Date: 17 September 2009

My Ref: FOI/2009/0404/CLO

Contact: Emma Hearton

Direct dial: 01934 427390

Tania Berlow

Sent via email

Dear Ms Berlow

Freedom of Information Act (2000) - Request for Information

I write following our acknowledgement letter, date 04 August 2009, reference FOI/2009/0404/ACK.

Further to your request, please see our response below:

I read that you currently have just under 100 children registered as Electively Home Educated. Therefore for the purposes of this FOI request, these children are either de-registered from a school or have never been registered with a school.

A) I would like to know of these children how many are there where the visiting person has concerns that a 'suitable' education is being provided?

5 out of 121.

B) I would also appreciate it if this information could be broken down into categories:

1) Whether they feel that no education is taking place?

1.

2) Whether they feel that the philosophy of education is inadequate -for example in the case of autonomous or child led learning, that particular child is not appearing to be learning 'enough'?

No examples of this in North Somerset.

3) Whether there are concerns because the family have not implemented a structured approached?

No concerns of this type.

4) Or whether the fact that the national Curriculum is not being followed is causing concern?

No concerns of this type.

C) If there are children in the above 4 categories, please indicate if further steps are being taken- for example, issuance of a School Attendance Order?

Yes.

D) Please also indicate if any Education Supervision Orders are currently in court for this population?

None.

E) Please can you confirm whether any children who fit into the above categories of concern about 'educational provision suitability' would also therefore be referred to Social Services?

Not unless there are safeguarding concerns.

F) Lastly is it possible in your Local Authority that Social Services are involved with a family but that The EHE department do not know of this involvement (This involvement would be on an on-going basis rather than a one off referral which is found to be of no genuine concern)

No.

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In line with the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, the Council reserves the right to charge for disbursements, such as photocopying and postage. However, on this occasion no fee will be charged.

Please note that the Freedom of Information Act only provides you with a right of access to recorded information. Any information subject to copyright will continue to be protected by the Copyright Designs and Patents Act (1998). This includes information which is copyright of the council. Disclosure of any information by the council to you does not provide you with any rights to use or distribute the information in breach of any copyright.

North Somerset Council now considers that it has complied with your request. However, you have a right to appeal if you are dissatisfied with our response. In the first instance you should address your appeal for a review of the response or our handling of your request to the Council's Audit, Risk & Information Manager, in writing at:

Mr Peter Rooney, Audit, Risk & Information Manager, The Town Hall, Walliscote Grove Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1UJ.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the Council's internal review, you have a further right of appeal to the Information Commissioner. You can request a review of the council's decisions by contacting:

The Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely

Emma Hearton

FOI & DPA Support Officer

North Somerset Council

Philip Hall

Director of Finance and Resources

Information, Communication and Technology Department

North Somerset Council

Town Hall

Weston-super-Mare

Somerset BS23 1UJ

www.n-somerset.gov.uk