Agenda item

The Executive Director for Children Services introduced the report which provided the Committee with an update on Elective Home Education in Barnet and sought approval for the Draft Elective Home Education Policy and for consultation on the draft policy. This item was accompanied by a sperate exempt report which was discussed the private session.

The Chief Executive and Director of Education and Learning, Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS) took the Committee through the Draft Elective Home Education Policy which was prepared in line with new guidance issued by the Department for Education in 2019.

He explained that amongst some of its key areas, the policy aimed to tighten up the reporting requirements by schools if a child leaves to be home educated. It also tightened up the procedures in respect of information sharing between schools, the EHE advisory teacher, BELS and other agencies such as social care, GPs, etc. This purpose, to ensure that as well as having the duties that the council has in respect of Home Education, there is the overriding safeguarding duty. This policy aims to strengths the link between the two.

He explained that there is limited right of access to children under Home Education guidance. The council do not have the right to go into family homes nor do they have right to make parents come to meeting. This policy sets out the steps and procedures to follow in order to move from checking on Home Education to checking on safeguarding, and there are various triggers in place for this. For example, if the child was known to social care, officers would liaise   with social care about visits. There is a full time Elective Home Officer who checks that the home education being provided is suitable, i.e that they are making progress in literacy and numeracy, that life skills are being taught and to look out for any warning signs.  There is no requirement for home educating parent to educate their children in line with the national curriculum.

Councillor Nagus Narenthira, duly seconded moved the following motion.

‘The Committee requests that the Chair of Barnet’s Children Education and Safeguarding Committee write to the Secretary of State for Education to request that should parents elect to educate their child at home, then they must register their intent to do so with the Local Education Authority. 

The Committee also requests to ask for a definition on what is considered a ‘suitable education’ for children who are in receipt of Elective Home Education.

The Committee is concerned that the current terminology is not specific enough and such children may therefore not be in receipt of an education sufficient to enable them to follow their subsequent chosen career paths.’

Following the discussion on the proposed motion, the Concillor Narenthiraand the  Committee agreed to the following amendment highlighted.

‘The Committee is concerned that the current terminology is not specific enough and such children may therefore not be in receipt of an education sufficient to enable them to follow their subsequent chosen career paths.

The committee requests that the Chair of Barnet’s Children Education and Safeguarding Committee write to the Secretary of State for Education to request that should parents elect to educate their child at home, then they must register their intent to do so with the Local Education Authority. 

The committee also requests to ask for a definition on what is considered a ‘suitable education’ for children who are in receipt of Elective Home Education.

The Committee is concerned that,although some children may benefit from elective home education, the current terminology is not specific enough and such children may therefore not be in receipt of an education sufficient to enable them to follow their subsequent chosen career paths.’

The Committee further requested they can be provided with a definition of what is considered a ‘suitable education’ for children who are in receipt of Elective Home Education. [Action for the Chief Executive and Director of Education and Learning]

The Committee had the opportunity to question officers and discuss the report.

RESOLVED;

1.     That the Committee note the report.

2.     That the Committee approves the Draft Elective Home Education Policy set out in Appendix A as a basis for consultation with families who educate children at home and other stakeholders.

3.     That the Committee note the information set out in the exempt Appendix B.

4.     That the Committee authorise the Executive Director, Children’s Services to approve the final version of the policy, in consultationwith the CES Chairman, taking account of consultation responses.