We have been listening to our members about the problems some of them have had in their relations with Local Authorities and we hope it will be useful to put forward our view on the type of information that we believe would be helpful for families who are new to home education to receive.

We are also writing this in light of the OFSTED report “Inspection of Local Authorities Ofsted/Audit Commission Inspection Guidance December 2003 v1a/Updated August 2004 v1 section 5.2”.

Statements of the law can be taken from Summary of the Law, the third edition can be found at www.education-otherwise.org/Legal/SummLawEng&Wls.htm along with versions for Northern Ireland, Scotland and other parts of Britain.

1. Literature Review
Much literature sent out by LAs implies that they believe that school is the best place for the child, but Britain has always been a country for innovation and new ideas and it is quite possible that research into ideas that come out of home education will be of great benefit to education as a whole. It is disrespectful to start with the attitude that what the family are doing may be second best. Why not quote from the research literature about how successful home education can be? There are lots of examples of research on our web site at www.education-otherwise.org/Links/Research%20Papers/ResearchIndex.htm

2. Information Accuracy
So often LA literature speaks of the LA’s duty to ensure that an adequate education is taking place. But nowhere in the law does it state that the LA has this duty, the LA only has the right (not duty) to seek information if it believes adequate education is not taking place. The Ofsted Report states “an LEA does not have a right to inspect the quality of education provided to children whose parents have chosen to educate them at home. The 1996 Education Act places a legal duty on an LA to satisfy itself that children are receiving a suitable education where it suspects they are not”.

It is not reasonable to mention the hours of school attendance laid down for LA schools without mentioning that at home, education can be taking place at any time and that in a one to one situation things can be assimilated much more quickly. The DfES guidance (2001) for children educated at home for medical reasons is a minimum of 5 hours per week!

3. Communication Methods
Remember that case law says it is only reasonable to make informal enquiries at first, so something with a light touch to start with would be appreciated. Of course families would like to know what the procedure will be and the type of information that you feel it would be helpful to receive.

The least respectful thing is someone (usually an EWO) turning up on the doorstep unannounced asking to come in. Please can all visitors to the home make an appointment, having first ascertained that the family is willing to have a home visit.

Be sure to state that information can be provided in other ways than a home visit. Thinking that a home visit is a requirement, home educating families smile nicely and do the best they can to welcome LA personnel, but some families have been outraged to discover, after several years of home visits, that they need never have put up with this intrusion into their family. Is this a good way to build a relationship with a family? On the other hand I have spoken to a number of LA personnel who have said that though their literature implies a home visit, if someone objects, then they are quite willing to receive information in other ways. But a family has to know that they could object and that there is an alternative. Why would an LA hide from them the fact that information can be given in other ways?

4. Process Clarity
You might wish to write something like this in the literature you send to home educating families:

We find that home visits are the best method for us to ascertain whether education is taking place. We enjoy seeing the innovative methods and enthusiasm being used by home educating families, but if you prefer not to have home visit we will accept information about your educational provision in a number of different ways.

• a written report
• providing samples of work
• meeting an inspector elsewhere, with or without the child
• having the educational provision endorsed by a recognized third party
• providing evidence in any other appropriate form

Please do not imply that work must be dated or that written work must be shown. These are not requirements, though you may of course say that you would find them helpful. Written work is a requirement for schools where teachers cannot keep track of what each child knows, but in a one-to-one situation there are many other indicators. Education at home can truly meet the needs of the child where all learning can take place verbally.

5. Personnel Training
It would be a good idea to include something about those making enquiry into the education having a good understanding for systems of education that are unlike school, and that they can be sensitive to the needs of children who have been traumatised at school. To gain some insight into how different methods can work successfully, have a look at the on our web site under About Home Education – Experiences of Learning and Learning Styles, or use this link www.education-otherwise.org/Links/HE_Adult_St/ndxLrngStyl.htm to reach the page headed Learning Styles/Personal Experiences.

6. Support Systems
Some information about home education organisations for the parents to contact for support would be a useful reference at the end.

There are many wonderful things that some LAs are doing to support home educating families, things that can be of real use to those who would like them:

• Providing a venue for families and LA personnel to get together once in a while and show each other what they are doing;
• Helping find exam centres which will accept home educating children taking GCSEs;
• Giving access to some resources that are only available to schools or teachers;
• Offering a room rent free where families can regularly meet (preferably with some storage);
• Helping to find a school where the Head may be willing to allow flexi-schooling.

7. Consultation Process
It would also be helpful if you would show any drafts of information for home educating families to the home educating community. This would include both groups that meet locally and national organisations. This type of consultation can save later disagreements and small changes to the wording can make all the difference when trying to establish a good relationship with a family. One of the criteria that Ofsted mention is that where “procedures have been developed in partnership with home educators” this is an indication of excellence.

May we take this opportunity to thank all those who have sent copies of their draft guidance to local Education Otherwise members or to our National LEA Liaison at liaison@education-otherwise.org

November 2005