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 [email address]
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.
Section One - About your local authority
Name of LA | Cornwall | |
Tel. No of main contact | 01872 323430 | |
E-mail of main contact | [email address] | |
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 | |
1. Who is involved in supporting and monitoring home educated children within the local authority and other agencies?
Team with main responsibility - Education Welfare Service -EWS | |
List all teams / professionals involved | |
Support | Monitoring |
Education Welfare Officers
| EHE monitoring teachers |
Describe how you ensure collaboration and communication between these teams / individuals. Both teams are within the EWS and are line managed by the Principal Education Welfare Officer. Each team member works to a specific co-terminus area so there is plenty of opportunity for easy communication and collaboration.
| |
Section Two - Data and Tracking
2. How many children are currently home educated in your local authority?
Phase | Registered with LA 25/02/09 | Non-registered children |
Primary age | 130 | Unable to determine as we have no directive to insist these families make themselves known to us. |
Secondary age | 206 |
|
Total | 336 |
|
3. Are these figures accurate or based on estimates?
Accurate√ YES
Where do you get this data from?
Our Education Data Management System EMS/ONE
How do you know the data are accurate? It is checked and up-dated weekly, it also forms the basis of workflow systems for EWO & EHE Monitors to respond to and also up-date.
Estimate
What data have you used to arrive at this figure? (List all sources)
Our biggest difficulty is tracking families who choose NOT to register with LA, whilst current guidance states that they need not we will always be estimating the number of this cohort.
How confident are you in the accuracy of this data?
Registered with LA
Very confident-YES 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
We receive weekly up-dates and monthly summaries from our data management system
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 | 17/336 | accurate |
Non-statemented SEN | Don't have this data | Estimate / accurate |
Gypsy, Roma, Traveller heritage | 14 | Estimate / accurate |
Other BME Group (please state below) | 23 | Estimate / accurate |
| Estimate / accurate | |
| Estimate / accurate | |
| 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
Why do you think that?
No √
Why do you think that?
Until legislation insists that ALL EHE parents register with the Local Authority this will always be problematic.
Don't know
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
Local Authority Guidelines which also signpost EHE Parents to national guidelines and support groups including reference to current Education Acts.
10. What support does your local authority provide to home educating families?
List all forms of support offered
Local Authority Guidelines which also signpost EHE Parents to local and national support groups and resources.
More frequent visits by EHE monitors by request
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
Local Authority website,
Local authority support services
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
This question is misleading as the current guidance makes it clear to EHE parents that a home visit is NOT the only way they can supply evidence of progress. Therefore you can have a situation where an annual contact and exchange of evidence occurs BUT NOT in the family home. Indeed it could, under the current guidance be done remotely by e-mail!
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
We have some EHE parents who are uncomfortable about any type of home visit and use a more remote method of contact; others who will permit a home visit but not have the child present. The circumstances that determine these occurrences vary considerably.
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
It is rare for an EHE parent to opt for a monitoring visit outside the family home AND to also bring the child/
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:
Depends upon circumstances & other information the LA may have on this family! Current guidance has stated that failure to have access to an EHE child is NOT sufficient evidence of a potential child protection concern. Education Act 2002 Section 175(1) does not extend LA functions; it does not give LA powers to enter homes of, or otherwise see, children for the purpose of monitoring the provision of EHE
16. How is the `suitability' of the education provided to the child assessed?
Please describe
Based upon the progress that is demonstrated against the original philosophical statement made by the parent and allowing for age, aptitude, and ability.
17. Is the local authority clear about what the definition of a `suitable education' is?
Yes √
Why is that?
We use the Statement provided in the DCSF Guidelines for LA -Section 3.13 (pg 10)
No
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
An individual case file system backed up by all visits/letters etc on our EMS/ONE data 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
Again this is difficult as the current information provided (DCSF LA Guidelines -Section 3.13 ) offers a very loose interpretation; indeed confirms there is no legal definition of “full-time”. If a family are following an autonomous form of home education it could be argued they don't receive any or receive far in excess of 20+hrs as everything they do is woven into the life of the family.
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
Further monitoring visits are made with line manager. If the situation continues to be unsatisfactory an Education Attendance Order is initiated.
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
EHE parents are not required to:
�� teach the National Curriculum
�� provide a broad and balanced education
�� have a timetable
�� have premises equipped to any particular standard
�� set hours during which education will take place
�� have any specific qualifications
�� make detailed plans in advance
�� observe school hours, days or terms
�� give formal lessons
�� mark work done by their child
�� formally assess progress or set development objectives
�� reproduce school type peer group socialisation
�� match school-based, age-specific standards.
Until DCSF Guidance is tightened or greater clarification around what is suitable education, this will continue to remain a challenge for LAs.
22. Thinking about your local area, in the last five years, 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 number 4-6
Additional comments
Please include the number of Serious Case Reviews you know about that have a home education element
Each year we have a handful of cases that cause us sufficient concern to initiate an education Attendance Order. Not all are completed as many accept a return to school as a preferred action.
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?
1. Not every EHE child is registered and known to the LA
2. Monitoring can involve not visiting the home or seeing the child; if “evidence of progress” is provided remotely and electronically who can confirm that it was the work of a child and not the parent?
3. It is wrong to assume that “other agencies” will automatically pick up the monitoring of a child. If they are not registered in a school, not registered with the LA as EHE, not taken to their GP, not in receipt of social housing and not known to Children's Social Care; which agency IS monitoring the child under ECM arrangements?
Don't know
22. Do you think that home educated children in your local authority are able to achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes?
Yes Please say why for each of the five outcomes.
Be healthy
-Some of our EHE parents do a superb job and will ensure that all of the 5 ECM outcomes are achieved; some have been successful and gone on to Higher Education. Some are equally successful in meeting the needs of their children who have additional educational needs and provide a safe, secure and nurturing environment.
Stay safe
Enjoy and achieve
Make a positive contribution
Achieve economic well-being
No √ Please say why for each of the five outcomes.
Be healthy
A significant number of EHE families, due to the very flexible interpretation of what is suitable education can miss significant milestones in a young person's development.
Stay safe
The current level of monitoring! See comments above.
Enjoy and achieve
The very flexible interpretation of suitable education can lead to poor progress against mainstream educational expectations.
Make a positive contribution
Access to maeniful work experience and Connexions is entirley voluntary within EHE
Achieve economic well-being
Lack of achievement and formal educational qualifications
23. Do you think there should be any changes made to the current system for supporting home educated families?
Yes √ What should they be?
Greater clarity on Government Guidelines to EHE Parents regarding what is “suitable education”.
No Why do you think that?
Don't know
24. 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 √ What should they be?
1. Registration of ALL EHE children with LA
2. Monitoring visits are undertaken at home and the child must be present.
3. Increase frequency of monitoring beyond annually.
No Why do you think that?
Don't know
Thank you for taking time to respond to these questions.
Please return your completed questionnaire, by Friday 6 February to [email address] 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.
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