Elective Home Education

The law requires Local Authorities to be satisfied that parents are providing a “full–time”, “efficient” and “suitable” education, which takes account of their child’s age, ability and aptitude, and of any special educational needs that the child may have.

We do, therefore, contact all our home educating parents to make enquiries about the educational provision being offered and the learning outcomes for their children.

An ‘efficient’ and ‘suitable’ education is not defined in the Education Act 1996, but ‘efficient’ has been broadly described as an education that ‘achieves that which it sets out to achieve’, and a ‘suitable’ education is one that primarily equips a child to participate fully in life within this country, by including sufficient secular education. This means that if the home education is primarily designed to equip a child for life within a smaller community within this country, it should not foreclose the child’s options in later years to adopt some other form of life if he or she wishes to do so.

The Authority recognises that there are many approaches to providing a suitable education, and what is suitable for one child, may not be for another.

Schools maintained by the State are required to teach these National Curriculum

subjects:

• English

• Mathematics

• Science

• Art and Design

• Geography

• History

• Music

• Physical education

• A foreign language (for children over 11)

• Technology

• Religious Education

• Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE)

• Information Computer Technology (ICT)

If you are educating your child at home, you are not required to follow the National Curriculum or any specific subjects. However, it provides a useful guide and, if at a later date your child returns to school, it could make re-integration into mainstream schooling much easier. Copies of the National Curriculum are available from the Department for Education on their website www.education.gov.uk. Should you wish to enter your child for public examinations, such as GCSE, you will need to contact an Examination Board directly.

When deciding how much time to devote to your child’s education you may find it helpful to know that the Department for Education recommends the following weekly teaching hours:

• 15 hours for 5-7 year olds

• 20 hours for 8-11 year olds

• 25 hours for 12-16 year olds

Pupils are required to attend school for 190 days each year.

Education should impart knowledge, but also help children to develop a range of life skills.

You should consider how the education you provide would help your child to develop:

• communication skills

• observation and awareness skills

• problem solving skills

• creative and imaginative skills

• numerical skills

• physical skills

• personal and social skills

If you are withdrawing your child from school, you are required to deregister your child from that school. A pupil’s name can only be removed from the admission register of a school once you have given written confirmation to the head teacher that your child is receiving education otherwise than at school.

If your child has never been registered at a school, we would encourage you to please inform us of your intention to home educate, using the contact details at the bottom of this page.

Parents’ right to educate their child at home applies equally where a child has special educational needs. When a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), it is the Authority’s duty to ensure that the educational provision specified in the plan is made available to the child – but if the child’s parents have arranged suitable home education, the Authority has no duty to arrange any special educational provision for the child. The Plan would set out the provision that the Authority thinks the child requires, but it will also state that parents have made their own arrangements under s7 of the Education Act 1996. The Authority will still continue to check that suitable arrangements are in place to meet the child’s special educational needs and keep the EHCP under annual review.

It is different for children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan and are pupils at a special school under arrangements made by the Authority. In these circumstances, the consent of the Authority is required in order for the child’s name to be removed from roll. This is to ensure that full consideration can be given to whether the home education being proposed would be suitable to meeting the special educational needs of the child.

The school will inform us that you are taking responsibility for your child’s education and, as such, your child’s name will be removed from the school’s roll.

• An Authority officer with responsibility for Elective Home Education (EHE) will contact you for an initial discussion. This is to make sure that all parents are aware of the scale of responsibility involved in EHE, to answer any questions you may have, and to establish a good working relationship from the outset.

• Arrangements will then be made for a qualified teacher with experience and knowledge of EHE to visit you at home to enquire further about the educational provision you have put in place. The teacher can also offer advice and guidance on educational matters. You may prefer to meet outside of your family home, or you may wish to show evidence of your child’s education in different ways.

• Unless there are concerns about the suitability of education being provided, you will normally be contacted by a teacher on an annual basis to update on any changes that you may have put in place and to offer any advice.

• The teacher will then write a report, together with any recommendations, which will be shared with parents and the Authority.

• If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan, the Authority will continue to have a statutory duty to undertake an annual review. You and your child will be invited to these.

• The Authority wants to establish good working relationships with home educating families, based on mutual respect and trust. Parents are encouraged to contact the Statutory Officer for EHE if they have any queries.

• The Authority has an established link with the school nursing service – children who are home educated can receive health advice and information from a dedicated school nurse.

You can provide evidence that your child is receiving an efficient and suitable education in a number of ways.

You may for example:

• Meet the Authority teacher at home, to discuss work and progress.

• Meet the Authority teacher elsewhere, to discuss work and progress.

• Write a report.

• Provide examples and date work. Use a log to record the learning.

• Have the work endorsed by a recognised third party.

• Provide evidence in any other form (such as photos or video).

• Do think long and hard about EHE. It is a great responsibility and requires a considerable commitment of time and energy. If you have had a disagreement with school, do first speak with your child’s Head Teacher to try and resolve any difficulties. You can also contact the Authority’s Statutory Officer for Elective Home Education at any time for advice and support.

• Do plan what you intend to do with your child before making a decision.

• Do look at the costs that may be involved – educational visits, equipment, and books.

• Do provide opportunities for your child to be involved in social activities.

• Do keep your options open. Your child’s needs may change at different ages and stages. Please be aware that you can apply for a school place for your child at any point.

We aim to work in partnership with all home educating parents. From experience, we have found that most concerns can be addressed without entering into statutory procedures.

If there are concerns about the education a child is receiving:

• we will inform the parent in writing of these concerns.

• there is then an oppportunity for the parent to adapt the education being provided, so that it is meets the necessary requirements.

• a further arrangement is then made to review the education that is being provided. If improvements have been made and it now appears that a suitable education is being provided, no further steps will be taken at that point.

• if it still appears that an efficient and suitable education is not being provided for the child, the Local Authority is required to make a School Attendance Order. This requires parents to register their child at a named school. Where parents do not do so, a court summons may then be issued.

• at any stage during this process, the parents may present evidence that they are now providing a suitable education, and have the order revoked.

• The Authority will also give consideration to application to the Family Court for an Education Supervision Order. This is an Order made under section 36 of The Children Act 1989 and gives the Authority a formal supervisory role in terms of the child’s education.

You can make a school application via the Authority’s Admissions Team. You can also discuss this with our Elective Home Education Statutory Officer, who will be happy to advise you.

EHE Statutory Officer

Wirral Council

PO Box 290

Brighton Street

Wallasey

CH27 9FQ

Telephone: 0151 666 3433

E-mail: ehe@wirral.gov.uk