting Home Educating Families
9. How does the local authority ensure families know about their rights and responsibilities in relation to home education? List all approaches used
10. What support does your local authority provide to home educating families? List all forms of support offered
11. How does the local authority let families know about the services provided to support them in home educating their children? List all approaches used
Section Four – Assessment and Monitoring
12. Following the initial assessment visit, are further monitoring visits made to a home educated child? Yes/No/Don’t know
12a. If yes, how often, on average, are these carried out?
More than twice a year? How often?
Twice a year
Once a year
Less than once a year
Additional comments
13. On average, how often is the child seen when a visit is made?
Always, at each visit
Usually, but not always
Sometimes
Never
Depends on the child/circumstances
Please describe
==================================================
14. If the child is seen, where is s/he usually seen?
In the home
At the home, but do not go inside
Another venue
Please specifiy _____________________________________
Depends on the child/circumstances Please describe
15. If you are not permitted access to a child, is any further action taken? Yes/No/Don’t know
15a. If yes, what further steps are taken? Please describe
16. How is the ‘suitability’ of the education provided to the child assessed? Please describe
17. Is the local authority clear about what the definition of a ‘suitable education’ is? Yes/No/Don't Know
Why is that? Why is that?
18. does the local authority have systems in place to track the educational progress of home educated children? Yes/No/Don’t know
If yes, please describe the system
19. Of the home educated children in your area of whom you have knowledge, what proportion in your estimation are receiving a suitable, full time (20hrs a week) education? Please describe
20. does the local authority take any further steps if a home educated child’s education was found to be unsuitable or not full time? Yes/No/Don’t know
20a. If yes, what steps are then taken? Please describe
21. does the local authority face any challenges in assessing whether home educated children receive a suitable education? Yes/No/Don’t know
If yes, please describe challenges and what you think could be done to overcome these
22. Thinking about your local area, in the last five years 25 , how many cases have you come across that use the premise of home education as a ‘cover’ for child abuse, forced marriage or other aspects of child neglect? Please specify. _____________________________________________________________
Additional comments
Please include the number of Serious Case Reviews you know about that have a home education element 25 Since January 2003 26 NB – this data will not be aggregated or used in any other way. This data will provide an overall sense of the scale of this issue
23. do you think the current system for safeguarding children who are educated at home is adequate? Yes Why do you think that? No Why do you think that? Don’t know
24. do you think that home educated children in your local authority are able to achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes? Yes/No/Don't Know.
Please say why for each of the five outcomes.
Be healthy
Stay safe
Enjoy and achieve
Make a positive contribution
Achieve economic well-being
Please say why for each of the five outcomes.
Be healthy
Stay safe
Enjoy and achieve
Make a positive contribution
Achieve economic well-being
25. Do you think there should be any changes made to the current system for supporting home educated families? Yes/No/Don't Know
What should they be?
Why do you think that?
26. Do you think there should be any changes made to the current system for monitoring home educating families and ensuring that home educated children are able to achieve the five outcomes? Yes/No/Don't Know
What should they be?
Why do you think that?
Thank you for taking time to respond to these questions. Please return your completed questionnaire, by Friday 6 February to homeeducation.review@dcsf. gsi.gov.uk or by post to the address on page one. If you are returning the questionnaire electronically, please add the name of the DCS and Lead Member in the signature box.
Declaration
I agree that the information supplied in this questionnaire is a true reflection of practice in this local authority.
Signed_______________________________________________________ Date _____________ Director of Children’s Services Signed_______________________________________________________ Date _____________ Lead Member for Children
The information you have provided may be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This does not necessarily mean that your response can be made available to the public as there are exemptions relating to information provided in confidence and information to which the Data Protection Act 1998 applies. You may request confidentiality by ticking the box provided, but you should note that this may not exclude the public right of access. Please tick if you want to keep your response confidential
Annex E – Legislative framework
1. Children’s rights The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international human 1.1 rights treaty that grants all children and young people (aged 17 and under) a comprehensive set of rights. It came into force in the UK on 15 January 1992. When a country ratifies the convention it agrees to do everything it can to implement it. The convention gives children and young people over forty substantive rights which include 1.2 the right to express their views freely, the right to be heard in any legal or administrative matters that affect them and the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas (Articles 12 and 13). It also includes the right to an education (Article 28).
1.3 Section 53 of the 2004 Children Act sets out the duty on local authorities to, where reasonably practicable, take into account the child’s wishes and feelings with regard to the provision of services.
1.4 Local authorities must ensure that functions conferred on them in their capacity as a local education authority are exercised with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Duties under the Children Act 1989 impose a requirement on local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area and to make enquiries and take appropriate steps where there are concerns about a child’s welfare.
2. Parent’s rights, responsibilities and duties The Human Rights Act 1998 came into effect on 2 October 2000. The purpose of the Act is to 2.1 give effect to the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the European Convention on Human Rights (“the Convention”). Convention rights are enforceable through domestic courts, legislation should be interpreted so far as possible so as to be compatible with the convention and it is unlawful for public authorities to act in a way which is incompatible with a Convention right. Article 2 Protocol 1 of the Convention provides: “No person shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching is in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions.” 27 Sections 17 and 47 of the Children Act 1989
2.2 Education is therefore a fundamental right and can be provided at school “or otherwise”. The responsibility for the provision of a child’s education rests with their parents who also have a duty to ensure that any education provided is ‘efficient’, ‘full time’ and ‘suitable’. This is set out in Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 which provides that:
“The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable – (a) to his age, ability and aptitude, and (b) to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.”
2.3 The terms “efficient” and “suitable” education are not defined in law although case law has broadly described an “efficient” education as one that “achieves that which it sets out to achieve”. A “suitable” education is one that: “primarily equips a child for life within the community of which he is a member, rather than the way of life in the country as a whole, as long as it does not foreclose the child’s options in later years to adopt some other form of life if he wishes to do so”.
2.4 Parents may decide to educate their child at home and they can do this at any time during statutory school age. Should parents decide to home educate from the start of statutory school age, they can do so and do not have to inform anyone e.g. the local authority. If the child was previously on a maintained school or independent school roll, parents must officially deregister from the school which is then obliged to inform the local authority.
3. Local authorities’ responsibilities
3.1 Local authorities have a statutory duty to make arrangements to enable them to establish the identities, “so far as it is possible to do so”, of children in their area who are not receiving a suitable education.
The duty applies in relation to children of statutory school age who are not on a school roll, and who are not receiving a suitable education otherwise than being at school (for example, at home, privately, or in alternative provision).
Section 7 Education Act 1996
Mr Justice Woolf in the case of R v Secretary of State for Education and Science, ex parte Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass School Trust (12 April 1985)
Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/1751)
Section 436A of the Education Act 1996, inserted by the Education and Inspections Act 2006
3.2 Under Section 437(1) of the Education Act 1996, local authorities shall intervene if it appears that parents are not providing a suitable education. “If it appears to a local education authority that a child of compulsory school age in their area is not receiving suitable education, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise, they shall serve a notice in writing on the parent requiring him to satisfy them within the period specified in the notice that the child is receiving such education.”3.3 Guidance states that “local authorities need to make arrangements which will as far as possible enable them to determine whether any children who are not pupils at schools, such as those being educated at home, are receiving suitable education. In order to do this local authorities should make inquiries with parents educating children at home about the educational provision being made for them”.
Parents are under no duty to respond to such enquiries, but case law provides that “it would be sensible for them to do so”.
3.4 Local authorities can apply to serve a School Attendance Order if after all reasonable steps have been taken, they are not satisfied that a suitable education is being provided. At any stage following the issue of the Order, parents may present evidence to the local authority that they are now providing an appropriate education and apply to have the Order revoked. Local authorities also have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
3.5 This section states: “A local education authority shall make arrangements for ensuring that the functions conferred upon them in their capacity as a local education authority are exercised with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.” This duty does not give local authorities powers to see children for the purposes of monitoring the provision of home education.
Revised statutory guidance for local authorities in England to identify children not receiving a suitable education, DCSF, January 2009; section 87 33 Philips v Brown (unreported transcript 424/78 QB (DC)) 20 June 1980
Detailed information about school attendance orders is contained in Ensuring Regular School Attendance paragraphs 6 to 16
Under section 175(1) of the Education Act 2002
3.6 Where a child who has a statement of special educational needs and is on the roll of a special school the child’s name may not be removed from the register of that school without the local authority’s consent. Consent may not unreasonably be withheld. If a child who has a statement of SEN is educated at home it remains the duty of the local authority to ensure that the child’s needs are met. The statement must remain in place and it is the local authority’s statutory duty to undertake an annual review of special educational needs. This review includes assessing whether the statement is still appropriate, requires amendment or might cease to be maintained. If parents’ arrangements are suitable then the local authority is relieved of its duty to arrange the provision specified in the statement.
Sue Berelowitz, Deputy Children’s Commissioner/Chief Executive, 11 MILLION. Professor James Conroy, Dean of Faculty of Education, University of Glasgow. Paul Ennals, Chief Executive/Jacqui Newvell, Policy Officer, NCB. Stephen Hart, Her Majesty’s Inspector, Ofsted. Professor Stephen Heppell, University of Bournemouth, Chair of Trustees, The Inclusion Trust. Jean Humphrys, Director, Early Years Development, Ofsted. Professor Edward Melhuish, Birkbeck, University of London. Delroy Pommell, Director, London and the South East, Barnardos. Beth Reid, National Autistic Society. Professor June Statham, Institute of Education, University of London. Annex F – Expert Reference Group Printed in the UK for The Stationery Office Limited on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office ID6173620 06/09 Printed on Paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum
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