Educational Concerns

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Dear Halton Borough Council,

A) Can you please categorise how those known to the team dealing with elective home education became known? E.g. School, Doctor, self-referral, concerns about the educational provision reported etc.

i) Does the local authority seek to satisfy itself that the educational provision the parent(s) are providing is suitable to the child's age, aptitude, ability and any SEN as soon as they become aware that parents are electively home educating, regardless of how they become known to the local authority?

ii) How many instances have there been from June 2016, 2017 and to the date of this FOI where the person dealing with elective home education has or has had concerns that a 'suitable' education is not being provided?

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?
2) whether they feel that the philosophy of education is inadequate - for example in the case of autonomous or child led learning, that the particular child is not appearing to be learning 'enough'?
3) whether there are concerns because the family have not implemented a structured approach?
4) or whether the fact that the national Curriculum is not being followed is causing concern?
5) a qualified third party is not involved in the child’s education?
6) An educational report has not been provided by a third party such as; a teacher etc.

C) I would like to know of these children, how many of these concerns were proven?

i) Of the children in the above 6 categories, please indicate if further steps have or are being taken - for example, referred to CME or issued with a School Attendance Order. Please break it down into each year asked for.

ii) Please indicate how many of these went to court in 2016 and 2017.

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

Finally, please provide all recorded documentation relating to elective home education including policies, procedures (2015 - present) and recorded communications relating to elective home education (2017 - present), including any e-mail attachments. This does not include communications between the Elective Home Education team and electively home educating parents or information that falls under S40 (which I expect to be redacted).

Yours faithfully,

J Carter

Halton Borough Council

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Julia Calcasola, Halton Borough Council

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Dear J Carter

 

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request.  Please receive the
following and attached details in full response –

 

 

A)   Can you please categorise how those known to the team dealing with
elective home education became known? E.g. School, Doctor, self-referral,
concerns about the educational provision reported etc.

 

Answer: It is usually the school as they are required to notify the LA
when they receive notification from a parent that a child will be
electively home educated, however we will respond to referrals from other
sources. For example we receive notifications from other professionals
such as other local authorities when an EHE child moves from another area
into Halton and sometimes from a parent if a child moves into borough and
the parent decides to electively home educate rather than apply for a
school place.

i) Does the local authority seek to satisfy itself that the educational
provision the parent(s) are providing is suitable to the child's age,
aptitude, ability and any SEN as soon as they become aware that parents
are electively home educating, regardless of how they become known to the
local authority?

Answer: Yes

ii) How many instances have there been from June 2016, 2017 and to the
date of this FOI where the person dealing with elective home education has
or has had concerns that a 'suitable' education is not being provided?

Answer: There has been four cases during this time period.

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

The LA do not use the categories below to record information. The LA uses
a qualified teacher to determine whether the education being received is
‘an efficient full-time education suitable - (a) to his age, ability and
aptitude, and (b) to any special educational needs he may have’ in line
with current government guidance.

1) whether they feel that no education is taking place?
2) whether they feel that the philosophy of education is inadequate - for
example in the case of autonomous or child led learning, that the
particular child is not appearing to be learning 'enough'?
3) whether there are concerns because the family have not implemented a
structured approach?
4) or whether the fact that the national Curriculum is not being followed
is causing concern?
5) a qualified third party is not involved in the child’s education?

6) An educational report has not been provided by a third party such as; a
teacher etc.

C) I would like to know of these children, how many of these concerns were
proven?

Answer: Three of the School Attendance Orders served did not go to court
as the three children concerned were removed and placed in care. The
fourth School Attendance Order is recent and has not been heard in court.

i) Of the children in the above 6 categories, please indicate if further
steps have or are being taken - for example, referred to CME or issued
with a School Attendance Order. Please break it down into each year asked
for.

Answer: Three of the School Attendance Orders served did not go to court
as the three children concerned were removed and placed in care (2017). 
The fourth School Attendance Order is recent and has not been heard in
court (2018).

ii) Please indicate how many of these went to court in 2016 and 2017.

Answer: 0

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

 

Answer: No

Finally, please provide all recorded documentation relating to elective
home education including policies, procedures (2015 - present) and
recorded communications relating to elective home education (2017 -
present), including any e-mail attachments. This does not include
communications between the Elective Home Education team and electively
home educating parents or information that falls under S40 (which I expect
to be redacted).

 

Documentation attached

Regards,

 

Debbie Houghton

Principal Education Welfare Officer

Attendance & Behaviour Service

Halton Borough Council

Rutland House

3^rd Floor

WA7 2GW

Tel: 0151 511 8231

Email: [1][email address]

Request Id : 6250

Customer Details
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Forename : J
Surname : Carter
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Email : [2][FOI #469422 email]

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Request Topic(s) :
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Information Requested : Dear Halton Borough Council,

A) Can you please categorise how those known to the team dealing with
elective home education became known? E.g. School, Doctor, self-referral,
concerns about the educational provision reported etc.

i) Does the local authority seek to satisfy itself that the educational
provision the parent(s) are providing is suitable to the child's age,
aptitude, ability and any SEN as soon as they become aware that parents
are electively home educating, regardless of how they become known to the
local authority?

ii) How many instances have there been from June 2016, 2017 and to the
date of this FOI where the person dealing with elective home education has
or has had concerns that a 'suitable' education is not being provided?

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?
2) whether they feel that the philosophy of education is inadequate - for
example in the case of autonomous or child led learning, that the
particular child is not appearing to be learning 'enough'?
3) whether there are concerns because the family have not implemented a
structured approach?
4) or whether the fact that the national Curriculum is not being followed
is causing concern?
5) a qualified third party is not involved in the child’s education?
6) An educational report has not been provided by a third party such as; a
teacher etc.

C) I would like to know of these children, how many of these concerns were
proven?

i) Of the children in the above 6 categories, please indicate if further
steps have or are being taken - for example, referred to CME or issued
with a School Attendance Order. Please break it down into each year asked
for.

ii) Please indicate how many of these went to court in 2016 and 2017.

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

Finally, please provide all recorded documentation relating to elective
home education including policies, procedures (2015 - present) and
recorded communications relating to elective home education (2017 -
present), including any e-mail attachments. This does not include
communications between the Elective Home Education team and electively
home educating parents or information that falls under S40 (which I expect
to be redacted).

Yours faithfully,

J Carter

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