Schools Bill What Does Means Mean plus Forum/Panel New Guidance

DECEMBER 2022: THE SCHOOLS BILL HAS BEEN DROPPED. THERE IS CURRENTLY NO MECHANISM IN LAW TO INTRODUCE ANY OF THE PROPOSALS OUTLINED BELOW. READ MORE HERE

A number of government amendments mitigating the compulsory registration of children not in school [CNIS] were passed at the end of Schools Bill Report stage in the House of Lords on July 18th.

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Registration Discussed in Schools Bill House of Lords Committee

DECEMBER 2022: THE SCHOOLS BILL HAS BEEN DROPPED. THERE IS CURRENTLY NO MECHANISM IN LAW TO INTRODUCE ANY OF THE PROPOSALS OUTLINED BELOW. READ MORE HERE

On Monday June 20th 2022 Committee of the House of Lords reached Day 4 of the Schools Bill. Peers debated the proposals for compulsory registration of children not in school. This post unpacks what was said.

Ofsted new guidance about home education to inspectors

At the end of March 2015 I received a message from Matthew Brazier (Ofsted’s social care policy team) saying that Ofsted has provided inspectors with new advice and guidance about elective home education, covering the following points:

Badman Review of Home Education

The Wash Up

I wrote  here about how the Government was forced to drop proposals for registration and monitoring of home education on April 7th 2010.

People tell me this was “only because it ran out of time” or “if it hadn’t been for the wash-up, all this would have become law”. In this scenario, all that a future government has to do is to get things started earlier.

I don’t believe it was just because the government ran out of time.

Making a connection with your MP

These are some of the outcomes achieved by home educators from talking to their MPs

• Mass presentation of petitions to parliament
• Mass lobby of MPs
• Setting up of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Home Education
• Parliamentary events on various home education topics
• Private members debate in parliament
• MP visiting local groups
• MP putting forward Early Day Motions in support of home education or against increased regulation
• MP writing to the Secretary of State for Education on your behalf (it doesn’t matter which political party your MP is, all can do this)
• Opposition MPs putting your questions to one of the party spokespeople for Education

Why The English Home Education Guidelines Haven’t Been Changed

AEHEP Launch Post 2

Launch of the Association of Elective Home Education Professionals Part 2

Next up was Stephen Bishop, the civil servant from the Department for Education who has day to day responsibility for elective home education which take up around 5% of his time. The department welcomes the setting up of a national body which is recognised to be easier to deal with, although they would not be closing their door to regional forums and individuals.

SB said that the role of DfE in elective home education is an odd one. The Department is not particularly active. There are government guidelines dating from the past administration which are still current, which SB commented “tells its own tale.”

AEHEP Launch Post 1

The launch of the Association of Elective Home Education Professionals took place in the impressive surroundings of the Gladstone Room in the Palace of Westminster on Thursday February 26th.