Elective Home Education team and numbers of children known and deregistered

The request was successful.

Dear West Berkshire Council,

I am submitting this freedom of information request to find out the following information regarding elective home education. When I refer to 'children', I mean they are either de-registered from a school or have never been registered with a school. Please provide copies of all available documents, research and paperwork.

A) I would like to know which department within West Berkshire Council local authority deals with elective home education?
1) I would like to know who is currently employed in this team, and who the team leader is.
2) I would like to know who they report to.
3) What form of contact they use with families the first time they contact them.
i) Please supply copies of policies and procedures used for elective home education, for staff use or supplied to Home educators.

B) Has the LA made the team dealing with elective home education aware that there is no requirement to investigate a case or for the LA to seek to satisfy itself that a suitable education is being provided when they know the reason why a child has ceased to attend school? The specified reason being, parents have given legal notification to a school that they are educating otherwise than at school.

C) I would like to know how many children are currently known as being electively home educated in ‘…..........’ local authority.

D) How many pupils have been de-registered from school to be electively home educated?
Please provide numbers for: July 2015, July 2016 and July 2017. Please categorise these into:
- Children with no known SEN
- Children with SEN
- Children de-registered from special schools
- Children with care plans
- Children under services such as; CAHMS

Yours faithfully,

Katherine Norman

foi, West Berkshire Council

FoI/2018/121

Dear Ms Norman

Request for information: Elective Home Education team and numbers of
children known and deregistered

Thank you for your request received on 1st February 2018; we will seek to
respond within twenty working days.

Yours sincerely,

Jessica Bailiss
Policy Officer
Strategic Support West Berkshire Council Market Street Newbury RG14 5LD
(01635) 503124 | Ext 3124 | [1][email address]
[2]www.westberks.gov.uk

(Please note that I work Tuesday - Thursday)

show quoted sections

foi, West Berkshire Council

FoI/2018/121

 

Dear Ms Norman,

 

Request for information: Elective Home Education team and numbers of
children known and deregistered

 

Please can you clarify section 6 of your request?  You have asked;

 

D) How many pupils have been de-registered from school to be electively
home educated?

Please provide numbers for: July 2015, July 2016 and July 2017. Please
categorise these into:

- Children with care plans-

Can you clarify which type of plans you are asking about? Do you mean
Child Protection Plans, or care in terms of Education, Health and Care
Plans, or something else?

 

- Children under services such as; CAHMS.

You will need to be more specific and list all services you are interested
in receiving information about.

 

Once we have received you clarification we will seek to respond within
twenty working days.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Suzi Kenchington 

Information Access Compliance Officer

Strategic Support,

West Berkshire Council, Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury, RG14 5LD

email:  [1][email address]

' 01635 519860 (external)      '  2860 (internal)      

P Do you really need to print this email?

 

 

show quoted sections

Dear foi,

Request for information: Elective Home Education team and numbers of
children known and deregistered

Clarification:
- Children with care plans-
Can you please provide numbers of children with CPPs.
Can you please just include Children under CAHMS.

Yours sincerely,

KNorman

foi, West Berkshire Council

FoI/2018/121

 

Dear Ms Norman,

 

Request for information: Elective Home Education team and numbers of
children known and deregistered

 

Thank you for your clarification. We will seek to respond within twenty
working days, by no later than 4^th April.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Suzi Kenchington 

Information Access Compliance Officer

Strategic Support,

West Berkshire Council, Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury, RG14 5LD

email:  [1][email address]

' 01635 519860 (external)      '  2860 (internal)      

P Do you really need to print this email?

 

show quoted sections

foi, West Berkshire Council

2 Attachments

FoI/2018/121

 

Dear Ms Norman

 

Request for information: Elective Home Education team and numbers of
children known and deregistered

 

Please see below the Council’s response to your request for information.

 

You have asked;

 

A)    I would like to know which department within West Berkshire Council
local authority deals with elective home education?

The EHE service sits within the SEN and Disabled Children’s Team and the
Education Welfare service, within the Education department.

 

1)     I would like to know who is currently employed in this team, and
who the team leader is.

2)     I would like to know who they report to.

 

The Head of the Education Service is Ian Pearson

 

The Manager for the EHE service is the Learning Support Services Manager,
Rhian Ireland.  The EHE Contact is- Lucy Poynter

 

The Manager for the Education Welfare service is Acting Principal
Education Welfare and Safeguarding Officer, Linda Curtis. This team is
also made up of Education Welfare Officers.

 

3)     What form of contact they use with families the first time they
contact them.

i) Please supply copies of policies and procedures used for elective home
education, for staff use or supplied to Home educators.

The EHE Policy attached shows how the service contacts families.

 

B) Has the LA made the team dealing with elective home education aware
that there is no requirement to investigate a case or for the LA to seek
to satisfy itself that a suitable education is being provided when they
know the reason why a child has ceased to attend school? The specified
reason being, parents have given legal notification to a school that they
are educating otherwise than at school.

The information contained within the Policy attached answers this
question.

 

C) I would like to know how many children are currently known as being
electively home educated in ‘…..........’ local authority.

There are currently 117 children and young people on the EHE database

 

D) How many pupils have been de-registered from school to be electively
home educated?

Please provide numbers for: July 2015, July 2016 and July 2017. Please
categorise these into:

- Children with no known SEN

- Children with SEN

- Children de-registered from special schools

- Children with care plans

- Children under services such as; CAHMS

 

EHE information at July 15, 16, 17

July No SEN With SEN De-registered from a special school
2015 35 22 1
2016 54 14 2
2017 86 13 2

 

Information on CAMHS is not recorded.

 

If you are unhappy with the way your request has been handled, you may ask
for an internal review. You should contact The FoI Reviewing Officer,
Strategic Support, Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury RG14 5LD, email
FoI[1]@westberks.gov.uk  if you wish to request a review. If you are not
content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to
apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire SK9 5AF

 

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Suzi Kenchington 

Information Access Compliance Officer

Strategic Support,

West Berkshire Council, Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury, RG14 5LD

email:  [2][email address]

' 01635 519860 (external)      '  2860 (internal)      

P Do you really need to print this email?

 

show quoted sections