I am an Elective Home Education Officer AMA

[EHEAMA]

I will try and answer your questions.

@Itsboiledeggsagain
Do you visit children across the whole age range?

Yes, 5-16

Do you have any concerns about increased susceptibility to cse and grooming?

Hmm, we have received training in both areas. There is no evidence that EHE children/young people are any more susceptible that schooled CYP, our experinec reflects this.

Do many of the yp have offending histories?

Very very few. Less than 5 in the last 5 years.

What proportion of 16yos get proper gcse qualification. Like level 2 equivalent.

About 5%

Do you see many rejoin school /college as teenagers to get qualifications or are they all desinted for low attainment (as measured by quals)

Very hard to say as our EHE community is always changing, with some young people returning to school then coming out again.

Do many do it for religious reasons?

Yes

@BertieBotts
Do you have knowledge about the theory of unschooling/autonomous education and what do you think about it?

Yes, it’s a parental choice and we support it as best we can but I’m not a great supporter tbh

@Ketomeato
What did you do about the off-rolled kids?

It was dealt with at a much higher level than us. Meetings with headteachers and it pretty much stopped.

@Marcopront
What is your job description?
I'm not trying to be goady, I just want to understand what you do.

We have standard teachers’ job description with a brief mention of EHE. Day to day though we meet with families, advise schools and other professionals, produce data, write reports, attend meetings and record everything.

@Plasticsequins
What qualifications do you need for your role? Are you most like a teacher, an ofsted inspector or a social worker?

We are both qualified, experienced teachers.

@Wildboar
What are your views on unschooling? Do many families take this approach?

See reply to Bertiebotts
We see very few families taking this approach

@Nousernameforme
How much is your department struggling funding wise

We are ok, I realise we are lucky in this respect but of course more budget would always be good.

@Nousernameforme
Sorry only asking as we are home educating due to sen and no appropriate placement for our child and whenever i have tried to get in touch with the home ed people its always a run around as departments have been merged or don't exist anymore and there is always a huge staffing mix up.
In fact we dont have a local education welfare anymore its part of anothers town but we do have a handy pdf with outdated phone numbers.

Phone calls are always answered first time, albeit by Reception, but one of us usually takes the call or returns it within a day or 2. This depends on our diaries.

As a qualified, experienced teacher, you will be familiar with "middle class bias" which is apparent in most schools.

Middle class bias has a detrimental impact on children's learning in schools.

Do you agree that middle class bias will heavily affect affect home education in a far more negative way And that if you give teachers with years of institutionalised experice the power to send lower class children back to school on the basis that their patents aren't middle class enough to "teach" then that exactly who they will send back to school?

Having experience in primary school myself (I currently job share As a primary teacher), I find that teachers (particularly, older more experienced teachers) take (sometimes quite extreme offence) at the idea that "unqualified" parents think they can "teach" their own children. It's received as a personal affront.
In that case, should every L.A. have an experienced home educator on the EHE team and available for consult on home education phosophies that you may not understand but are relevant in childrens learning?

Sorry, apologies OP.

What do you do with the kids who have been off-rolled/have no appropriate placement?

Do you ever recommend HE families to apply for EHCP so they can get their needs properly assessed?

It’s refreshing you have an education background.

I communicate with someone in an admin role paid a very low wage using a checklist, it’s a bit painful. Very inconsistent, full of misspellings and the leaflets etc they send are inaccurate. Completely misquote law, and don’t even make actual sense if you read them.

It’s refreshing you have an education background.

I communicate with someone in an admin role paid a very low wage using a checklist, it’s a bit painful. Very inconsistent, full of misspellings and the leaflets etc they send are inaccurate. Completely misquote law, and don’t even make actual sense if you read them.

How did you make the move to this from teaching?

I thought that the thread got closed :)

@EHEAMAEHEAMA

My response earlier to someone was I thought the thread got closed!!

My question to you - you have answered elsewhere (what qualifications do you have for the job) but what training do you get for this job? I am curious as to how LA's train their staff to understand the diversity of HE - the unschoolers through to the structured. Are you assessing HE provision based on your teacher training, school experience and the NC? Is that what your LA expect you to assess provision on? If it isn't then how do you deem that a provision is suitable?

What happens if you disagree with your LA's approach to HE?

Why do you think some HE’ers are so hostile to LA involvement? Are you sympathetic to their reasoning? If not; why?

Why do you think so many LA’s are keen to increase state monitoring and operational control of HE children but not keen to take any legal responsibility for the quality of the education nor increase LA support for HE children?

is there any particular reason you don't support unschooling/autonomous education? How do you find your interactions with families who follow this approach?

Which books, websites, blogs etc have you found most helpful in understanding how home education works and how it differs from school education?

I will keep chipping away...

@LizzieBananas
How many complete post 16 qualifications and of those, how many would you say do so at the “correct age” rather than early

Sorry, we don’t track post 16 quals. Connexions take over at the end of Y11. However about 90% have a post 16 plan, the majority going on to college.

@Rotolla
Do you have a background in education or training in education for the role? Were you for example a teacher, or is your role seen more as a safeguarding role?

Yes, we are both qualified and experienced teachers.

@CarolDanvers
Thanks for posting and dispelling some of the negativity

Thank you CD

@Lemonsaretheonlyfruit

Is there are large % of the home educators you see doing it for religious reasons? In these instances, Is there any way of regulating what children are being taught?

Yes there are a significant number but in our experience they are withdrawing their children from the system to avoid issues that go against their beliefs rather than to increase the religious education. However there is no regulation on what is taught.

are you made aware of children who have never entered into the school system in the first place ? Ie are they on some sort of register if, for example they are registered at a doctors but have never need near any form of nursery/ school etc?

Sometimes we are made aware but not routinely. Other families may recommend they contact us; other professionals who come across families may share our details with families, but they don’t share family details with us.

@KeepOnKeepingOnAgainandAgain

Does your LA make PB and direct payment available for SEN DC with an EHCP with no suitable placement? And if not, why not?

Our LA tend to use out of LA provision if there is no suitable provision within the LA. Only one family has received direct payments

@CarBui
While it sounds like you work for a good LA, there are those LAs who are hostile and who employ aggressive language, illegal policies and intimidating practices to make home education difficult.
Does their behaviour make doing your job more difficult?

Yes it can do. Social media unfortunately has a big influence too. Parents tell me that negative stories are encouraged on some sites and positive experiences are deleted from some groups.

@pickles26

What qualifications and/ or training do you have in order for you to carry out your job?

We are qualified teachers but training for EHE was very much on the job. I learnt a lot from parents.

What do you do if you disagree with your LA's policies and attitude and approach towards home educators?

We have been doing the job a long time and have written the policies after several open meetings with parents.

I've gone to work now

I’ve advocated for some off-rolled kids in our LA. Kids with SEN, no EHCP. I do find this practice rife. On a couple of occasions I’ve secured home tuition before a school move to SS and another a long running court case. I sign post to SOSSEN and IPSEA. LA doesn’t care until JR is threatened. If this is just from people approaching me because they know I understand the law well, then I imagine the real problem is much wider. In both instances the LA wasn’t involved in terms of home education. I suspect the level of undiagnosed SEND in HE is much higher, and the child is probably difficult to engage in HE. Would you routinely suggest a visit to cahms for assessment if it appears an unwilling choice or because you feel need wasn’t met in school?

@EHEAMA
Thank you for responding

I presume that is your LA only that you are talking about (as I have found various LA's do not require a teaching background, when I asked the lady who was trying to force her way into my home - I discovered she had no qualifications at all - bar her job title). Was it a requirement of the job to have a teaching background?
It's great that you have learned a lot from parents and the diversity of HE and have devised your policies in line with this. Does your LA have a good rapport with HE parents - regular meetings so that families can work with you?

Given your teaching background - is this what you use to 'assess' provision - your knowledge of NC? How do you assess the provision as suitable for those who do not use NC within their HE or are unschoolers for example?

Do you insist on (seeing) work samples in order to assess provision or are you able to determine from an education report or a visit?

Is your LA's paperwork/website fully informative to parents in so much that it makes it clear that visits and work samples aren't required by law etc?

Does your LA actually offer support to HE'rs - some LA's offer exam support for example (no strings attached).

Sorry a million questions
I went from a 'good' LA and fantastic EHE lady (supportive, non intrusive, honest, competent) to a LA who are aggressive, manipulative, hostile - so it was a bit of a shock!

We go in and talk about the possibilities, what's on offer, give reassurance and encouragement
This is so wonderful. When I refused school due to bullying they came out and told my parents I could either return to school or be locked up in a secure unit, medicated and schooled there. Needless to say I was sent back to school to have the shit beaten out of me every day for another four years.

How do parents afford to home school though? Don’t they have to work?

Thanks for answering @EHEAMA.

Glad to hear you don’t doorstep people. When I started home ed, I received a very pleasant and respectful letter from the LA, and I opted to have an annual visit. The lady who came annually was lovely, and I was really fond of her.

I’ve heard, though, that after she retired, the EHE dept had reverted to inviting themselves round and even turning up unannounced. If they’d tried that with me, they’d have got my back straight up and I’d have had nothing to do with them. It’s a very misguided approach, I think.

@pickles26

Loving your questions. Following this with keen interest. OP does seem like one of the famous "lovely LA ladies" but it isn't always so everywhere. Still it's rather nice to have this opportunity to ask questions.

Another long term HE who is extremely happy with their LA - I have not heard from them in 9 years!!! lol perfect.

I guess my slightly goady question to you is - do you feel home visits and increased monitoring would actually achieve anything? And if so would it achieve enough to warrant spending the money on that rather than supporting struggling children in school?

I was really surprised by your statement that the large majority of parent accept home visits

I have been involved in HE for 30+ years, and my HE children now HE my Grandchildren. I run several HE meet ups and offer advice online to parents who are having issues with their LA and to local families who are unsure where to start - I am involved in some of the HE conferences and festivals. By the way - some of the sites that delete positive experiences do so because they are sites for people having problems with LA's not for reporting pleasant visits!!! In my extensive experience I only hear of a handful of people a year who have found EHE Officers visits actually useful - on the whole they have not found them awful or difficult just a bit pointless. All they normally get out of them is confirmation they are doing fine - but they knew this anyway or just need this written confirmation for other reasons. They do not say this to your face though!!!! If they have concerns or questions about HE 99% will turn to us - other HE families - and not the LA.

We tend to find most people accept the first visit - because the LA letters tend to imply its obligatory - but once they are engaged with the local HE community and find out they do not have to accept them then they refuse all further visits unless needed as above.

I guess my overall issue is I understand the desire to make an initial check on a child removed from school to see if any issues can be resolved and that HE is a positive decision. I suggest to people all the time that they may want to look at other options and reconsider their decision at some point.

But can you justify spending money on monitoring - in whatever format - the ongoing education of 1200 (in my LA) HE families when they could provide extensive written evidence once that their children are absolutely thriving in HE? I mean if you knew my Grandchildren, knowing our extensive experience - can you justify spending money on on-going annual monitoring of us??

Sorry I have given you about 5 similar questions so a summary one would be -

Can you give your argument that out of all the demands on tax payers money ongoing monitoring of all HE families is something that should be funded?

If I lived in your area...
What would be the advantage to me and my family (as home educators) of engaging with you?

(Except to avoid an SAO)

@Fatjesus

who do you think LAs should be employing and what training and experience should role holders ideally have to carry out their duties?
I think they ought to be employing teachers. Not so they can check on the provision but I think teachers are better placed to advise parents about real teaching and learning- the process, the approaches, tried and tested tips etc
b) Are role holders getting the training you would expect in this role?
No! As far as I am aware there isn’t any available for new EHE officers. I had to read – books, websites, blogs. I learnt through talking and listening to parents. It was a steep learning curve

@KatherineNorman
What routes do you have for providing access to diagnoses, SEN support, mental health support and access arrangements for exams for home educated children and young people?

We can refer to CAMHS, Educational Psychologists, other local support agencies. Access arrangements for exams can be relatively straight forward with a good EHCP, otherwise it can be a challenge.

@Slappadabass
Do you agree with Home Education or do you believe all children should be in school if possible?
Of course, you couldn’t do the job if you didn’t agree.
What are your thoughts on HE children not doing GCSEs?
I don’t think it is of any significance. GCSEs can be taken when and if ready.

@Drabarni
My experience of H.ed identified that there was no need for your job.
What exactly do you do?
We didn't accept meetings but supplied a list of resources we used throughout the year. This seemed to suffice for four years.
I had friends in other areas though whose life was made miserable by their EHE worker. They really did think they had a say or input into what the families were doing and at one point insisted on visiting the home. Of course the door wasn't open to them, but they really had no idea what their job actually meant.
You on the other hand sound lovely, but I'd still like to know why the role exists and how it's found useful.

The role exists because many parents value our opinion, support, guidance and advice. Not everyone is confident about what they are doing. We never tell people what to do, I feel we we have a very positive relationship with our families. We haven’t received any complaints about us and families have the opportunity to do this in an anonymously in the form of an annual feedback form.

Why do you think that a qualified teacher as yourself knows anything about H.ed
I have a PgCE and it was totally useless for HE my own child, on a one to one basis.
The training and qualification is for school teachers and classroom management/ following the NC all of which is irrelevant.
What I mean is what do you advise and how can you.

Sorry if I come across as goady it's not personal and you need a job I just find it a waste of the LA budget tbh.
I still say you are lovely though and you are answering questions so well

@Drabarni
Why do you think that a qualified teacher as yourself knows anything about H.ed
I know about H Ed because I have 10 plus years of experience working in H Ed

I have a PgCE and it was totally useless for HE my own child, on a one to one basis.
I have a 4 year B Ed, but it is 'old school', pre National Curriculum

The training and qualification is for school teachers and classroom management/ following the NC all of which is irrelevant.
My training included nothing about classroom management. Because of this I struggled in one challenging school.
My degree is in Applied Education and the NC didn't exist

What I mean is what do you advise and how can you.
It's hard to answer briefly but I can advise/give tips about specifics e.g. how to encourage a reluctant reader, how to start with algebra, i can explain chunking

Sorry if I come across as goady it's not personal and you need a job grin I just find it a waste of the LA budget tbh.

TBH I feel sad that you feel like this, You are lucky that you feel confident to teach your children well, but not everyone does. Just because you don't need help, should that mean that help shouldn't be available to anyone?

I still say you are lovely though and you are answering questions so well thanks
ta

Do any of your EHE students use online schooling like Interhigh? What is your view of it? Would you still consider a child to be EHE if they were attending online school with a full curriculum?