Elective Home Education

Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 states that parents have a duty to provide an efficient, full-time education for their children of compulsory school age, suitable to their age, ability, and aptitude, and any special educational needs. This can be achieved either by regular attendance at a school or by other means, such as home education. 

Some parents/carers choose Elective Home Education (EHE).  A child can be electively home educated between the ages of 5-16 (statutory school age). A parent takes on full responsibility for their child’s education, including delivery of learning and financial responsibility. There is no legal requirement for parents to follow certain subjects or the National Curriculum, follow a set number of learning hours per week, hit attainment targets, be assessed or take GCSEs.

PCC encourages all children to attend full time school, although understands and recognises that some families may choose to Electively Home Educate. 

As a Local Authority, we have a statutory obligation to make enquiries with parents/carers and other professionals to seek an understanding of the intended education to be provided. These include;

• Seeking regular updates from families to provide detail of the education provided (Outline Form).
• Following up where families are not engaging, including telephone calls and home visits.
• Home visits to support with curriculum, learning environment and access to resources.
• Issuing School Attendance Orders (SAO) where necessary.
• Referrals to Children Missing Education Team (CME) where a child cannot be located or receiving suitable education.
• Attendance a multi-professional meetings.

Where necessary - because it is evident that a child is simply not receiving suitable education at home and the use of school attendance powers is not achieving a change in that situation - the local authority should be ready to use its safeguarding powers as explained in the DFE guidance. The overriding objective in these cases is to ensure that the child’s development is protected from significant harm. 

Schools should offer a meeting with parents to see how they can support, however the parent is under no obligation to meet with the school and staff should not seek to dissuade or encourage any parent from home educating.

It is good practice to offer a discussion to parent/carers who expresses an interest to Electively Home Educate. This is a good opportunity to advise families that there is no recourse to public funds (e.g. entrance fees for GCSEs) or support from the Local Authority to provide an education.

Providing the "Thinking of EHE" leaflet can be useful for parents/carers

If a parent/carer verbally advises you of their intent to home educate, please inform them that this must be provided in writing, either as an email or as a letter signed by them.

Complete the Referral Form and send to homeeducation@peterborough.gov.uk along with a copy of the written request. Please make sure to complete fully, paying particular attention to the safeguarding and SEND sections. The LA will aim to process all referrals received within 5 days and we will email to say this has been completed. If you have not had confirmation within 5 school days, please contact us as a follow up so we can ensure we have received all the relevant information.

If a school is concerned that a child is at risk of significant harm, a referral to children’s social care should be submitted, regardless of the education status of the child. It is important to remember that EHE in of itself is not a safeguarding concern and a home educated child is not a vulnerable child by virtue of being home educated.

Once you have confirmation of removal from roll, please send their school file, any safeguarding/CP files and SEN records to Sand Martin House, Bittern Way, Fletton Quays, Peterborough PE2 8TY, marked for the attention of the EHE team. Please note, we do not require the students school books.

If the deregistration email/letter does not state they are home educating please complete the Child Missing Education (CME) Referral Form and send to CME@peterborough.gov.uk

The choice to EHE is a parents right and as a Local Authority (LA), we believe we should do everything we can to work with families to make this a success. 

Parents are not required to seek permission from the LA or any public body to home educate. Parents must (although just one is required) notify the school in writing that they are withdrawing their child.

Parents/Carers do not need to give reasons for their decision. Consent from the LA is only required to home educate a child if the child is subject to a school attendance order (SAO), or if they attend a Special School and the child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) where a meeting of parents/carers and professionals will be convened.

As a Local Authority, we have a statutory obligation to make enquiries with parents/carers to seek an understanding of the intended education to be provided.

Parents do not have to engage with the LA, however, there may be consequences of not doing so. If the LA cannot ascertain if a child is receiving suitable education and a parent fails to engage with the LA, the LA may seek support from the CME team and may issue a School Attendance Order.

You must consider the following points when deciding to choose home education:

• Costs, both financial and to your time and energy
• Is your child happy about the idea of home education?
• Do you have the space to provide a suitable quiet working area?
• The quality of the education you intend to deliver – do you have the knowledge and resources to meet your child’s needs?
• The social interaction for your child with other children
• Regular physical exercise
• Additional support for both you and your child

There is no recommended method or style to the education you provide. It is helpful to plan a programme of learning, which will also assist you in demonstrating that your child is receiving an efficient and suitable education.

You do not have to provide any particular type of education and can also employ tutors to assist with the education of your child. However, if you intend to employ tutors, it is a legal requirement that they are DBS checked before working with your child.

Any costs incurred are the responsibility of the parents.

If a parent/carer wishes to Electively Home Educate and de-register their child from a special school, complete the referral form as normal but DO NOT remove from roll.

Once the completed form is emailed to the home education inbox, this will be passed to the EHE Monitoring Officer to arrange a meeting with the parent/carer, school representative and the SAMs officer.

The parent will be invited to the meeting so they can provide evidence of how they intend to home educate and fulfil their child’s additional needs as outlined in their EHCP. All professionals will need to agree that the provision is acceptable before permission will be given to EHE.

If approved, EHE process will continue as normal.

If refused, the student must remain on roll and adhere to the school’s attendance policy.