The Timetable 2009 - 10

January 19th 2009:

The Review of Elective Home Education was announced by the DCSF with a public consultation consisting of seven questions and lasting four weeks, concluding on February 20th 2009.

There was also a 60 question questionnaire for LAs, which we believe was answered by 90 LAs, with further in-depth questions on vulnerable children which was answered by 25 LAs. Mr Badman also visited and spoke to a number of interested parties.

June 11th 2009:

Mr Badman's Review of Elective Home Education was published and the proposals for registration and monitoring were seconded in a letter from Ed Balls. Compulsory registration, monitoring and access to the home educated child in the family home as proposed in the Review would require a new Act of Parliament.

June 11th 2009:

A full public consultation entitled "Home Education - registration and monitoring proposals" was announced at the same time as the release of the Review of Elective Home Education. Everyone is invited to respond. (Closing date for responses 19th October). The government has said that their report on the consultation will not be made public until January 2010.  The DCSF response to this consultation can be viewed here.

June 29th 2009:

The Government gave notice of their intentions with the announcement in their Draft Legislative Programme of the Improving Schools and Safeguarding Children Bill which contained the clause:

"improving monitoring arrangements for children educated at home;"

July 22nd 2009:

The Children, Schools and Families Select Committee announce a short inquiry into the Badman review. They invite submissions up to noon on Tuesday 22nd September 2009.

Videos of the two sessions of the Committee on the subject of the Home Education Review are now available here and here. Transcripts available here and here.

September 2009:

We gather from Ed Balls that the government plan to make a fuller response to the Badman Review Recommendations . This response became public on 9th October 2009, and may be read here.


October 19th 2009:

Consultation on Registration and Monitoring Proposals closes. We must have our responses in before this date. Results from the consultation will not be published by the government until February 2010.

November 18th 2009:

Queen's Speech in which it is expected that the Improving Schools and Safeguarding Children Bill will be announced.

3rd December 2009:

Parliament begins work on the content of the Queen's Speech and the Government's agenda. After the five days of general debates on the Queen's Speech, the programme of work to turn what is outlined in the Queen's Speech into legislation begins as Bills are introduced in both Houses.

Once the bill has been announced, it should follow a predetermined course through the House of Commons and the House of Lords. This usually takes about two months:

"The following stages take place in both Houses:

• First reading (formal introduction of the Bill without debate)
• Second reading (general debate)
• Committee stage (detailed examination, debate and amendments. In the House of Commons this stage takes place in a Public Bill Committee.)
• Report stage (opportunity for further amendments)
• Third reading (final chance for debate; amendments are possible in the Lords)

When a Bill has passed through both Houses it is returned to the first House (where it started) for the second House's amendments to be considered.

Both Houses must agree on the final text. There may be several rounds of exchanges between the two Houses until agreement is reached on every word of the Bill. Once this happens the Bill proceeds to the next stage: Royal Assent.

• Royal Assent (granted by the monarch)
• Act of Parliament (the proposals of the Bill have now become law)"

NB: If the government were to prove very eager to get the bill through, they could attempt a guillotine motion which would severely limit the time set aside for debate. However, we hear that MPs could insist on the various clauses being debated and this could possibly thwart the guillotine motion, hence allowing proper debate.

The risk of a guillotine motion is yet another reason why it is so important to speak to our MPs now. They need to understand the fallacies underpinning the Badman review, and the significance of removing parental responsibility for education so that they can insist on proper debate.

Tuesday 18th December at midnight:
Publication of Children, Schools and Families Select Committee Report into the Badman Review

January 6th 16.00 - 17.00.

There will be a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Home Education with the Schools Minister in the House of Commons. Make sure your MP is there.

January 2010.

 Public announcement of the goverment's report on the consultation "Home Education - Registration and Monitoring Proposals.

January 11th:
Second Reading of the Children, Schools and Families Bill.

19th January:
17.15 to 19.00 hours. The hearing for the Public Bill Committee .

February 4th:
The date by which the government aims to have completed the Public Bill Committee stage for the Children, Schools and Families Bill

February 23rd:
Report Stage of Children, Schools and Families Bill - when Bill is again debated in the House of Commons.

February 23rd:
Third Reading of the Children, Schools and Families Bill, following which the bill will go forward to the Lords.

February 24th:
First Reading of CSF Bill in the Lords

March 2nd:Home education meeting for the Lords, 6-7pm, Committee Room 16, House of Commons. Hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group. The room will be available until 7.30pm.

March 8th:

Second Reading of CSF Bill in the Lords

Early Summer 2010:

General Election, latest possible date for which = 3rd June 2010. Probable date: 6th May. Same date as the local elections. See argument here.