Elective Home Education: Information for parents
Parents have a right to educate their children at home providing that they fulfil the requirements of Section 7 of the Education Act, 1996 which places a duty on the parents of every child of compulsory school age to cause him or her to receive efficient full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs that they may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.
The law states that a child must be educated from the start of the term following their fifth birthday until the last Friday in June in the school year they are 16.
If you wish to home-educate, you are financially responsible for your child's education, this includes the cost of educational resources and any public examinations you wish your child to sit as a private candidate.
The aim of Blaenau Gwent County Council is to provide guidance and support for parents who are considering or have decided to Electively Home Educate (EHE) their Children.
The process to Electively Home Educate your child
The decision to home educate your child is never an easy one and you should not be pressured into home educating your child. If your child is in school, we would suggest that before withdrawing your child that you meet with the school and education welfare officer to see what support can be put in place to maintain their school place. When you have come to the decision to home educate you will need to put this in writing to the Head-teacher requesting that they remove your child from the school roll and specifying the date you would like this to be from.
Will I receive any support if I decide to home educate?
Whilst the decision to home educate is solely yours, the Home education officer will offer an initial visit to support and follow up visits if needed. There will also be an annual visit. We try to arrange some activities throughout the year (funding dependant) to provide enrichment opportunities and for home educated children to meet other home educated children. However, the LA will not provide education.
The local authority has a duty to determine that your child is receiving a suitable and efficient full-time education.
School Attendance Orders (SAO)
If you are unable to provide evidence that a suitable and efficient education is taking place then a school attendance order may be necessary which will require your child to be returned to school.
Flexi Schooling
Flexi-schooling is an arrangement for providing a full-time education to a child whereby the child attends school part of the time and is educated elsewhere, usually by the parent, for the rest of the time. It is an individual arrangement made between the school and the parent. It is recognised by Welsh Government as a valid full-time education. There is no pre-determined model for time given to either of the settings and individual arrangements vary widely.
Flexi-schooling is different from home schooling/Elective Home Education. Parent/ carers who request flexi-attendance are asking for a pattern of provision which will involve both attendance at school, as well as times when the child will receive educational provision at home.
Flexi-schooling is also different from temporary part-time attendance arrangements which the school/parent/carer may seek to make. Such arrangements are monitored and reviewed with the intention that the child be returned to full time attendance as soon as possible. Flexi-schooling is full time, although the provision may be split.
Flexi-schooling is legal in the UK, but it is not an automatic right, unlike full-time home education. It is entirely at the discretion of your school’s head teacher and their permission will be required before you can go ahead. As such, Headteachers can refuse to agree to such requests.
Flexi Schooling Guidance for Schools, Parents/Carers and Professionals
Welsh Government EHE guidance
Elective home education guidance | GOV.WALES
Welsh Government Home Educators handbook:
https://www.gov.wales/home-education-handbook-home-educators-html
Blaenau-Gwent Home education handbook
If you are considering home education or are already home educating and you would like to contact us, please use the details below:
Charlotte Copik-Phillips
Elective Home Education Officer
Blaenau Gwent County Council
Anvil Court
Abertillery
Blaneau-Gwent
NP13 1DB
Telephone: 07815 029295
Email: charlotte.copik@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
Elective home education: information for professionals
Parents are legally required to ensure that their children receive a suitable education. Some parents choose to carry out this responsibility by opting to educate their children at home. This option is known as elective home education (EHE).
If a parent or carer of a child in your school or area decides to home educate, you must complete a referral form and attach a copy of the de-registration letter.
Notify us of a child being educated at home
As a professional working with children, you must notify us if you're aware of a child who is missing education. A child missing from education is of compulsory school age (between 5-16 years) who are not on a school roll, and who are not receiving a suitable education (for example, at home, privately, or in alternative provision) and who have been out of any educational provision for a substantial period of time, usually agreed as four weeks or more.
Documents: