Pro active first LEA contact

[Wolliw]

I know that under current legislation, I don't have to notify the LEA that we are going to HE our children, the oldest of whom is now three and a half.

However, there are LEA staff routing around in a tizz looking for children "Missing From Education" like they will have two heads and be locked in the cellar.

I also don't like the idea of loosing our anonymity unexpectedly and getting inappropriately worded letters out of the blue, or worse still, getting doorstepped.

Do you think it might be a good idea to formally present our HE philosophy and explain what we are going to provide to the LEA unsolicited, so that I can prepare in my own time and without some ignoramous giving me arbitary deadlines.

What do you think?

What about having it all ready so that if they do come knocking, you're not unprepared?

Personally, our LA is fab, and I wouldn't mind their involvement, but they're not interested as they are very good at working within the law. However, if I lived with an LA that were not so good, I think I would hide as long as possible but just have everything ready just in case.

We contacted out LA ourselves when ds was taken out of a private school in reception year. We just gave them a call to say he would now be HE and after about 6 months they made an appointment to come round and tick boxes on a form - they were in and out in 10 mins, and its been like that at the other yearly visits.

You know they may never come calling. We haven't had a visit, letter, anything more than a year after we formally withdrew them from school. I do kind of feel left out! but I have stuff ready for them to see and am not agaisnt meeting them per se. If they come cold calling I've determined that I will schedule another appointment to meet them in the library or something, rather than letting them in there and then.

Of course I really don't know how I might feel in practice if and when they make contact etc, but for now, i'm not too bothered by the idea, and I'm not pushing it as you never know, they may not know the law etc.

Flamingobingo and Lolapoppins have had good experiences though. I wouldn't find something like that intrusive at all. What LA's are you in guys?

We are in Suffolk. Everyone who has our guy thinks he is really nice, if a little bit dis-interested in anything work you want to show him. DS is really proud of his work and is always a bit put out by the fact the guy doesn't really want to see it. He just ticks his boxes, has a cup of tea and is gone for another year, he is no different with the autonomous HEs we know.

What type of tea is it Lola? Tetly, Darjeeling, Red bush, Typhoo, PG tips or Earl Grey? Have you got some trick for getting LA to leave quickly that the rest of us should know about?

Maybe its my baking? I noticed he only took one bite of my chocolate brownie before he scarpered the last time....

Maybe its my baking? I noticed he only took one bite of my chocolate brownie before he scarpered the last time....

Oooooo recipe please... Why don't you stop being selfish Lola, and post it here for all of us to see? Keeping it to yourself like that...Hmm I fancy something sweet now. That's the diet through the window.