Admissions are asking for our intentions

[UriGeller]

Hi, just had a call from school admissions asking us to state formally by email how we will be educating our (almost four year old) ds as from September 2015.

I'm aware that compulsory education wouldn't start for him until April 2016 so I'm unsure why they need us to state our intentions now. I know preferences have to be given by mid January and we did Do this in September, then asked for our preferences to be removed in October.

I want to respond without sounding arsey (which is hard for me when confronted with officious notices!) with an email that would get them to fell satisfied to leave us alone. Has anyone had experience of this?

Tia

[ommmward]

Either ignore them (because it's like an advertising fishing email from a company, really)

or else send an email that says

"Thank you for your offer of a state school admissions form for little Uri. We are writing to let you know that we not be making an application for a state school place because we are making private arrangements for his education."

Leaves it nicely vague about whether you mean private school or HE. THey are just trying to guess how many extra places they are going to need to provide in their LA and whether they have a school place crisis looming, I think.

[Saracen]

I agree with ommmward.

It may be that they want proof that you really don't want a state school place after all, so as to have something in writing in case you later turn round and accuse them of having failed to allocate you a place when you wanted one. In that case your email will satisfy them.

However, there may be another motivation for their query. Under the Children Missing Education legislation, the LA has a duty to make reasonable attempts to keep track of all the school-aged children living in their area and where they are being educated. You have no legal duty to help them with this administrative task, however, so you won't get into trouble if you give vague answers.

[FamiliesShareGerms]

But why wouldn't you just confirm your intention to home ed?

[tilder]

Am sorry but I don't see the need to be arsey about such a question. There are lots of reasons for them to ask and am pretty sure its not to do with how you are educating your child.

What's wrong with sending a brief email with the truth in it? Unless you want to hide it why wouldn't you?

[UriGeller]

No I don't want to hide it! It's a hard come by decision which we've had to repeatedly justify. I just need to be able to word a response which which will satisfy the officials and that gives the impression we are capable of giving DS a good education.

Of course, I didn't consider that they just need to estimate the numbers for the coming year!

ommmm, your response is exactly what I'm looking for, thanks and thanks all.

[ommmward]

I wouldn't advise that families confirm their intention to home educate unless they are asked directly. It's a right hassle being known to the LA, and I can think of just two families among our (very wide) acquaintance of HE families who are known to the LA and who welcome the LA's requests for visits, portfolios of work, reports etc etc etc. Among the others who are known to the LA, the stress and irritation of having to deal with them (including pointing out, repeatedly, the legal extent of the LA's responsibilities and powers) can be a talking point for months on end. Being known to the LA if you don't need to be really isn't something to recommend - there's much better advice, support and informal watchful eyes taking place within the HE community.

[windypolar]

Also agree with Ommmwards response.

And there are usually no benefits to being known or 'registered' as a home educator with an LA, but potentially lots of hassle, depending on the LA.

[AGnu]

How about something like:

"Thank you for your concern. To reiterate our previous correspondence, we will not be requiring a state school place for our child at the present time. We will be ensuring that he receives an appropriate education as is our responsibility laid out in section 7 of the Education Act 1996. We trust this brings this topic to a conclusion as we are confident that our chosen education plan will fulfil our child's needs. Many thanks, UriGeller"

[AGnu]

Except with proper paragraphs... & maybe "the matter" instead of "this topic" & maybe "Yours sincerely/faithfully"...

[windypolar]

"and that gives the impression we are capable of giving DS a good education."

I think that information would be out of place in the response, almost not appropriate here. You'll be asked to do that at a later date if they're aware you're home educating. You'll probably receive next communication from an EWO in first instance.

[ommmward]

No, if this just says "no thanks, we don't need a state school place" they'll almost certainly assume you're signing up for private school. I have never heard of people getting onto the LA radar at this point, to be honest, unless they write to say "Hello, we are going to home educate"

I should say that we simply ignored the equivalent letter (which we only received for one of our children - presumably through Health Visitor records or GP records), and never heard anything else from them.