Ofsted Home Education Quotes 2016

This is a summary of home education mentioned in Ofsted children’s services inspection reports from February 2016 to December 2016

In April 2015 Ofsted briefed its inspectors about home education.  The briefing said

“It is crucial that inspectors take the following into account during single inspections:

• Ofsted does not have a mandate to inspect the quality of EHE.

• The statutory duty on LAs to identify as far as possible those children not receiving a suitable education does not extend to home-educated children; LAs do not have a duty to evaluate the quality of the education provided for home educated children – e.g. through routine visits – although they may intervene if it appears that the education is unsuitable.

• Home visits may only take place with the consent of the parent, unless there is a safeguarding concern which would justify the use of safeguarding powers to carry out a home visit whatever the child’s mode of education

• The guidance does, however, encourage LAs as a matter of good practice to build positive relationships with home educators; this is likely to increase access to educational support for children and parents when they need it and provide a sound basis for responding to any concerns that may arise

• The departmental guidelines on EHE explain that LAs should provide accessible, clear written information that sets out the legal position, roles and responsibilities of LAs and parents in relation to EHE. They can provide advice and support services, and may offer a registration facility but this must be voluntary.”

I monitor all Ofsted inspection reports published. The first collection of quotes about home education from June 2015 to January 2016 can be found here. This blog post represents a follow-up. For subsequent reports from January to August 2017 click here.

To see exactly what the inspectors said, click on “MORE”.

Lewisham, 20/1/16, up to date information on numbers and reasons, LA ascertains suitability of education, takes action if significant cause for concern, overall grade Requires Improvement,   MORE 

West Sussex, 20/1/16, visits to assess suitability, overall grade Requires Improvement, MORE

Suffolk, 11/2/16, home education not mentioned in report, overall grade Good, 

Wandsworth, 16/2/16, home education not mentioned in report, overall grade Inadequate, OFSTED RATED THIS LA INADEQUATE, SO THERE IS A REGIME OF QUARTERLY MONITORING VISITS AND INTERVENTION. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS 

Middlesbrough, 19/2/16, Good arrangements for monitoring, overall grade Requires Improvement,  MORE 

Cheshire West and Chester, 19/2/16, home education not mentioned in report, overall grade Good,    

Slough, 17/2/16, Building positive relationships with families; some choose not to accept support; concerns about children’s welfare referred to children’s social care, overall grade Inadequate,   MORE   OFSTED RATED THIS LA INADEQUATE, SO THERE IS A REGIME OF QUARTERLY MONITORING VISITS AND INTERVENTION. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS 

Gateshead, 11/3/16, Good arrangements for monitoring education and ensuring safeguarding is considered; health professionals and children’s social care undertake risk assessments of families reluctant to engage, overall grade Good,     MORE 

Westminster, 29/3/16, Triborough assesses suitability of provision; liaison with other departments to promote children’s welfare, overall grade Outstanding,    MORE   (for Triborough analysis, see THIS)

Hammersmith and Fulham, 29/3/16, Triborough reasons for home education scrutinised; safeguarding actions taken if necessary, overall grade Good,       MORE        (for Triborough analysis, see THIS) 

Kensington and Chelsea, 29/3/16, Triborough almost all families accept a visit to ensure child’s work is of appropriate standard, overall grade Outstanding,    MORE    (for Triborough analysis, see THIS)

Luton, 29/3/16, Information prior to making home education choice; recognition that some parents prefer not to have contact, overall grade Requires Improvement,    MORE 

Northamptonshire, 27/4/16, Visits and ensuring appropriate programme of work; somewhere to sit exams; referral to MASH if concerns eg extremism (only report to mention radicalisation/extremism in home education context), overall grade Requires Improvement,      MORE 

Northumberland,14/4/16, home education not mentioned in report, overall grade Requires Improvement,       

Dudley, 5/4/16, Maintains up to date records, overall grade Inadequate,      MORE       OFSTED RATED THIS LA INADEQUATE, SO THERE IS A REGIME OF QUARTERLY MONITORING VISITS AND INTERVENTION. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS 

Bury, 16/5/16, Checks on educational progress; good relations with families; safeguarding Board has looked at home education, overall grade Requires Improvement,        MORE  

Durham, 16/5/16, home education not mentioned in report, overall grade Requires Improvement,   

Thurrock, 24/5/16, LA criticised for not analysing data on home education (eg numbers going up or down) to respond to trends or inform service development; traffic light system used, overall grade Requires Improvement,     MORE  

Dorset, 24/5/16, Annual monitoring visits for education and welfare “to those families who agree to meet with them” (57%), overall grade Requires Improvement,     MORE  

Isles of Scilly 27/6/16 LA offers right level of information support and oversight, overall grade Good,       MORE 

Sefton, 27/6/16, All families receive annual welfare visit; online curriculum resources and exam venues offered, overall grade Requires Improvement,     MORE    

Bromley, 27/6/16, Good understanding of reasons for choosing home education; routine home visits; checks on suitability of education; 16+ get support from targeted youth service, overall grade Inadequate,        MORE  OFSTED RATED THIS LA INADEQUATE, SO THERE IS A REGIME OF QUARTERLY MONITORING VISITS AND INTERVENTION. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Cornwall, 27/6/16, High number home educated; LA analyses reasons why choose home education; home visits; 16+ outcomes data not collected (also mentioned for South Gloucestershire), overall grade Good,       MORE  

Southend, 7/7/16, Good at keeping in touch with families; established effective partnerships, overall grade Requires Improvement,   MORE 

Solihull, 7/7/16, Has developed supportive relationships with parents; assesses quality of the education; takes appropriate action when it doesn’t meet required standard; parents signposted to services and resources, overall grade Requires Improvement,    MORE  

Stockton on Tees, 5/8/16, home education not mentioned in report, overall grade Good,

Reading, 5/8/16, Maintains comprehensive records; undertakes appropriate safeguarding checks with relevant agencies to establish whether children are known and whether there are any relevant concerns; contacts every family majority respond positively and receive good advice and support through home visits, overall grade Inadequate,   MORE    OFSTED RATED THIS LA INADEQUATE, SO THERE IS A REGIME OF QUARTERLY MONITORING VISITS AND INTERVENTION. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS 

Greenwich, 5/8/16, Robust procedures for assessing suitability of home education; children checked against social care database; cases known to social care have risk factors reviewed by social work manager and home education officer; assessment of appropriate education; willing to act when education is unsuitable eg issuing school attendance orders, overall grade Good,     MORE 

Telford and Wrekin, 26/8/16, Good support to families and maintain good contact, overall grade Requires Improvement,    MORE 

Ealing, 26/8/16, Children missing education team scrutinises data about children being removed from school for home education; families encouraged to cooperate with health and safeguarding procedures; initial home visit; swift action following concerns, overall grade Good,    MORE 

Hackney, 21/1/16, LA robustly monitors referrals for elective home education; constantly push boundaries of their statutory authority to ensure children have the education they need, overall grade Good,     MORE 

Wakefield, 20/9/16, Comprehensive systems in place for tracking and monitoring number of home educated children; support children in returning to school, overall grade Requires Improvement,      MORE  

City of London, 20/9/16, Minimal numbers, good arrangements,    MORE  

Wirral, 20/9/16, Families can access support; LA has procedures to check on welfare and education; concerns quickly escalated to right agencies for appropriate further action (eg child in need/child protection plan), overall grade Inadequate,     MORE  OFSTED RATED THIS LA INADEQUATE, SO THERE IS A REGIME OF QUARTERLY MONITORING VISITS AND INTERVENTION. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS 

Kirklees, 25/11/16, Local Safeguarding Children Board recognised the need to improve its oversight of children missing education of children who are home educated and of unregulated schools, overall grade Inadequate,    MORE   OFSTED RATED THIS LA INADEQUATE, SO THERE IS A REGIME OF QUARTERLY MONITORING VISITS AND INTERVENTION. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS 

Birmingham, 25/11/16, Home education data now secure (improvement since previous monitoring visit); Numbers analysed to identify trends and concerns; schools complete referral forms for children identified as at risk; LA working with families to increase provision and raise awareness of safeguarding issues, overall grade Inadequate,    MORE  OFSTED RATED THIS LA INADEQUATE, SO THERE IS A REGIME OF QUARTERLY MONITORING VISITS AND INTERVENTION. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS 

Redbridge, 25/11/16, Good arrangements for support, LA registers home educating families so they can offer to visit, overall grade Good,   MORE 

Milton Keynes, 25/11/16, Recent improvements in tracking and monitoring children missing education and home educated; CME team challenges school and parents cutting number of home educated; annual visits; home educated not attending unregistered schools overall grade Requires Improvement,    MORE 

Havering, 9/12/16, Effective monitoring; LA provide good guidance and advice; good record-keeping, overall grade Requires Improvement,    MORE 

Tameside, 9/12/16, Effective work to engage home educating families; home visits to assess suitability of education; positive example in one case of brokering work experience and CAMHS support, overall grade Inadequate,    MORE      OFSTED RATED THIS LA INADEQUATE, SO THERE IS A REGIME OF QUARTERLY MONITORING VISITS AND INTERVENTION. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS 

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