Elective Home Education Policy

Once the Local Authority have been notified of the parent's intention to home educate the elective home education officer will make contact with the parent and arrange to visit the family to offer support, advice and guidance within 10 school days. Should the parents agree to the elective home education officer visiting the home the elective home education officer will complete an initial assessment outlining the parent's intentions for provision.

During the home visit an initial plan will be completed regarding the scope and content of the home education. The reasons why parents have elected to home educate will be discussed and recorded. The view of the child as to how they feel about being home educated will be sought and recorded. The parent will be advised of the support and information available to them through public sources of information and will be provided with a copy of 'Children Educated at Home - Guidance for Parents'. A copy of the initial assessment will be sent to the parents.

Parents will be advised that they may seek to return their child to mainstream education at any time and that a return to school will be in accordance with the council's Admission and Fair Access Policies. Where applicable the Local Authority Fair Access Policy will be applied. The child will remain as electively home educated until the first day of expected attendance (the agreed start date) at a named school.

Providing that there are no concerns raised at the initial home visit/contact, the elective home education officer will make arrangements to visit the family within a 3 month period in order that the parent can provide evidence of work completed and that provision is full time. If concerns are evident that there is a risk to the child receiving full time and appropriate education from the initial visit the elective home education officer will arrange to meet with the family to gain this evidence within a period shorter than 3 months. During subsequent monitoring visits the elective home education officer will endeavour to ensure that the child is seen and that their views and feelings are recorded. The elective home education officer will take samples of work to enable an assessment to be made by appropriately qualified members of the Education Improvement Service as to whether the education meets legal requirements.

In cases where a parent refuses access to the home address, arrangements will be made to meet at another venue or, if this is not felt suitable by the parent, an initial plan form will be sent to the home address and the parent requested to complete the standard questions and return to the elective home education officer within 10 working days. Similarly arrangements will be made for examples of work undertaken by the child to be submitted to the council at regular intervals. If the elective home education officer has at any point any concerns regarding the safety or wellbeing of the child this will be followed up in adherence with Tees Safeguarding Children's Boards' Procedures.

Should the Local Authority have reason to believe that the parent is not providing an efficient, full time education appropriate to the child's age, ability and aptitude then the parent will be given initial advice and guidance regarding steps to be taken to improve the provision. This will be done via a joint home visit between the elective home education officer and a suitably qualified member of the Education Improvement Team. Statements of intent or pedagogical approaches although helpful will not be acceptable as forms of evidence of educational provision. If upon review the advice has not been actioned satisfactorily and concerns remain, the parents will be formally warned of the local authority intention to obtain a School Attendance Order in accordance with sections 437- 443 of the Education Act 1996. The School Attendance Order will direct the parents to enrol the child at a school named by the council with regular daily attendance from the date stated in the order.

Should the council have reason to believe that the child is no longer living at the given address, steps will be taken to seek a forwarding address. If this information is not established a referral to the Attendance Team for Children Missing Education procedures will be made.

A parent who is educating their child at home can ask the council to carry out a statutory assessment or reassessment of their child's special educational needs and the council must consider this request within the same statutory timescales process as any other request received.

Where the council is satisfied that the parent is providing an appropriate education at home for their child with an EHCP, the EHCP will be reviewed annually by the council until such time that it is decided that maintenance of the plan is no longer required.

Parents who choose to educate their children at home assume full financial responsibility for all costs relating to their education, including any examination fees.