Elective Home Education Information for Parents The Law The responsibility for a child’s education rests with their parents. In England, education is compulsory, but school is not. Parents have a duty to secure an appropriate full-time education for their children. Some parents choose to do this by educating their child at home. They do it because they judge it to be the best way to carry out their duty. Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 provides that: “The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable – a) to his age, ability and aptitude, and b) to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.” Home-based education is the ‘otherwise’ part, and parents have the right to educate their children at home. Staffordshire Local Authority (LA) recognises that there are many, equally valid, approaches to educational provision. What is suitable for one child may not be for another, but all children should be involved in a learning process. What is the link between Entrust and Staffordshire County Council? Staffordshire County Council has commissioned Entrust to support and advise parents teaching their children at home. FAQs about EHE Doesn’t everyone go to school? Most people choose to send their children to school to be educated, but you are legally entitled to educate your child at home. But I’m not a teacher You don’t have to be. The majority of home educators have no such formal qualifications and may be learning alongside their children. Do I have to operate like a ‘real’ school? No, you can work on just what you want, when you want to. You do not need a timetable nor do you have to follow the National Curriculum (although you’re perfectly at liberty to do so if you wish). What about my child’s social life? Home educated children are just as likely to be a part of the social and cultural life of their area as are their school-going peers. Many also go on trips and meet up for all kinds of events. As they are comparatively free of peer group pressures they are able to enjoy the company of children both older and younger than themselves, and mix just as easily with boys and girls, children and adults alike. What about Children with Special Educational Needs? If you are concerned that your child has Special Educational Needs you can contact: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homeeducationand special needs/ and he-special: http://he- special.org.uk/content/joinhere.php You can also contact the Parent Partnership Service, see their contact details on page 4, who can provide independent advice and support. They will provide details of supporting agencies. Please note that if your child attends a Special School you will need permission for them to be removed from the school roll. However this does not apply if your child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs and is on roll at a mainstream school. The LA will hold an annual review. What about exams and qualifications? If you wish your child to take exams, and of course they are not legally obliged to do so, then it’s perfectly possible to work for them at home. They may have to go to an examination centre to sit papers and you will have to pay the costs involved but you do have the advantage of selecting the board whose external syllabus most suits your child. Do I have to tell the Authority that I’m home educating? If your child has never been to school or you are new to the area you don’t have to tell us. If your child is registered at school you will need to de-register them by sending a letter to the Headteacher informing them that you wish to educate your child at home. We then contact you to ascertain some basic information; please see record of information form enclosed. The EHE Service will contact you if there are any changes in circumstances, i.e. another child in your family is de-registered from school to be home educated. This is to ensure there is equality of opportunity for all children and young people. Do I have to be inspected or monitored annually? Local authorities have no statutory duties in relation to monitoring the quality of home education on a routine basis. Staffordshire’s EHE team are here to support you not inspect you. When we become aware that you are 2 home educating your child, we will contact you to ask for some basic information such as child’s name and date of birth as well as preferred contact details. We will also ask you to provide a brief outline of your home education, just a few sentences; please see back of the enclosed record of information form. You do not have to provide this but it will help us confirm that your child is not missing from education. Providing we have no concerns we will normally be in touch once a year to check that you are still home educating and your contact details haven’t changed. If you move home or your child starts school we would be grateful if you could let us know. Do I have to meet with a Home Education Support Officer? It is entirely up to you. If you would like someone to come and talk with you about your child’s education, to give support or advice then please contact us and we can arrange a meeting at your home or at another venue. You can choose to provide information in another format, ie written report, a report written by a third party or send examples of your child’s work. How do I write an educational philosophy? There are many sites where you can find support on how to do this; using a search engine will be a useful way. There are many websites that provide information for anyone considering EHE – some links to such sites are provided below. You may also find information about local home educating groups on Yahoo and Facebook. Education Otherwise: www.education-otherwise.net Ed Yourself: www.edyourself.org Home Schooling: www.home-schooling-uk.com Ahome: www.ahomeeducation.co.uk Home Education Advisory Service: www.heas.org.uk What happens if I don’t want any contact with the Local Authority? If you choose not to respond we will write to you asking for information about the educational provision. Why do you ask for the reasons chosen to home educate? Parents home educate for a number of reasons, in some circumstances it is a result of a problem in school. The Local Authority, in continually striving for school improvement, considers these reasons. Where is the data pertaining to elective home educated children stored? Data is held on the One system and is accessed by the EHE team using confidential password entry only. Why is the education provision being asked for? Completing the Record of Information provides the team with an opportunity to consider how to support you dependent on your individual circumstances and needs. We aim to work with home educators to offer support and signposting to services that they may find beneficial. Does Staffordshire LA provide any funding? Parents who choose to educate their children at home must be prepared to assume full financial responsibility, including bearing the cost of any public examinations. 3 What non-LA help or support is there locally? Staffordshire has a thriving home education community with different activities taking place around the county for children of all ages. There are a significant number of support websites for home educating families, the contents of which Staffordshire County Council has no ownership but appreciate that they may be useful for home educating families. You can find these by using a search engine to determine which sites will be most appropriate to your needs. Please note: from September 2013 colleges can claim funding directly from central government for children and young people from 14 years old. Compliments, Comments and Complaints Should you have any compliments, comments or complaints on any aspect of the information outlined in this documents as they apply to you, you should contact Ms Alison Greenwood, Head of the Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Service, Entrust, Kingston Centre, Fairway, Stafford, ST16 3TW in the first instance. How to contact us Address: Elective Home Education Services Entrust Kingston Centre Fairway Stafford Staffordshire ST16 3TW Phone: 01785 277920 Email: [email protected] Website: www.staffordshire.gov.uk 4 How to contact Parent Partnership Staffordshire Parent Partnership operates independently as a confidential service for parents and carers of children with special educational needs. It is funded by Staffordshire County Council. Address: 14 Martin Street Stafford Staffordshire ST16 2LG Phone: 01785 356921 Email: [email protected] Website: www.staffordshire.gov.uk/spps More Information National EHE Websites: www.education-otherwise.net www.edyourself.org www.home-schooling-uk.com Special Educational Needs: www.HE-Special.org.uk www.IPSEA.org.uk Department for Education: www.education.gov.uk (search for education) Some Home Educators recommend the following books: Alan Thomas How Children Learn at Home Clare Lawrence Autism and Flexischooling: A Shared Classroom and Homeschooling Approach Gareth Lewis One-to-one: A Practical Guide to Learning at Home Age 0-11 Grace Llewellyn Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education Janie Levine Hellyer Homeschooling: The Teen Years: Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 13- To 18- Year-Old John Holt How Children Learn Lise Pyles Homeschooling the Child with Asperger Syndrome: Real Help for Parents Anywhere and On Any Budget Ross Mountney Learning without School: Home Education Sherri Linsenbach The Everything Homeschooling Book: All You Need to Create the Best Curriculum and Learning Environment for Your Child Terri Dowty Free Range Education Terri Dowty & Home Educating Our Autistic Spectrum Children Kitt Cowlishaw 5 .