Recommendations & Conclusions
6 items
5
Recommendation
Third Report - Strengthening Home Educa…
Accepted in Part
There is no single definitive figure for the number of children and young people being educated at home. The numbers that are available are likely to under-report as parents do not have a duty to tell local authorities that they have chosen EHE, and studies often rely on Freedom of …
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There is no single definitive figure for the number of children and young people being educated at home. The numbers that are available are likely to under-report as parents do not have a duty to tell local authorities that they have chosen EHE, and studies often rely on Freedom of Information responses, which raise questions about data accuracy. This situation is unacceptable and must change. We also believe that collecting more data about children receiving EHE would give the Department a true picture of the level of SEND resourcing needed by local authorities. There is also general consensus that the number of children in EHE has increased dramatically since the 2010–15 Education Committee’s report. (Paragraph 40) 38 Strengthening Home Education
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Government response AI summary
The government committed to collecting high-level data through a new registration system for children not in school, acknowledging the value of improved EHE data collection and analysis. Further details on data collection and analysis will be considered as part of future steps.
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Department for Education
7
Recommendation
Third Report - Strengthening Home Educa…
Accepted in Part
Once the statutory register of children outside of school is up and running, the Department for Education must make use of it to collate, analyse and publish anonymised annual data on the number of children out of school so that the Department, local authorities and others are better able to …
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Once the statutory register of children outside of school is up and running, the Department for Education must make use of it to collate, analyse and publish anonymised annual data on the number of children out of school so that the Department, local authorities and others are better able to understand trends and create effective policy in response to them.
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Government response AI summary
The government is committed to a form of registration for children not in school and anticipates collecting and publishing high-level anonymised data from local authorities, recognizing its value for policy creation, with further details still to be decided.
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Department for Education
10
Recommendation
Third Report - Strengthening Home Educa…
Accepted in Part
Schools should publish their permanent and fixed term exclusion rates by year group every term, including providing information about pupils with SEND and looked- after children. Schools should also publish data on the number of pupils who have left the school.
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Schools should publish their permanent and fixed term exclusion rates by year group every term, including providing information about pupils with SEND and looked- after children. Schools should also publish data on the number of pupils who have left the school.
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Government response AI summary
The Department collects and publishes suspension and exclusion data annually, including termly rates and SEND breakdowns, and intends to continue this. However, it rejects school-level publication for looked-after children and does not commit to schools publishing data on pupils who have left, citing data limitations.
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Department for Education
17
Recommendation
Third Report - Strengthening Home Educa…
Accepted in Part
Without a clearer definition of what a ‘suitable’ education is and what the threshold might be for intervention, local authorities have to rely on their safeguarding powers. We understand that, where powers are seen to be used inappropriately, there is a negative impact both on individuals and on relationships with …
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Without a clearer definition of what a ‘suitable’ education is and what the threshold might be for intervention, local authorities have to rely on their safeguarding powers. We understand that, where powers are seen to be used inappropriately, there is a negative impact both on individuals and on relationships with the wider EHE community. It may be that the current ‘grey area’ is encouraging the use of School Attendance Orders where more informal approaches could be more beneficial for all concerned—or it could be that councils now have better understanding of the 40 Strengthening Home Education options available to them and are using their powers effectively and appropriately. Without better data, we cannot know whether the growth in SAOs reflects concerns about provision of education in the home, increased activism on the part of councils or a combination of both, The Committee is not opposed to SAOs per se, but we do need better information regarding the growth in their use and whether they are being used appropriately.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated that existing guidance sufficiently defines 'suitable education' for local authorities. Regarding School Attendance Orders (SAOs), it committed to working with local authorities to understand current data holdings and to consider further data collection and analysis in due course.
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Department for Education
18
Recommendation
Third Report - Strengthening Home Educa…
Accepted in Part
When the Department responds to the 2019 consultation, it must clearly set out the expectations on LAs, other parts of the public sector (including health and social care) and parents with regards to EHE. It should supply case study examples so that EHE families and local authorities have a clear …
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When the Department responds to the 2019 consultation, it must clearly set out the expectations on LAs, other parts of the public sector (including health and social care) and parents with regards to EHE. It should supply case study examples so that EHE families and local authorities have a clear and shared understanding of what may constitute a ‘suitable education’, and what the thresholds for intervention should be—including for the serving of SAOs. The Department for Education should also track, publish and analyse data on SAOs at a national level on an annual basis.
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Government response AI summary
The government states that setting out EHE expectations was outside the consultation's scope and that existing guidance is sufficient. However, it will work with local authorities to understand and consider further data collection on School Attendance Orders.
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Department for Education
25
Recommendation
Third Report - Strengthening Home Educa…
Accepted in Part
The Department must clarify and strengthen the expectation in its 2019 guidance that local authorities make contact with parents on at least an annual basis, so that local authorities have the ability to see a child in person (at a venue of the family’s choosing) in situations where this is …
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The Department must clarify and strengthen the expectation in its 2019 guidance that local authorities make contact with parents on at least an annual basis, so that local authorities have the ability to see a child in person (at a venue of the family’s choosing) in situations where this is necessary to establish the suitability of the education they are receiving. The Department must make any necessary statutory changes to enable this, and make clear that: • annual contact with an EHE family is a minimum expectation; • local authorities should be asking to see examples of children’s work and parents should not reasonably refuse this; • local authorities should be assessing children’s progress from one year to the next, especially in areas such as literacy and numeracy which are essential to access future educational opportunities and employment. By the time children are at the age when they would leave compulsory schooling, they should be able to demonstrate the same baseline numeracy and literacy skills that we expect from their schooled peers. While children with SEND may follow different paths, it is vital that they too have the right support provided so that they can flourish.
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Government response AI summary
The government will review its 2019 EHE guidance for local authorities and parents in due course, pending a judicial review. However, it explicitly rejects stipulating specific methods for local authorities to assess the suitability of home education or mandating the requirement to see children's work …
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Department for Education