Funding for Home Education via Alternative Provision: FOI answers

[FionaJNicholson]

I sent a Freedom of Information request last Thursday to find out how many local authorities claimed/intended to claim funding via the the Alternative Provision Census.

edyourself.org/articles/fundingfoijune2012.php

The first four FOI responses are now up on my website (Birmingham, Trafford, North Somerset and Gateshead)

I have had answers from half a dozen more already and am just waiting for permission to share.

edyourself.org/articles/fundingfoijune2012.php#responses

Gateshead have been 'currently reviewing our EHE strategy' for nearly three years now. It should be blinding when they eventually get it finished .

Yep, it's like those committee meetings which always throw up the same issue and it's minuted as "ongoing"

But when Government says it, LAs think that means something might be about to happen!

FOI answers to read from the following LAs:

Birmingham North Somerset Trafford Gateshead Durham Devon Kensington and Chelsea Newcastle Tameside Rutland Bristol Poole Derby Slough Stockton Milton Keynes Essex Gloucestershire Dudley

edyourself.org/articles/fundingfoijune2012.php

Dudley's is particularly interesting
edyourself.org/articles/dudleyfundingfoi.pdf

"Dudley
1/ Did the authority claim Alternative Provision Funding during the academic year 2011-12 for children
who were educated at home by parental choice?
Yes

2/ If answering yes to Question 1/ did the authority claim for a/ SEN support or b/ FE courses or c/ a
package of exam support
The support for electively home educated children/young people includes SEN support, attendance at FE
Colleges and a package of examination support that includes:
? Resources
? Literacy and numeracy teaching
? GCSE English and mathematics teaching at both foundation and higher levels
? Examination entry, administration and fees
? IT on - line support through the Dudley portal system
? Training and financial support for the delivery of ASDAN courses
? Science programme commencing in September 2012

3/ Has a decision been taken on whether the local authority will be claiming Alternative Provision
Funding for children educated at home by parental choice for the academic year 2012-13?
Yes"

edyourself.org/articles/fundingfoijune2012.php#responses

"Birmingham: In light of this academic year's funding pilot, we are currently in the process of establishing guidance & criteria for next years claim.
North Somerset: The local authority will be claiming alternative provision funding for children educated at home by parental choice for academic year 2012 -13 for year 9 and 10 students who will be accessing early college placements.
Trafford: A decision on drawing down funding for 2012/13 has not been taken, but finance officers are investigating the terms and conditions attached to the grant.
Gateshead: We are currently reviewing our EHE strategy, however it is our intention [to claim Alternative Provision Funding for children educated at home by parental choice for the academic year 2012-13] if we are able to do so.
Durham: The Local Authority is not making any alternative provision for children educated at home by parental choice and so will not be claiming any funding.
Devon: A decision has not yet been reached about whether or not Alternative Provision Funding will be claimed for 2012-13. A decision on this should been made by mid July.
Kensington and Chelsea: The LA will not be claiming this funding.
Newcastle: Newcastle Local Authority has not yet made a decision on this; any future decision will depend on circumstances and the view of the Children?s Services Directorate.
Tameside: The local authority has made a decision not to claim Alternative Provision Funding for children educated at home by parental choice for the academic year 2012-13 and there are no plans to change the current policy of not claiming for Alternative Provision Funding for children educated at home by parental choice.
Rutland: Has a decision been taken on whether the local authority will be claiming Alternative Provision Funding for children educated at home by parental choice for the academic year 2012-13? No.
Bristol: We will claim AP funding, when in discussion with the parent we agree to pay for exam entries or an early college placement.
Poole: Poole hasn?t claimed any AP funding for children who were educated at home by parental choice in 2011-12 and there are currently no plans to change in 2012-13.
Derby: This will be dependent on the Department for Education Guidance Notes for the 2013 Census but based on the Department for Education Guidance Notes for the 2012 Census the Local Authority will not be claiming Alternative Provision Funding for children educated at home by parental choice for the academic year 2012-13.
Slough: No decision can be made until 2013 AP guidance is released.
Stockton: We are currently considering whether to do so.
Milton Keynes: A decision has not yet been made. The Annual Reviews for those children who have statements of SEN and are educated at home will take place in July and may reveal that additional support is required.
EssexWe have claimed for SEN support for exceptional cases. We have not claimed for FE courses...We will continue to claim on a case by case basis for 2012-13.
Gloucestershire: Gloucestershire County Council has not made a decision regarding Alternative Provision Funding for the 2012-13 academic year.
Dudley: The support for electively home educated children/young people includes SEN support, attendance at FE Colleges and a package of examination support.
Northamptonshire: We have started discussion on this but no decision has been made to date.
Torbay: The decision has not been taken.
North East Lincolnshire: Has a decision been taken on whether the local authority will be claiming Alternative Provision Funding for children educated at home by parental choice for the academic year 2012-13? No
Somerset: Yes decision made?because this is paid "up front" and reclaimed, SCC no longer has the money or resource to do this.
Southend: Has a decision been taken on whether the local authority will be claiming Alternative Provision Funding for children educated at home by parental choice for the academic year 2012-13? No
East Sussex: Legislation was only changed last year to make it possible for Local Authorities to claim funds back. Therefore for the academic year 2012 -12, we will be claiming for all children who are eligible and for whom we provide financial support to."

Fiona
Home Education News edyourself.org/news

I have FOI responses on my website now from the following LAs

edyourself.org/articles/fundingfoijune2012.php

Birmingham North Somerset Trafford Gateshead Durham Devon Kensington and Chelsea Newcastle Tameside Rutland Bristol Poole Derby Slough Stockton Milton Keynes Essex Gloucestershire Dudley Northamptonshire Torbay North East Lincolnshire Somerset Southend East Sussex Redbridge Oxfordshire Coventry Warrington Wandsworth Tower Hamlets Oldham Luton Cheshire East Hammersmith and Fulham Hull Suffolk Royal Borough Windsor and Maidenhead Buckinghamshire

Very interesting. Any response at all from Sunderland? Sounds like Gateshead s the place to be round here though. I want an area that flexi schools - dd is at school bu. want her at home more. She has to be at school at least sometimes for complex reasons though.

I will post Sunderland's response when I get it. I don't think that home educators in Gateshead would necessarily agree that Gateshead is the place to be.

Flexischooling is an arrangement between the school and the parent, the LA has nothing to do with it, so it's not (or shouldn't be) a matter of finding "an area". Have you asked the school?

I have info about flexischooling here edyourself.org/articles/flexischoolingconference.php
and here edyourself.org/articles/helaw.php#flexischool

I know, I just think that having an LEA where there is at least some support would mean that, when the school ask for advice, it is much more likely that the advice will be positive, iykwim.

Ideally, we would find a school where other families flexi school, then it wouldn't be so much o an uphill struggle.

Before she started school, I rang ll the local schools and asked the head teachers if they would consider flexi school, and for all of them it was a flat no. Every school within travel distance is over subscribed, so we would have to move to find a school anyway.

I was considering just taking her out for a half term at a time, and reapplying for her t go back, but that wouldn't work on many levels, not least that she is a bit aspergersy (we, and the teacher, are 'keeping an eye' on her to see if she grows into just a bit of a geek or if she needs more help) and she needs to know what is going on.

One more week of reception anyway, then a whole six weeks at home, thn we can see what year one is like.

There are kind o two angles as to why flexi school could be good. One is that we can offer a full education at home that suits her way of thinking (just leaning superficial bits annoys her, as does other kids not knowing exactly what she knows, but she is a lovely curious girl who can be a bit disconcerting when she parrots something she read in a newspaper weeks ago, especially when we didn't know she had read it n the first place...). Two is that she gets overwhelmed by school and all the noise and smells, and the lack of structure, but that might change as she goes into year one. Then there is the admittedly selfish want of mine to spend more time with her and not have school smack bang in the middle of nearly every day. I also want to minimise her exposure to princess culture, excessive capitalism, religion, etc. obviously it would be daft t cut her off entirely, but if she does a project on royalty, I want it to b mostly about exciting historical king and queens, whether is it fair t have a monarchy, revolutions and democracy etc (all subjects we have covered at home anyway) instead of stories about princesses making themselves pretty while the boys learn about knights.

She needs to have school there as a backup where she feels safe in case my health gets bad again.

Also, she does like school, just not all the time...