HED0811

Written evidence submitted by [a member of the public]

A. THE DUTIES OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES WITH REGARDS TO HOME EDUCATION, INCLUDING SAFEGUARDING AND ASSURING THE QUALITY OF HOME EDUCATION;

Our LA [place in county] have a great reputation in our community. When they visit families they empower parents, they believe parents know their children best and that HE is a decent alternative to school.  I suspect it is obvious when a LA officer visits a family and they do not truly believe that HE can be as good/better than school. LAs who have fostered a relationship of mutual trust and respect with home educators will then have more positive interaction with home educators.

In my opinion current guidance is actually more than adequate and problems happen when LA’s don’t use their powers correctly and appropriately. The newspapers do sometimes report HE children where abuse has occurred - but in every case I have read about concerns had already been raised ie social services already were aware of the family . 

The concern the HE community has is that  changes in regulation could lead to LA’s overstepping even more.

I worry about LA officers being given responsibility for elective HE families when they have themselves had no experience of home education (which can look very different to school as HE can be bespoke: hard and soft skills can be covered at the appropriate time for that child, not within a rigid framework/timeline of school.) Unfortunately many many people have an overall negative opinion of home education which is unfair and certainly not evidence based. It is paramount that all officials dealing with home educators must be familiar with home education and the many different ways that children can learn effectively outside of the constraints of formal schooling.

The assumption should be that the majority of parents want the best for their children and have a vested interest in ensuring that they become self-sufficient, independent, adults. They also know their children very well. Respecting and assuming  that parents are the expert on their children should be the starting point of every contact with a family.

B. WHETHER A STATUTORY REGISTER OF HOME-EDUCATED CHILDREN IS REQUIRED;

I know that suggestions of a register are very unpopular within the majority of the home ed community.  I suspect it would be better received if relationships with the LA were more positive and if home educators felt supported and validated rather than vilified.  Registers have a negative connotation as currently they are for things like sex offenders.

Since all our children are registered at birth and with health visitors I think it would make more sense for the HV team to hand electively HE children over to a public health nursing team - the education of children is lawfully the responsibility of the parent and not the state. Having a register implies that the State are in charge of home education and not the parents.

C. THE BENEFITS CHILDREN GAIN FROM HOME EDUCATION, AND THE POTENTIAL DISADVANTAGES THEY MAY FACE;

A bespoke education : Children benefit from having a unique and customised education, which is flexible as they grow and their needs change

Parents can easily tailor education to special educational needs

Children who have sensory issues learn better in the calm of their home environment as opposed to noisy classrooms

Children are able to pursue their interests and within these interests will learn lots of soft and hard skills.

Children with mental health issues are able to thrive away from stressful classroom environments.

Children can develop at their own pace which keeps their self esteem in tact.

Disadvantages stem mainly from financial constraints with regards to travel, exams, and extra- curricular activities. It’s a shame that there is no formal universal access for HE kids to gain qualifications - this is a definite disadvantage.

A huge number of home educated children are completing their education at home successfully and going on to college, university and work.  But I believe exam results and higher education shouldn’t be the only criteria of success - you could argue that self esteem, a love of learning / love of life, mental health, physical health and happiness are more important.

D. THE QUALITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF SUPPORT (INCLUDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT) AVAILABLE FOR HOME EDUCATORS AND THEIR CHILDREN, INCLUDING THOSE WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, DISABILITIES, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, OR CARING RESPONSIBILITIES, AND THOSE MAKING THE TRANSITION TO FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION;

In my experience there is very little support for home educators, financial or otherwise.

-          Even children with SEN do not receive the funding to which they are entitled and families often have to put in a lot of time and effort to get diagnoses.

-          Parents have to organise and finance exams themselves

I believe all children in the UK should have equal access to support, if needed, and on a voluntary basis, regardless of where they are educated. Making this a LA remit / using central  govt funds for local home ed hubs provinding facilities/tutors could increase engagement with HE families and benefit children.

E. WHETHER THE CURRENT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK IS SUFFICIENT TO ENSURE THAT THE WELLBEING AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF HOME EDUCATED CHILDREN IS SAFEGUARDED, INCLUDING WHERE THEY MAY ATTEND UNREGISTERED SCHOOLS, HAVE BEEN FORMALLY EXCLUDED FROM SCHOOL, OR HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO ‘OFF-ROLLING’;

I think the current framework is sufficient but that LA’s need training in the law and home education

It should be made very clear that unregistered schools are not home education!! Unregistered schools need their own framework as quite a different situation than home ed.

Off-rolled and excluded children are not being *electively* home educated. They are known to the LA and they should work closely with the families to ensure the child gets what they want and need to thrive - whether they then choose elective home ed or something else.

F. THE ROLE THAT INSPECTION SHOULD PLAY IN FUTURE REGULATION OF HOME EDUCATION;

Inspection concerns me as officials may not be qualified to judge individualised education. Even if some are the government will not be able to ensure that every LA applies the same standard or consistency 

Inspection can be subjective and can be used to abuse and exploit families - all contact would need to be recorded and there would need to be an official support network / complaints procedure.

Woud a register be expensive? This money  might be better spent on improving the support for the families who ask for help eg SEN children or the families already known to social services.

Or money could be spent on improving alternative provision and making it easier for home educators to get the qualifications they need.

G. WHAT IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO SUPPORT HOME EDUCATORS SINCE THE 2010-15 EDUCATION COMMITTEE PUBLISHED THEIR REPORT ON ‘SUPPORT FOR HOME EDUCATION’ IN 2012;

Covid has been great in that massive increase of free online resources for curriculum subjects.

H. THE IMPACT COVID-19 HAS HAD ON HOME EDUCATED CHILDREN, AND WHAT ADDITIONAL MEASURES MIGHT NEED TO BE TAKEN IN ORDER TO MITIGATE ANY NEGATIVE IMPACTS.’

Covid 19 restrictions have meant that home educated children could not meet socially, though our local groups held zoom meet-ups.  It is wonderful to see that the Nov 2nd guidelines remembered HE children and their activities were exempted.

Ive heard home ed children due to sit exams were then unable to, whereas their schooled peers could.

(Many EHE children had to delay further education)

Big increase in virtual schools/online access to curriculum - this has been much appreciated by EHE community.

November 2020