Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Paragraph: 72
Without a clearer definition of what a ‘suitable’ education is and what the threshold might...
Conclusion
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.
Paragraph Reference:
72
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
22. EHE expectations on local authorities, other parts of the sector and parents was not part of the scope of the Children Not In School consultation and as such would not be included in the government response. 23. The Department has set out components local authorities should consider when determining suitable education in existing guidance. Therefore, local authorities should already be able to access or request have sufficient information to determine whether a child’s education is suitable. 24. The Department will work with local authorities to understand what data is held and can be supplied relating to School Attendance Orders (SAOs) to complement the data already collected on penalty notices, Parenting Orders and Education Supervision Orders. Data on these is published in the annual Parental responsibility measures statistical release. We will consider further data collection and analysis of SAOs in due course.