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Local authority responses to the home education guidelines consultation can be found HERE

keep checking back as more are coming in....

childrens databases part 3

childrens databases part 2

Childrens databases part 1

Unschooling Voices # 12

New Home Education Guidelines Published

These are the new guidelines to the local authorities in England on elective home education..published today.

You can find them HERE

Parts most significant to us AEUK'ers are probably the following:

Reasons for elective home education
1.4 Parents may choose home education for a variety of reasons. The local authority’s primary
interest should lie in the suitability of parents’ education provision and not their reason
for doing so. The following reasons for home educating are common, but by no means
exhaustive:
􀁺 distance or access to a local school
􀁺 religious or cultural beliefs
􀁺 philosophical or ideological views
􀁺 dissatisfaction with the system
􀁺 bullying
􀁺 as a short term intervention for a particular reason
􀁺 a child’s unwillingness or inability to go to school
􀁺 special educational needs
􀁺 parents’ desire for a closer relationship with their children.

Local authorities’ responsibilities
2.5 The DCSF recommends that each local authority provides written information about
elective home education that is clear, accurate and sets out the legal position, roles and
responsibilities of both the local authority and parents. This information should be made
available on local authority websites and in local community languages and alternative
formats on request. Local authorities should recognise that there are many approaches to
educational provision, not just a “school at home” model. What is suitable for one child may
not be for another, but all children should be involved in a learning process.

3.4 Local authorities should acknowledge that learning takes place in a wide variety of
environments and not only in the home....

3.13 Parents are required to provide an efficient, full-time education suitable to the age, ability
and aptitude of the child. There is currently no legal definition of “full-time”. Children
normally attend school for between 22 and 25 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year, but
this measurement of “contact time” is not relevant to elective home education where there
is often almost continuous one-to-one contact and education may take place outside normal
“school hours”. The type of educational activity can be varied and flexible. Home educating
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

3.14 It is important to recognise that there are many, equally valid, approaches to educational
provision. Local authorities should, therefore, consider a wide range of information from
home educating parents, in a range of formats. The information may be in the form of
specific examples of learning e.g. pictures/paintings/models, diaries of educational activity,
projects, assessments, samples of work, books, educational visits etc

.

EO Press Release

Press Release Tuesday November 6th 2007

HOME EDUCATION OTHERWISE LEGAL TO 18

Education Otherwise yesterday welcomed a personal assurance from the Secretary of
State, Ed Balls, that home education would continue to be a legal option for young
people between the ages of 16 and 18.
Annette Taberner, of Education Otherwise, told a meeting at the Institute of Education
in London that there was a poor level of understanding about home education and
many barriers and difficulties are faced by parents.
Education Otherwise took an active part in the recent Government consultation on
raising the education and training age to 18 and Mrs Taberner said “We are pleased
that on this occasion we were able to have an input at an early enough stage to ensure
that home education for young people in this age group remaining a legal option.”

Reference for editors
Raising Expectations: Staying In Education and Training Post-16 From Policy To
Legislation - P. 8 (Document reference: DCSF 00896-2007BKT- EN)
(http://www.dfes.gov.uk/14-19/documents/Raising%20Expectations.pdf)
“3.2 Our aim is that from 2013, all young people will continue to participate in
education or training post-16. They will be able to do so in a number of ways,
including:
• full-time education, including school, college and home education
• work-based learning, such as an apprenticeship, including traditional contracts
of apprenticeship; or
• part time education or training, if they are employed, self-employed or
volunteering more than 20 hours a week”.