Home Education

Education Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 30 Sep 2020 Closed: 12 Jan 2022 Parliament page
The inquiry will seek to understand the extent to which current arrangements provide sufficient support for home educated children to access efficient, full-time and suitable education, and establish what further measures may be necessary in order to facilitate this. It will also explore the impact of COVID-19 on home education, … Read more
32 Recommendations
1 Conclusion
1 Report
1 Oral session
1 Letter
2 Events
Activity timeline 5 events
26 Oct
2021
Report published
26 Jul
2021
Report published
23 Mar
2021
Formal meeting · Virtual Meeting
4 Dec
2020
Correspondence
24 Nov
2020
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
24 Nov 2020
View on parliament.uk
Home schooling
Cllr Lucy Nethsingha · Local Government Association Jane Lowe · Home Education Advisory Service Jenny Coles · Association of Directors of Children's Services Mrunal Sisodia · National Network of Parent Carer Forums
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - Strengthening Home Education HC 84 26 Jul 2021 33 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
6 results
Clear
5 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - Strengthening Home …
There is no single definitive figure for the number of children and young people being...
There is no single definitive figure for the number of children and young people being educated at home. The numbers that are available are likely to under-report as parents do not have a duty to tell local authorities that they … Read more
Government Response
The government committed to collecting high-level data through a new registration system for children not in school, acknowledging the value of improved EHE data collection and analysis. Further details on data collection and analysis will be considered as part of future steps.
Department for Education
View details
7 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - Strengthening Home …
Once the statutory register of children outside of school is up and running, the Department...
Once the statutory register of children outside of school is up and running, the Department for Education must make use of it to collate, analyse and publish anonymised annual data on the number of children out of school so that … Read more
Government Response
The government is committed to a form of registration for children not in school and anticipates collecting and publishing high-level anonymised data from local authorities, recognizing its value for policy creation, with further details still to be decided.
Department for Education
View details
10 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - Strengthening Home …
Schools should publish their permanent and fixed term exclusion rates by year group every term,...
Schools should publish their permanent and fixed term exclusion rates by year group every term, including providing information about pupils with SEND and looked- after children. Schools should also publish data on the number of pupils who have left the … Read more
Government Response
The Department collects and publishes suspension and exclusion data annually, including termly rates and SEND breakdowns, and intends to continue this. However, it rejects school-level publication for looked-after children and does not commit to schools publishing data on pupils who have left, citing data limitations.
Department for Education
View details
17 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - Strengthening Home …
Without a clearer definition of what a ‘suitable’ education is and what the threshold might...
Without a clearer definition of what a ‘suitable’ education is and what the threshold might be for intervention, local authorities have to rely on their safeguarding powers. We understand that, where powers are seen to be used inappropriately, there is … Read more
Government Response
The government stated that existing guidance sufficiently defines 'suitable education' for local authorities. Regarding School Attendance Orders (SAOs), it committed to working with local authorities to understand current data holdings and to consider further data collection and analysis in due course.
Department for Education
View details
18 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - Strengthening Home …
When the Department responds to the 2019 consultation, it must clearly set out the expectations...
When the Department responds to the 2019 consultation, it must clearly set out the expectations on LAs, other parts of the public sector (including health and social care) and parents with regards to EHE. It should supply case study examples … Read more
Government Response
The government states that setting out EHE expectations was outside the consultation's scope and that existing guidance is sufficient. However, it will work with local authorities to understand and consider further data collection on School Attendance Orders.
Department for Education
View details
25 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report - Strengthening Home …
The Department must clarify and strengthen the expectation in its 2019 guidance that local authorities...
The Department must clarify and strengthen the expectation in its 2019 guidance that local authorities make contact with parents on at least an annual basis, so that local authorities have the ability to see a child in person (at a … Read more
Government Response
The government will review its 2019 EHE guidance for local authorities and parents in due course, pending a judicial review. However, it explicitly rejects stipulating specific methods for local authorities to assess the suitability of home education or mandating the requirement to see children's work or assess progress.
Department for Education
View details
Government Response AI assessment · 33 of 32 classified
Accepted 3
Accepted in Part 6
Acknowledged 3
Deferred 11
Not Addressed 6
Rejected 4
Total 32 recs + 1 conclusion
Correspondence 1 letter
4 Dec 2020 From committee Letter to the Secretary of State for Education regarding Home Education, 3 December 2020
Parliament page