Agenda item

To consider and discuss a report on the Authority’s policies and procedures in relation to supporting and monitoring the delivery of Elective Home Education.

 

10.10am – 11am

 

~~~~ BREAK (11am – 11.15am) ~~~~

The Lead Member for Education, Children and Young People, Councillor Gill German, introduced the Elective Home Education report (previously circulated).

 

The report was being presented to the Committee to reassure members that Denbighshire County Council (DCC) was meeting the statutory requirements for Elective Home Education (EHE) within the County. The report included an oversight of the procedures in place and the Council’s safeguarding responsibilities.

 

The Head of Education guided Members through the report (previously circulated).

 

Home education was a term used when parents chose to educate their children at home instead of sending them to school. Home education reflected the diversity of approaches and allowed for and individualised approach for children tailored to the specific needs and interests of each child. Many home educating parents felt that they were able to meet their children’s needs and learning styles more effectively than in the classroom.

 

Children who were home educated were not expected to follow the Curriculum for Wales or any other specified curriculum or meet criteria for the number of learning hours. The home education approach could range from a continuum from a formal, structured, schedule-based education through to autonomous or child-led education.

 

The responsibility of the parent was to provide a suitable, efficient, full-time education, in line with the child’s age, ability and aptitude.

 

The role of the Local Authority (LA) was to identify children and young people who were not receiving a suitable, efficient full-time education. It was not the authority’s role to provide the education however, support from the LA was available and provided when requested. The ways in which the authority fulfilled this role could take on many different forms. The most important was engaging in a positive, supportive manner with the families and building up a relationship to ensure that it could identify that learning was taking place, that it was suitable and sustainable.

 

Before learners were taken off the school register, the Welsh Government Statutory Guidance should be shared with families in order that they knew what was expected of them to educate at home. Once the families moved over to EHE the Denbighshire protocol, updated in February 2024, (previously circulated in Appendix 1) would be sent out to families to support them in getting started.

 

All EHE families were offered a home visit to discuss the provision taking place. This was an effective way to link with all families and was a good opportunity to meet the learners and hear their point of view. It also gave the learners the opportunity to explain what they had been learning in their own words. Families did not have to accept a home visit and some families preferred to send and educational report or a third-party endorsement report to the local education authority (LEA).

 

Currently Denbighshire had 158 learners registered as EHE. There had been a noticeable increase since August 2016 where the LA had 94 learners registered as EHE. The numbers of EHE learners could fluctuate during the school year.

 

Every year the LA was awarded a Welsh Government grant to support the learners of EHE families. In October 2023, out of 141 families registered at that time, 76 showed interest and were supported financially.

 

Unfortunately, as in line with other LAs, Denbighshire had a small number of families who either refused or were reluctant to engage. As a LA, Denbighshire actively try to engage with these families through a structured process of specific letters, that were distributed at specific times. In between these letters, phone calls, emails and unannounced visits would take place to try and engage and support the families. The EHE officer worked closely with the Education Social Work Team in these cases to ensure that any safeguarding concerns were dealt with promptly.

 

The Denbighshire EHE Team had received the Gold award in recognition of the work that they undertook with home educated children.

 

The Chair thanked officers for the report and questions were welcomed from Members.

 

Members questioned how the education provided at home was being actively monitored. The Head of Education explained that monitoring the quality of the education being provided by the family was not the authority’s role. The authority’s role was to support EHE families and identify learners who were not receiving any education within the home. Information explaining the EHE role was in the report (previously circulated), and this was shared with parents when families were considering EHE, explaining their responsibilities.

 

Officers stressed that pupils who had health issues and who were educated at home by tutors arranged by the school of the education authority were not classed as EHE.

 

Members questioned the process in place when all levels of correspondence had been rejected by the family. The Head of Education stated that there was a national procedure in place which was followed. Engagement with some EHE families was difficult, if all areas of correspondence and attempts to communicate and engage with the families had been exhausted then it would become a legal matter with an Education Order put in place.

 

Members recognised the significant increase in EHE learners since 2016 and questioned if the funding had increased with the numbers. The Head of Education expressed that funding was a challenge. EHE was grant funded and there had recently been a change in the way that grants were received. All grants went through the Local Authority, there was 1 grant with 4 elements relating to how the money could be spent. The funding/grants had not increased with the numbers of EHE learners.  It was emphasised that the increase in the number of EHE pupils was not unique to Denbighshire, it was reflected across the majority of LA areas.  The highest number of EHE pupils were in the secondary sector, with anxiety and struggling with everyday school life being a reason for some families opting to provide EHE.  In some cases, pupils did return to mainstream education following a period of being educated at home, between September 2023 and February 2024 22 pupils in Denbighshire had returned to be educated within a school setting.

 

Members expressed concerns regarding the monitoring/checks on EHE families and questioned if there were discussions with the Local Education Authority (LEA). The Head of Education explained when families were considering home educating their children, there was a conversation to ensure parents understood what was involved and what was expected of them.

 

Members asked if EHE learners undertook exams for example GCSE, the Electively Home Educated Advisory Teacher explained EHE families were not required to follow the curriculum and therefore were not required to sit any exams if they did not wish to. However, in her role she would encourage pupils to sit exams in order to further their career prospects.  Part of her role was to signpost the pupils and parents to resources available to them, e.g. summer reading challenges in the libraries etc. and to support them to sit exams if they chose to do so.  Year 10 and 11 age pupils would be provided with Careers Wales information to help them plan ahead for the future.

 

Members discussed the impact on the social experiences of a child who was home educated and sought clarity on any support that was in place to address it. The Head of Education stated that the social aspects of a child being educated within the home was something for the parents to consider and was part of the discussions from the beginning. The EHE Team worked with Denbighshire Leisure Limited (DLL) to encourage EHE families to socialise together by using the facilities. There was a limited amount of funding given from Welsh Government for EHE families to come together to allow for social experiences.  Information was shared with EHE pupils’ families on groups etc. that were available for them to attend with a view to enhancing the social interaction aspect of their learning.

 

It was confirmed that Estyn did not have any involvement with pupils who were EHE.  The Regulator’s responsibilities only extended to examining the local education authority’s arrangements for providing support to EHE pupils and families as part of its inspection of the LA Education Service.  GwE did not have any involvement with EHE pupils either.

 

The Head of Education stressed that if the authority had any safeguarding concerns regarding a child/pupil the Safeguarding Procedures would be instigated as a matter of urgency.

 

Members registered their concerns with regards to the perceived lack of national regulations governing the responsibilities of individuals and families who choose to educate their children at home and therefore requested that the Lead Member and Head of Education correspond with the Welsh Government on the matter.  The Head of Education stated that he would raise the matter with Denbighshire’s link Estyn Inspector during their next meeting in early summer 2024.

 

The Chair thanked the Lead Member and officers for the detailed report and for answering questions form Committee Members.

 

 

 

Following a comprehensive discussion the Committee:

 

Resolved:  subject to the above comments and observations to –

 

(i)             endorse the policies, procedures and approach taken by the Council’s Education Service to support and monitor the delivery of Elective Home Education (EHE);

(ii)           acknowledge the efforts of Education Service staff in ensuring that the Council meets its statutory responsibilities with regards to pupils who elect to be educated at home, whilst also ensuring they are appropriately supported and safeguarded;

(iii)         request that an Information Report be circulated to Committee members in 12 months’ time detailing data and trends in relation to the number of pupils in the county who are educated at home; and

(iv)         recommend that the Lead Member for Education, Children and Families, in conjunction with Education Service officers, write to the Welsh Government’s Minister for Education and  Welsh Language seeking the Government to introduce regulations governing the responsibilities of those who choose to educate their children at home.