Dear Ms Berlow

Local authorities visited and questionnaire

Thank you for your email enquiry made under the Freedom of Information Act, dated 12 November 2009 and submitted via the “whatdotheyknow” website.

You have asked for a list of the 15 local authorities that Ofsted is inspecting as part of its current survey work which includes Elective Home Education. You have also asked for a copy of any questionnaire which we are asking those local authorities to complete, or, if there is not a questionnaire, you have asked for details of which areas OFSTED is looking into.

Ofsted's current survey work includes looking at the role of the local authority with regard to home education, and at the views and experiences of parents and their children. Her Majesty's Inspectors are speaking with local authority officers, parents, children and young people.

The local authorities have been selected to include those in the north, south and midlands regions, rural and urban authorities, and authorities of different sizes. We have not asked them to complete a questionnaire, so I attach for your information, a copy of our standard notification letter to them which sets out the background and reasons for our intended visit. You can see that the letter goes wider than local authorities' duties in relation to EHE. The survey is being run in parallel with a second survey about children who are missing from school. We have done this because some local authority personnel are involved in both areas of work.

The survey is part of Ofsted's survey programme for 2009-10 and Ofsted is committed to publishing a report from it during 2010. In line with Ofsted's normal practice, that report will include a list of the local authorities (and any other institutions) visited and contacted during our fieldwork and evidence collection. The report itself is still at an early stage and it would not be in the public interest to release these names in advance of its publication.

If you feel we have not dealt with your request satisfactorily, you can contact me to see if these matters can be resolved informally. Alternatively, if you remain dissatisfied with Ofsted's response or the handling of your request you may request a formal internal review. In order to do this, please write to the following address, explaining what areas of Ofsted's response you are unhappy with:

Email: [email address] or write to:

Head of Information Rights

Legal Services Division

Ofsted

Aviation House

125 Kingsway

London

WC2B 6SE

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you also have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision as to whether or not Ofsted have complied with its obligations under the FOI Act with respect to your request. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

FOI Case Reception Unit

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely,

Richard Green

Business and Administration Team

Strategy Directorate

Annex 1 - Text of letter to local authorities

[Date]

Dear [Name]

Children who are not receiving education at school

Ofsted are undertaking a survey during the autumn term to look at children who are not currently receiving education at school. The survey will have a particular focus on those who are educated at home, those who are persistently absent from school and those who go missing from the education system. We are aware that there are particular responsibilities and powers given to local authorities to monitor and evaluate the provision which children receive.

Having looked at a range of existing data, we have identified fifteen local authorities as part of a representative sample which would like to visit and your authority is part of that selection. It is our intention to undertake fieldwork in two phases. In phase one we will need to have discussions with relevant officers and those others the local authority works with in dealing with the children mentioned above. Phase two will involve face-to-face discussions with children and young people who are educated at home and other young people who various reasons do not attend school, as well as the families of those young people. Not all authorities visited during phase one will be part of phase two.

You may be aware that Ofsted has just finished a significant reorganisation and that until the beginning of this term we did not have the staffing for this survey agreed and programmed. I realise the lead in time for our visit is very short and apologise for that.

[Name] and [Name] would initially like to visit your authority on [Date]. During this day we would like to explore the following issues:

It would be particularly helpful if, during the visit, inspectors could have some time to look at relevant documentation, in particular:

We will also need to hold a series of meetings with local authority officers during the course of the day. Clearly, you would know who would be the best people for us to meet in your authority. However, we would be grateful if you would include a brief meeting if possible with the Director of Children's Services or their deputy, officers with the operational leads for home education and for children who are missing from education, the principal education welfare officer and the leader of the children's social care team. It would also be very useful for inspectors to be able to meet with the appropriate staff from the youth offending team, truancy watch team and police liaison with schools, the leader of the traveller education service and a member of Connexions, depending on what you are able to arrange. We include a suggested structure for the day.

Day 1:

HMI will telephone you during this week to confirm arrangements for the visit. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Yours sincerely

[Name]

Her Majesty's Inspector