next door becoming a playground for non school goers

[TryingToBeMorePositive]

I know I will be told to get my nose out of other people's business and what not but thought I will ask anyway and take the abuse.
I have some neighbours who are eastern european ( I am only pointing this out as non of them speak very good English so I have struggled to talk to them already). They originally moved in as one man, two women and young teenager boy before summer. He did not attend school. Now the new term has started he is still not attending school. Now 2 or 3 women have moved in or spend a long time round at the house and there are more younger boys in the house, I have seen a total of 3 together. There could be more. Now none of these children are going to school. They do not seem to be home educated as the majority of these people spend their time outside so we can see what they are up to, 4ft fences.
I have googled and not come up with an answer on whether I can report the children for not being in education. But I am also unsure whether I should just ignore the situation as it's non of my business. Feel free to tell me and then I can reassure myself to do so. But then do we have an obligation to report this? WWYD

[Losingthewill1]

1- are they causing you any trouble? (Noisy, abusive etc)

2- some home schooling doesn’t take place ALL day etc.

I understand it’s cause for concern because you clearly don’t want these people to be in trouble with the local authority.

[daffodillament]

Well, they are not actually bothering you are they ? Their schooling is none of your concern. Maybe they are being home educated/tutored..surely you are not out spying on them 24 hrs a day ? Maybe you really ought to keep out of it.

[Frogscotch7]

I think the human right to education for children is everyone’s business. I wouldn’t know how to proceed but yanbu op.

[BackToTheFuschia7]

Agree with frog

I’d raise as a cause for concern with social services. There may be an innocent explanation but the children are entitled to an education if indeed they aren’t receiving one at home.

[Fretfulparent]

Do you think they could be there under duress?
www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/crime-threats/human-trafficking
www.salvationarmy.org.uk/latest-campaigns

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

I too agree with frog

Maybe start with Childline...

[Gersemi]

If you want to report the fact they are not in school you need to contact the Education Welfare Officer at your local council.

[chickhonhoneybabe]

I’d start with Childline or social services.

[EdisonLightBulb]

I have a friend who works for the local education dept in a very multi cultural city, her job is allocating school places and says it is a nightmare. Not only because children arrive with no notice then up sticks and leave without telling the school, but often, because work may be seasonal so they will disappear for months at a time then return expecting their place to be left open for them. Communication is very difficult as many have no English and only so much literature is translated into different languages.

Perhaps they are waiting for school places? or waiting to return to their own country if temporary summer contracts are coming to an end?

[annoyed1212]

Do you live in an area where schools are oversubscribed? I know of Eastern Europeans who are awaiting school places for their DC but most schools are full and so they are on the waiting list.

[underneaththeash]

Of course you should report, if they are being homeschooled they'll just tell the EWO how they are homeschooling and it will all be fine, if not you may face a less bleak uneducated future.
It may be their parents are unaware that they can attend school for free, they may be being neglected, there may be something else going on. I would certainly report.

[viques]

Are there local school places for them? they might not be able to get a place in a school ATM.

Do they understand the procedure for applying to schools?

My neighbours daughter was out of school for months because the admissions people did not bother to explain to mum who had very poor English that they needed three proofs of address, not two, once I phoned up on her behalf and found this out for her they shot up to the admissions office and she had a place within three days.


Perhaps they are in the country for only a short time.

Maybe they are from a culture where education is viewed with trepidation, some Roma communities are very suspicious of schools because of their negative experience in their own country and they are often reluctant to send their children in case they are given the same treatment . If the children are older, and aware they are illiterate they may also be reluctant to attend.

You could try calling your local education office speaking to them and asking advice , it might be more productive than writing on an Internet forum. At the very least it alerts them that the children are out of school and potentially at risk.

[buttfacedmiscreant]

Homeschooling can be done in a few hours a day and it doesn't matter when in the day it is done, could be done around the breakfast table and then after dinner.

[abacucat]

I would report just in case. Could be there under duress or they may not know how to get a school place. Friends mum used to take her A to E as nobody explained to her that GPs were free. So don't assume they understand that school is free or how to get a place.

[astoundedgoat]

I think the most likely explanation is that they're waiting for school places, or possibly that if they are here for seasonal work, they are leaving soon anyway and that's why the children haven't started in school.

I've applied for an in-year transfer as we're moving city, and they said that I might be waiting until October for an answer as there is a huge backlog. If you live in an urban or very multicultural area, there might be a lot movement and councils may be working their way through a waiting list.

I would be mightily pissed off if somebody reported me for having my children around during the day!

Either leave it be, or if you happen to be talking, ask them how they're doing with schools and have they got places for their children yet? They may well be waiting on an offer letter that never turns up (as I feel that I am doing right now myself).

[LuciaLuciaLucia]

Eastner european here

Please do not just ignore this situation. I do not agree with keep your nose out of it, thats a bit “British”( no offence meant). We, as people in general, need to look out for each other more.

[troodiedoo]

I would report. if all is well then no harm done. is it a rented house? I would be concerned about overcrowding if so.

[wurzelburga]

YABU

There are lots of marginalised children not attending school in the UK. It is a national scandal. Some have been so severely neglected that they have died.

Some parents will have exercised their option to “home school”. In practice there is little or no oversight of what they are doing. Many “home schooled” children are sleeping until noon or later and spend the rest of the day playing computer games. They are often living with parents with MH problems who have been pressurised/manipulated by results driven schools to withdraw the children. Not surprisingly they often have MH problems themselves.

On Mumsnet the majoriy of home schoolers are committed, supportive parents who bend over backwards to provide a non school based education for their DC. I am not talking about them.

But some of the home educators on here seem determined to deny the existence of the neglected group. Not sure why.

You should phone the local council and report. There may be a reasonable explanation for what is going on. But there again, there may not.

[WorraLiberty]

I could've written almost the same opening post about 6 months ago OP

It turned out the 3 kids (who actually lived in the house) were waiting for a school place. They got one eventually after a couple of months and proudly showed me their uniforms.

Quite a few kids visiting didn't seem to be at school, but it's possible they were also waiting for places.

[Tara336]

Are all these people sleeping there? Surely that’s not safe or legal? I’d be concerned about these people’s living conditions as well as the children’s education

[TryingToBeMorePositive]

Thanks all. I don't believe they would be waiting for places as there are plenty of schools around us. But obviously I can't assume. I can't talk to them as they struggle to ask for their ball back if it comes over so cannot engage them in conversation. I will speak to council, this was the answer I was looking for as like I said I was unable to figure out from Google what to do. I will suggest that they may need help in understanding our schooling system. And if they are home schooled then I can leave them to it can't I. 😊

[MrsTerryPratchett]

I would be mightily pissed off if somebody reported me for having my children around during the day!

Why?

I think it's really odd that we don't see child welfare as a community concern. If they're waiting or home-schooled, it's a five minute conversation and no one is harmed. If they are being denied an education that's a concern to everyone, surely.

No wonder so many grooming, trafficking, neglect, kidnaping crimes go on for so long.

[stopfuckingshoutingatme]

Report as it’s unfair on them . How can they learn , development skills and learn English otherwise ? Just ensurenit does not track back to you