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Home Ed-ing SEN ds and LA visits

8 replies

fizzbump · 24/10/2013 15:37

Hi, I need advice on whether I should/have to allow the LA to demand home visits. I started home schooling my ds2 (8yr) in sept and had a SEN review on 2nd Oct. They've requested a visit and also written evidence, one suggestion was a topic folder, written by ds in January. However, I'm still trying to deschool him as he refused to even pick a pen up 5 weeks ago. He's now started to write basics, like quick note type stuff, but there's no way he'll fill a folder before Jan.

We've covered loads of things over the past 6 weeks and his self confidence is slowly coming back Smile and I'm worried if I start forcing him to write more often that he'll regress again.

They basically implied that if I dont meet their demands they'll get an Attendance Order and force him to attend a Behavioural School, which I'm really against. Sad

OP posts:
ommmward · 24/10/2013 23:09

Hi Fizzbump.

The short answer is NO, they have no right to demand a visit. The way to play it is fully-informed-and-slightly-bemused.

"Dear LA bod,

Thank you for being in touch about minifizzbump's education. As you know, we started home educating in September 2013. As advised in the 2007 Elective Home Education guidelines for Local Authorities, we will be using the coming months to settle in to home education and "deschool". We will be very happy to provide you with written evidence about our educational approach in January, once we have had time to establish our routine and approach.

I am a little confused: the guidelines say that parents can choose in what form to provide such evidence to local authorities, which might comprise an edcational philosophy, a learning diary, a meeting with the parent etc. You have asked for particular kinds of evidence (viz: a home visit and a topic folder). Please would you confirm, in writing, the legal basis on which you have asked for these particular forms of evidence. If it is indeed a legal requirement, I will be willing to provide evidence of the education in these forms; if there is no legal requirement to provide evidence in any particular form, then I will provide [insert as appropriate: maybe "an educational philosophy together with a sample learning diary kept by me for a two week period"].

Make sure you get everything in writing from the LA. for your own confidence, make sure you've read the 2007 EHE guidelines, which someone will be along with a link to soon.

[hint: they have no legal leg to stand on and will almost certainly back off fast once they realise you actually know the law]

passedgo · 24/10/2013 23:18

I think you should let them visit and talk to them. Sending narky letters will just make them suspicious. This is about your son and his education and well-being, they are there to support him. Try to build a good relationship with them and they may be able to support you to get the best out of him.

ommmward · 25/10/2013 00:04

Did my drafted letter sound narky? Not the intention at all - maybe we home educators just get a bit jaded with local authority staff trying to overstep their legal responsibilities on a routine basis. This article puts together some of the classic arguments against it being a good idea for home educators to accept home visits. It probably seems completely through the looking glass to people who are not home educating, but not at all to those of us who have experience of home education and of possible interactions between home educators and unsympathetic local authority employees.

Saracen · 25/10/2013 00:12

I agree with ommmward.

If you do think there is any kind of friendly relationship you might feel able to have with people who are, in the first instance, threatening you with legal action if you choose not to comply with their dodgy requests, you could easily tweak her letter so it is equally assertive but less narky. Threatening to send a child to school when they haven't even met him and presumably know nothing about how he is being home educated doesn't seem to promise a terribly supportive relationship, but I suppose you might be pleasantly surprised. Stranger things have happened.

But at any rate, it sounds like you feel that having a visit and providing a topic folder would not be helpful at this point in time. You may as well decline those suggestions for the time being. You can always change your mind later if you want.

I do have just one teeny weeny change to suggest to ommmward's letter: instead of "evidence" I would refer to providing "information". In HE circles it is generally accepted that it is wise to supply some information to the LA if they enquire about your child's education, though there is no legal requirement for you to do so. However, using the word "evidence" seems to acknowledge that you must prove that you are providing a suitable education. Unless and until you are actually being taken to court, you don't have to prove anything to anyone. So if I were you, I would avoid the word "evidence" in case it encourages your LA to persist in their mistaken belief that you must supply evidence for them to assess.

julienoshoes · 25/10/2013 07:28

Narky asking a LA to stick to the law?
I don't think so.

I've answered your question elsewhere and included the fact that the "Elective Home Education; Guidelines for LAs state quite clearly

Home educating parents are NOT required to:

teach the National Curriculum
provide a broad and balanced education
have a timetable
have premises equipped to any particular standard
set hours during which education will take place
have any specific qualifications
make detailed plans in advance
observe school hours, days or terms
GIVE FORMAL LESSONS
MARK WORK DONE BY THE CHILD
formally assess progress or set development objectives
reproduce school type peer group socialisation
MATCH SCHOOL-BASED, AGE-SPECIFIC STANDARDS

Nor are they required to have a home visit at all, allow the LA to meet the child if they don't want to, nor provide any samples of work.

I've actually gone further than Ommm and reminded them that the guidelines state the parents should be allowed a reasonable timescale to settle, and said you will get back to them in March 2014 with written information about the education you are providing.

fizzbump · 25/10/2013 11:48

Thanks for the replies, ommmward I'm going to send a letter that (I think julienoshoes has supplied very very thankfully!!) on FB.

passedgo I do try, but have found that with these sort of people, the nicer you act the worse you are treated overall. His former schools staff proved that, but thats a whole other story.

saracen I think snowball in a warm place has a better chance than a 'good relationship' forming. I'm rather narked that it was put the way it was, fair enough she did back track a tad with but "theres lots of stages we go through before on Order is given". But the implication was there...

OP posts:
FionaJNicholson · 27/10/2013 07:59

Hi

Many local authorities have dreadful letters and the letters they send to families where a child has a statement of SEN are even worse. It comes across as though the parent has to prove something to the LA. Some people working in the area actually believe this, while others just send out the letters (or admin sends out the letters) without much thought.

You don't have to meet anyone or provide proof in order to be allowed to continue home educating.

When you say he had a SEN review, do you mean they brought forward the review of his statement or that it was due at that time?

CMD1 · 08/11/2013 16:49

We deregistered our 7 year old DS a month ago, he has a full time SEN. We have agreed to a home visit from our LA (We live in Birmingham) and they are coming next week.

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