Educating children at home

Home Education

"Education is compulsory, school attendance is not."

Parents ultimately have the responsibility for educating their child. The legislation relating to this issue can be found in the Education Act 1996, Section 7 ( it consolidates previous education acts). Within this act there is a specific item of law relating to home education.

Parental Responsibilities:

"The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient, full-time education suitable;   

• to his age, ability, and aptitude, and 
• to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise."

Most children attend school but for various reasons, some parents decide to undertake the responsibility for their child's education, outside the school system. If you elect to educate your child "otherwise" than at school you must make sure that a suitable education is provided.

The Children and Young People's Directorate believes that:

• School - based education provides a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes social and physical development, moral and spiritual awareness and equal opportunities.
• Parents have the legal responsibility for ensuring that their children are properly educated and we respect their right to choose to educate their child, other than at school, according to their philosophical, ideological or religions views and beliefs.
• The decision by parents to elect to educate their child other than at school, should be an informed, active, and positive one. It is important that parents obtain sufficient information about home education when making this decision.
• In order to fulfil its legal responsibility, (Education Act 1996, section 7, 437) to ensure that children who are home educated are receiving a suitable education, we will promote an active and regular dialogue with parents and work in partnership with them in the best interests of the child.
• Educating a child within the home may be a more challenging way in which to provide an efficient and suitable full-time education than at school.
• As well as educational needs, we will take the personal, health and welfare interests of individual children into account, at all times.

Herefordshire's Children and Young People's Directorate will support the choice of parents who elect to home educate, unless it appears to us, through informal enquiries, that suitable provision is not being made for the child.

When parents are considering opting to educate their children at home they may find the thought of it daunting, to help with this decision making process some of  the FAQ are detailed below.

At what age is it compulsory for children to have to receive full-time education?

Home-educated children must receive full-time education from the start date of what would have been the school term following their th birthday if they were at school. 'Compulsory education' continues until the last Friday in June in the school year in which the child becomes 16.

Do I need anyone's permission to educate my child from home?

No, this is your parental choice.

However, if your child is registered at a school you must inform the headteacher of your child's school, in writing, of  your decision to home educate and they will then inform the Children's and Young People's Directorate. If your child is not registered at a school, then you do not need to register with the Directorate, although it is strongly recommended that you do so in order to receive advice and support.

If the Directorate becomes aware that your child is being home educated we will make informal enquiries in order to help us decide whether it appears that you are fulfilling your duty under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996.

What if I don't inform the school?

If your child is registered at a school and does not attend he/she will be marked as absent and referred to the Educational Welfare Service to investigate the reason for the absence from school. Deliberate non-attendance at school may result in prosecution under the relevant section of the Education act 1996. It is essential, therefore, that you withdraw your child from school in order to educate them from home you must inform the school in writing.

Can I educate my child part-time at home and part-time at school (flexi-school) ?

Part-time or flexi-schooling is a legal option that is at the discretion of the headteacher and governors. The responsibility for the coverage and assessment of the National Curriculum will be theirs and the school may expect that some of the school's work is done at home so that your child is not disadvantaged if or when he/she returns to school.

Can I re-register my child at school at a later date?

Yes, but it is up to you to contact a school to negotiate re-admission ,and a place cannot be guaranteed in the future. Parents should, therefore, consider carefully before withdrawing a child from school especially when the school is a popular one.

What should I consider before I decide to home educate?

First, be certain you are doing the best thing for your child. talk it through with your son or daughter. In certain cases, it would be very worthwhile talking to the school before de-registering. A useful contact would be the Children and Young People's Home and School Inclusion Officer, who will be able to offer support and advice. Another useful contact point would be one of the home education support agencies. Parents opt to home educate for many different reasons. For example parents may wish to provide for their child's education in a different environment or by using different methods than those used in school, or feel that the child is not yet ready to attend school.

The education of a child at home can be very rewarding and demands a serious commitment time, patience, energy and the ability to provide appropriate stimulation and resources. You will need to consider what skills or time you can offer, or whether you need to find an appropriate teacher/ tutor or other form of support which may incur costs.

If  you are considering home education because your child is refusing to attend school we would encourage you to explore all other possibilities through the school or Education Welfare Service. If you subsequently decide that home education is the best option, it is important to be aware of the challenges that you may face with this type of situation and fulfilling  your legal duty to ensure that your child receives appropriate education may be very demanding both physically and emotionally.

What if my child has Special Education Needs?

Parents of a child who has a Statement of Special Educational Needs and is a registered pupil at a special school must obtain consent from the Children and Young People's Directorate before removing them from school.

The Directorate needs to continue to hold an Annual Review of the statement and this includes considering whether the statement is still appropriate. Rights of appeal to the SEN Tribunal still apply.

Pupils with a statement of SEN who have been registered at a mainstream school can be educated at home providing arrangements are judged to be suitable and meet the special needs of  the child as outlined in the statement.

What if I decide to home educate and then change my mind?

If you change your mind about teaching your child at home, or your child wishes to return to school, then you can seek a place in a school and let the Home and School Inclusion Officer know. Please be aware that a place may not be available at the school of your choice if it is a late or mid-school year application. It is vital that parents are fully aware of the importance of  education in Years 10 and 11 and the possible impact on the ability to gain qualifications if periods of time have been missed in these years.

What about GCSE examinations?

You and your child will need to consider long-term job/career aspirations before deciding whether they actually need to study GCSEs. Home educating families have a variety of experiences regarding GCSE examinations.

Making contact with one of the home education support organisations for advise can be most useful.

• If your child wants to take GCSEs then you will need to find a registered centre to take examinations. A registered centre is usually at a school or college. As a home educator you will have to contact them directly. You should contact individual examination boards in order to find out the precise way in which they handle private candidates.
• You will have to pay for any examination registration fee and assessment of coursework, by an accredited person. At the time of writing, the registration fee for a GCSE exam is approximately £25.00 - £30.00.
• Distance/correspondence courses are also available and many home educated children have experienced great success with this form of learning, although they can be expensive.
• It is worth noting that once a pupil is 16 years of age they can enrol in a wide range of adult courses, including A/AS level exams although the majority of courses will start in the September following your child's sixteenth birthday.
• Please note that the Children and Young People's Directorate does not fund college places for students educated at home.
• GCSE exams are not necessarily a pre-requisite to higher levels of formal education but may be a requirement for some types of employment.
• If your child wants to go into higher education, universities do not necessarily expect GCSE level qualifications. A level grades are more important.
• Universities do not automatically discriminate against home educated applicants.

Will my child miss the social aspect of school?

Some children will miss the daily contact with friends at school. Others will be happy to see their school friends outside school hours, as well as making new friends. Many home educating families have a wide circle of like minded friends and have contact with other home educating children of all ages.

You will need to consider carefully the social development of your child, which would be enhanced through sharing activities with other children. Joining a variety of clubs and special interest societies etc can prove very enriching, as can mixing with and sharing skills with other people of all ages. It is imperative that your child does not become socially isolated whilst being home educated.

Will my child still be entitled to careers advice?

Yes, careers advice can be obtained from Connexions Herefordshire. Connexions is a service providing advice, guidance,support and personal development services for all 13 - 19 year olds. If your child is over 13 years old you can contact the local Connexions Centre who will explain how they can help.

Can I get advice from the children and Young People's Directorate before making my decision?

Before making the decision to home educate it would be strongly recommended to have a discussion with the Home and School Inclusion Officer , who can offer advice and support with this very important decision.

The role of the Children and Young People's Directorate

What is the Directorate's role?

The Directorate will not attempt to stop parents providing education for their child outside the school system. However, the Directorate has a duty to ensure that children who are educated at home are receiving efficient, full-time education that is suitable to their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs that they may have.

What is an "efficient and suitable" education?

An "efficient" and " suitable" education is not defined in the Education Act 1996. a judgement at Worcester Crown Court in 1981 resulted in a statement by the judge that described "efficient" as an education that "achieves that which it sets out to achieve". A "suitable" education is one that ;

                                             "prepares children for life in a modern civilised society and will enable them to achieve to their full potential."

This will require home educators to have some sort of plan or framework for education.

What does full-time mean?

There is no legal definition of "full-time". Children in school normally spend between 22 and 25 hours working at school each week. The Dfes (now known as the Department of Education) has advised that their interpretation of "full-time" is that anything less than 20 hours per week is not full-time. However the type of educational activity can be varied.

How will the Directorate decide if I am providing an "efficient" and "suitable" education for my child?

We believe the most effective, efficient and easiest way for us to decide this is by talking with you and your child about your approach to home education.

• We will invite you to meet with our experienced Home and School Inclusion Officer so you can explain the educational provision you are planning.
• We do not have a rigid view of what is "suitable" and "effective" education and recognise that there are many approaches to educational provision. We will consider a wide range of evidence from home educating parents.
• If you are a new home educator we will not expect to have, necessarily planned, in detail, what and how you are going to provide for your child's education, at the initial visit with the Home and School Inclusion Officer.
• The way in which you provide information is entirely up to you. it can be in any form, sufficient enough to convince a reasonable person of its appropriateness for your child's age, aptitude and ability.
• If you would like to offer any specific examples of learning e.g. samples of work, books, educational visits etc, we would be happy to view them. The Home and School Inclusion Officer is trained, not only in the law on home education but also understanding the varied range and philosophies of  home education.

We find that despite initial worries that some new home educators may have about the initial meeting the majority of them have found it helpful and reassuring.

Although the Directorate does not have the right of entry into your home (you can request a meeting somewhere else if you wish), we consider it more helpful if the the Home and School Inclusion Officer visits you in the comfort of your own home.

Similarly, the Directorate does not have a legal right to see your child but again, we find it helpful to meet the child so that we are assured of their well-being. A partnership is a more beneficial arrangement.

What if the Directorate's Home and School Inclusion Officer is not satisfied with the home educational arrangements?

The vast majority of initial home visits result in the Directorate being satisfied with what parents are doing. The Home and School Inclusion Officer will write a report summarising the discussion and send a copy to you.

If  the Inclusion Officer is not satisfied with the provision, they will tell you and explain the reasons why, e.g. no tangible evidence of any form of learning. If you want them to, the Inclusion Officer will make some practical suggestions as to how the provision may be improved. You will be contacted approximately 2 months later to discuss what progress has been made.

After 2 months, what if the Inclusion Officer is still not satisfied with the provision?

If the Inclusion Officer continues to have concerns he/she will discuss the concerns and make further suggestions as to how progress can be made. The Inclusion Officer will contact you after a further 2 months to see if if there has been any progress. If it is considered that your child is not receiving a suitable education we will advise you to register your child at school. Failure to do so may result in the Directorate applying for a School Attendance Order.

The Order will require you to send your child to a school named in the Order. Not ensuring that your child attends school would then become an offence, under the Education Act 1996.The directorate will only do this if it is convinced that you are not helping your child to learn according to her/his age, ability, aptitude and to any special needs they may have.

Will the Home and School Inclusion Officer give me any practical support?

The Directorate is not funded from central government to support Elective Home Education. The Inclusion Officer will not be able to provide you with practical support, resources or educational materials, although in the context of partnership with parents, if you wish, he/she will offer some suggestions.

What if I do not want to meet the Home and School Inclusion Officer?

Our Elective Home Education Policy is based on a principle of promoting an active dialogue with parents and working in partnership with them. Herefordshire Children and Young People's Directorate has a long established, positive relationship with home educating families. We offer the opportunity to meet the Inclusion Officer in good faith. If you do not wish to meet the Inclusion Officer we will respect your wishes. However, in order to fulfil our legal responsibilities we will ask you to provide alternative evidence of the way in which you are fulfilling your statutory duties.

If we are not satisfied with your response, we may have to refer the a matter to the Education Welfare Service for further investigation. Our experience shows that it is easiest for parents to provide appropriate evidence by meeting and talking to our Inclusion Officer.

Curriculum, Teaching Methods and Resources

Who can help me?

There are a number of independent home education support agencies who can offer help.

Do I have to follow the National Curriculum?

No, you do not need to follow the National Curriculum.

The programme you arrange should meet the needs of your child, depending on their aptitude and ability. Following the National Curriculum may be one of the ways of meeting your child's needs and is certainly a starting point for many parents. The subjects of the National Curriculum form a broad and balanced range of subjects and you can certainly use them as a guide, if you wish. Following the National Curriculum may also be beneficial as it may make it easier for your child, should they ever wish to return to school to access the school curriculum more easily.. The Directorate recommends strongly that you teach your child to read, write and to be numerate so that he/ she has the skills to make choices in later life.

Do I need to construct a timetable?

Not necessarily.

There is no one form of education as children learn in many different ways, at different times and speeds, and from different people. Your home education programme will not necessarily follow a set or regular timetable, but the Directorate considers it good practice for there to be some structure and routine to the learning and that there is some record kept.

Many new home educators start with a subject timetable to guide them. You do not have to keep records of work, or date them but if you do it will help you and your child to see what progress he/she is making. As you and your child get used to home education, you will be able to develop the most useful or preferred approaches to learning.

What teaching and learning methods should I use?

It is entirely up to you to decide the most appropriate methods. You should decide what you are hoping to achieve for your child. You will need to take account of their character and personality and their preferred learning styles.

There are three very broad strategies used by home educators.

• School at Home

          This is subject based and may follow textbooks, workbooks and traditional programmes of study. There is usually a "timetable" of subjects being learned.

• Semi-Structured Learning

         There is a structured learning programme but it is more broadly based than a traditional subject based one. Often the child chooses areas that interest them and study  them  in depth.

• Autonomous Learning

          This is approach involves the child following his/her interests entirely with encouragement by parents to access a wide range of resources. It does not mean that the child is doing or learning nothing.

Many home educators start with "school at home" and then become more flexible as their children become more independent learners. What you teach and how your child learns is up to you. There are many different ways to plan teaching and learning. Whilst the following list is not compulsory, it offers the following suggestions, for your consideration:

• Try to make the learning process active, practical, enjoyable and participative, rather than something that is "done" to your child.
• Vary the style and content of the approach so that your child does not become disinterested.
• Plan the learning programme systematically rather than piecemeal or with purely haphazard activities, to occupy time.
• Give appropriate opportunities for independent studies and research, as well as "direct teaching".
• Consider ways of assessing what they have learned, from time to time, so that your child can see the progress that they are making.
• Take advantage of all the resources available to you e.g. the local environment, library (including the wealth of free resources on the internet), community and education courses, leisure facilities, places of interest etc.
• Give great importance to reading, as being able to read will enable your child to access a wide range of information and knowledge.
• Don't forget both physical and social activities that will help your child's skills.

Is there any funding for equipment, books or visits?

Some museums etc give free or discounted admissions to home educators. You may find it useful to build up contacts with other parents also educating their children at home. This also allows you to exchange ideas and resources. You can always explore the possibility of group discounts on entry fees for educational visits.

There is also a plethora of free learning material on the internet.

For help and guidance regarding educating your child at home please contact:

The Home & School Inclusion Officer
Children and Young People's Directorate
PO Box 185
Blackfriars Street
Hereford
HR4 9ZR

Tel: 01432 383194