Cardiff LEA - any idea what it's view is to HE?

[annielouise]

Hi
I deregistered my son yesterday. He refused to go back to school for close on 3 weeks due to bullying. Had a phone call from the education welfare officer Monday to see how "we" can get him to go back or maybe go back to another school. I said in phone conversation that if he did go back to school it would be a private school (smaller so hopefully they'd be more aware of what was going on) and that in the meantime I would consider home educating him if he really didn't want to go back. I asked for a few days for him to make up his mind once and for all. I'm not sure what to expect now. I'm sure I'll get a visit from this lady, who sounded quite reasonable. I just wanted to ask if anyone has any experience of dealing with Cardiff LEA - how receptive it is to home education, etc. Many thanks. We're both feeling really excited. It's something I wanted to do years ago. My son is really excited by it too. I think he'd prefer a school situation but the constant bullying and aggravation ruined it for him so he's being very pragmatic and positive about home education.

I don't know what Cardiff are like but I've just had a look at their website and it doesn't even mention home education, which is not very positive!! However, they may be better in person.

It's definitely worth reading up on what the legal situation is just in case they try to tell you what you 'have' to do.

Education Otherwise and HEAS are very good websites for all the information you need.

Thanks Tinuviel. There are some guidelines from the Welsh Assembly which I got through Education Otherwise. I suppose I'll have to wait and see. Will keep mumsnet posted in case anyone else in the area needs the information for future reference.

you wrote the official dereg letter, yes?

you need this link: SW HE groups people there will have the local gossip on your LA!

In the meantime, have a good read of this, which is the guidelines the LA are supposed to follow. If they demand anything that the guidelines don't give them the right to demand and that you don't feel comfortable with, come back for advice. Several of us here are quite good at writing bolshy but firmly courteous letters to LA staff who appear not to know the law

Thanks ommmward. Don't want to keep bumping this thread up to the top so won't keep thanking everyone. I think I'll be getting a visit soon - she's calling me this afternoon to arrange. It's unavoidable so might as well get it out the way. Will follow the links you've given me. We feel great - so upbeat and positive that this is a good move.

[dons militant hat]

Visits are not unavoidable at all. You might want to quote paragraph 3.6 of the guidelines at them and then put your best dim-but-friendly voice on and say "I'm sorry, are you saying that the guidelines are misrepresenting the law and that visits are obligatory?"

Paragraph 3.6:

Some parents may welcome the opportunity to discuss the provision that they are making
for the child?s education during a home visit but parents are not legally required to give the local authority access to their home. They may choose to meet a local authority representative at a mutually convenient and neutral location instead, with or without the child being present, or choose not to meet at all. Where a parent elects not to allow access to their home or their child, this does not of itself constitute a ground for concern about the
education provision being made. Where local authorities are not able to visit homes, they
should, in the vast majority of cases, be able to discuss and evaluate the parents? educational provision by alternative means. If they choose not to meet, parents may be asked to provide evidence that they are providing a suitable education. If a local authority asks parents for information they are under no duty to comply although it would be sensible for them to do so.[footnote here about a court case where that's what the judge said] Parents might prefer, for example, to write a report, provide samples of work, have their educational provision endorsed by a third party (such as an independent home tutor) or
provide evidence in some other appropriate form."

You could try here.

I'm hoping you're not under Caerphilly which I know is very near Cardiff - they don't sound good at all