NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE

24 AUGUST 2021

ELECTIVE HOME EDUCATION POLICY STATEMENT

Report of the Corporate Director – Children and Young People’s Service

1.0       PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1       To provide the Executive with information upon which to recommend to the Chief Executive Officer that he use his emergency delegated powers to replace the existing EHE policy & procedures 2016 with the updated one attached to this report.

2.0       EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.1       Under his delegated decision making powers in the Officers’ Delegation Scheme in the Council’s Constitution, the Chief Executive Officer has power, in cases of emergency, to take any decision which could be taken by the Council, the Executive or a committee. Following on from the expiry of the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020, which allowed for committee meetings to be held remotely, the County Council resolved at its meeting on 5 May 2021 that, for the present time, in light of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic circumstances, remote live-broadcast committee meetings should continue (as informal meetings of the Committee Members), with any formal decisions required being taken by the Chief Executive Officer under his emergency decision making powers and after consultation with other Officers and Members as appropriate and after taking into account any views of the relevant Committee Members.

2.2       In January 2020, the Children & Young People’s Service Management Team considered a presentation on EHE. This included an overview of:

· North Yorkshire’s current response to EHE

· DfE guidance from April 2019 – see: www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education

· Safeguarding implications

· An OFSTED report considering moving to home education in Secondary Schools (October 2019) – see: www.gov.uk/government/publications/exploring-moving-to-home-education-in-secondary-schools

· EHE data for North Yorkshire.

2.3       A number of issues were highlighted as a result of this presentation, which included:

· North Yorkshire has seen an increase in pupils electively home educated from 532 in December 2018 to 695 in March 2020.

· The current response by the local authority via Early Help focusses predominantly on safeguarding rather than the educational aspect of EHE

· Trends across secondary schools for EHE and the local authority response

· The potential correlation between pupils moving to EHE, ‘off rolling’, exclusions and attendance

 2.4      Due to Covid-19 and the increase in numbers of children being electively home educated nationally, the DfE issued an advice note to local authorities in November, to reinforce aspects of the guidance. This can be read here. A summary is described below:

· Local authorities should work with schools, parents and carers, and other key professionals (such as social workers) to coordinate a meeting before the parent makes a final decision, in order to ensure the parent fully considers what is in the best interests of each individual child. This is particularly important where vulnerable children, children with a social worker, and those at greatest risk of harm are involved.

· DfE expect schools and other professionals to engage with local authorities where a parent is considering withdrawing their child from school for EHE before the child’s name is removed from the roll. This will enable the local authority to coordinate a meeting ahead of the child being withdrawn and the parent confirming in writing that they are being electively home educated instead.

· If a child attends a special school and a local authority arranged this, the local authority must give consent for the child’s name to be removed from the roll.

3.0       ISSUES

3.1       As a result of the issues raised in section 2 and the advice note from the DfE (2.2) it was agreed an internal review would be undertaken to look in more detail at EHE in North Yorkshire and the role and response of the local authority.

3.2       The outcome of the internal review has resulted in:

· An investment into EHE of £128,697

· The appointment of a strategic lead for EHE within the Inclusion Service who is also responsible for children missing education, attendance, education otherwise than at school (EOTAS) and the education of children with medical needs.

· Strengthened reporting and governance arrangements for all described indicators with regular reports to CYPLT

· A new EHE pathway with a strengthened educational focus of EHE including the appointment of 4 X 0.5 EHE Advisors

4.0       POLICY IMPLICATIONS

            The current EHE policy and procedures has been in place since 2016 and has now been updated to reflect the new Elective Home Education Pathway and DfE guidance.  

5.0       FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

            There are no financial implications involved in replacing the policy and procedures document.

6.0       LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

            The new EHE policy and procedures document has been approved by the Legal Services.

6.0       RECOMMENDATION

That the Executive recommend to the Chief Executive Officer that using his emergency delegated powers he approve the revised Elective Home Education policy and procedures, replacing those previously approved in 2016, in order to reflect the new pathway and statutory requirements.

STUART CARLTON

CORPORATE DIRECTOR – CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERVICE

COUNTY HALL

NORTHALLERTON

Author of report – Sarah Fawcett

Presenter of report – Carol-Ann Howe

Appendix 1 – EHE Policy and Procedures – June 2021

Background Documents – EHE Policy & Procedures 2016 can be found at:         

ELECTIVE HOME EDUCATION POLICY (northyorks.gov.uk)