Letter from LA

[PieceOfPaper]

I've had a letter from the LA saying that they don't have details of their school places and asking if they're home educated 'for their records'. I don't want any contact with them besides what is necessary so can anyone please advise me of the best way to respond that will discourage them from further contact? Thank you!

I should learn to preview my own threads... I mean of course that the LA doesn't have any records of my children's school places!

Can't you just say 'yes, they are'?

Well yes, I can I suppose I'm interested in people's experiences of contact with their LAs.

They have a legal responsibility to check that you are, in fact, educating your children in accordance with the law of the land. They will have a section on their web site about how they do this. When I had responsibility for this role, we worked with parents, advising on strategies, loaning materials, putting people in touch with each other and did not challenge their right to home educate. Why are you so against the LA?

I'm not 'against' the LA, I just don't require their input.

PieceOfPaper I recommend you have a look at this site: educationalfreedom.org.UK I found it very useful for info and how to respond to LAs. But basically you should respond to the LA stating you are providing education at home but do but do not require any further input from them...I recommend reading through those sample letters on that site, it will give you a good idea of what to say :)

Thank you Thinking, I'll take a good look at that.

Are you on facebook? There's lots of groups on there, including a mumsnet home ed group :) www.home-education.org.uk and www.educationotherwise.net are also useful websites as is edyourself.org how old is your little one? xx

Hi

If the LA has no record of any educational provision for your child, it will keep on at you about getting a school place and may even put your children down as Children Missing Education. This is because of its CME duties since February 2007. You aren't obliged to respond but they are unlikely to let it drop.

sorry I am assuming you are in England? Wales has Children Missing Education legislation since 2010 as well though.

Thanks Wacky, I am on Facebook so I'll take a look.

Fiona, yes, I am in England. Interesting that I'm not obliged to respond - I did find something on a gov.uk site saying that the LA may contact HE families but I couldn't find what my options are re:responding (or not). I can see that it would make their job harder if I didn't respond of course!

The LA is obliged to try to keep track of children in its area and to share info with other LAs. You have no legal obligation to help them with this task!

But I think Fiona is right; they will keep on until they at least learn that you are HE.

The LA is obliged to try to keep track of children in its area and to share info with other LAs. You have no legal obligation to help them with this task!

I would respond. Although you don't have to, you might find an EWO on your doorstep one day if you ignore. Are you a member of UK home education (on Facebook) I think they have lots of template letters for dealing with the LA (who, as you'll know, you never have to meet), as do websites and organisations such as EO and Educational Freedom.

Perhaps it would be an idea to take the minute to respond with a simple yes so they don't have to waste their time chasing it up. That way they can spend time chasing children who are really CME??! I say this because CME can be a flag for child protection issues.

Oh I will reply, I'd just prefer not to have to!