Education Select Committee Panel 2

These are my notes, thoughts and random comments as I watch the live panel.  As I am watching this and typing at the same time, this post will not be polished. It will be raw and blunt, and hopefully makes sense!

This time there are two pro-HE panel members: Wendy Charles-Warner and Dr Amber Fensham-Smith.

https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/13b0286c-334f-4568-9888-b8c8a7e52855

The witnesses are:
Victor Shafiee
Deputy Director, unregistered and independent schools at Ofsted
Mrs Wendy Charles-Warner
Trustee at Education Otherwise
Dr Amber Fensham-Smith
Lecturer in Childhood and Youth Studies at The Open University
Ellen Collier
Service Manager, Education Welfare Service, Social Care and Education, at Leicester City Council

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I don't know if this video will be edited at all afterwards, but if it doesn't, you will want to fast forward to 10:14:58 otherwise you will be sitting through ages of "The proceeding will start shortly" and continually thinking, "Really? Will it?" lol

So it has started, and already gone out-of-scope by asking Victor about historical sexual abuses in independent schools.  As important as that issue is, it's nothing to do with home education.

The initial question is about consistency of LAs directed to Wendy and Ellen.  Wendy rightly talks about lack of training and expectation of "school at home", which leads into lack of engagement between home educators and LAs.

Ellen says there's a LA forum where LAs talk to each other to interpret the guidance - this may explain why many LAs are suddenly overreaching in the same way at the same time.

Another question: how can LAs know they have found all HE children if there is not a complete database, specifically if there are children who have never been to school?  And asking why there is 171% increase in SAOs issued?

Wendy queries the data and says it is wrong for the past year.  The increase is because LAs are issuing s437s or SAOs because they are not receiving information in the form they want or in the style they want. - This has been my experience too.  Some LAs go power-crazy.  You can search into what has been happening to home educators by Portsmouth CC!

Ellen mentions asking for photographs of children and their work as suitable evidence of their home education. I have written to my LA multiple times about issuing photographs:

Firstly, local home educators were not informed in advance of the inspection as per section 3.9 of the EHE DGfLAs: “Local authorities should keep known home educators and local home education support organisations informed of forthcoming Ofsted inspections and any input they can have, as well as outcomes of inspections – although reports on these are available on the Ofsted website.” This meant they were unable to be consulted for the inspection and unable to give their views.

Secondly, Ofsted’s remit does not cover the content of individual’s home education provision, so there is no need to ask for samples or photos of the children’s work.

Ofsted’s report from December 2020 states “[REDACTED]”

There is no suggestion you should be asking for samples of work.

Their previous report (July 2019) states “[REDACTED]”

Doing a strategic analysis to determine the reasons behind parents electing to home educate, and monitoring your own internal arrangements of this analysis is to be recommended.

However, I am sure you are aware that Section 5.1 of the EHE Departmental Guidance for Parents says “Your local authority has no formal powers or duty to monitor the provision of education at home.”

Section 6.12 of the EHE Departmental Guidance for Local Authorities says “An authority should not dismiss information provided by parents simply because it is not in a particular form preferred by the authority.”

As such, you should be accepting written reports of the education provision as sufficient, unless you have any specific concerns. Similarly, if you do have specific concerns, you should be expanding on what these are, so the parent can directly address them.

Additionally, some children explicitly do not want their work to be shared with anyone. As per Articles 12 and 16 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (specifically Respect for Children’s Views and Protection of Privacy), this should be respected. It is inadequate of the LA to determine that the education is unsatisfactory solely based on a family opting to send in information in a different form, rather than sending samples of work.

I hope you can understand that, unless you have specific concerns about a specific family, you have no reason to routinely ask for photos or samples of work, and home educators are not obliged to give that information to you. As such, I ask the EHE department to again refrain from sending letters asking for this.

Victor emphasises that Ofsted do not have a role in monitoring HErs.

After a few questions, then we get to see each of the panel members introduce themselves.

Why has numbers of HE grown so much?  Wendy talks about bad MH of British children and the reasons why parents are choosing to HE.  Victor dismisses Wendy's research with no valid reason - does he think FOI requests etc are not valid??  And he is talking about the mythical home educator who wants to isolate their children. Amber gives a good answer about the fact that there is research and also that reasons change within a single family over time.

Wendy brings up the valid point that you shouldn't assume that all home educators are abusing their children.  Johnathon thinks it is put on a parity with school, whereas Wendy says that HE kids are much more likely to be referred to SS, but in reality they are no more at risk than schooled children.  Also, it hasn't mentioned that schools are monitored so highly because they act in parental locus.  Given HE has to be done by parents/legal guardians, to monitor parents on behalf of themselves just doesn't make sense.

To try and speed things along, the next four people are asking their questions all at once.  

Victor thinks there should be a register and that it will be a 'light touch' for parents - clearly he hasn't actually thought about this too deeply. (See my previous post about why registration is bad.)  

Amber brings up looking at alternative models and their success (eg Tasmania and Australia); literature research specifically about children and outcomes is needed, and will need to be longitudinal. Amber has brought up that parents who HE children that need EHCPs, this should be accessible for children who are not in school.

Ellen confirms there are children who are HE who are actually CME, and they identify them, and thinks that there are more children who are labelled HE but are actually CME.  She is blaming parents writing reports so they can't judge what kids are actually doing.

Wendy says that the existing system is sufficient, and highlights that schools also fail to educate some children.  An experienced and competent EHEO will know the difference.  Wendy also differentiates between being known to LAs and being known to peer support and local HEing groups. LAs should point towards local groups.

Victor says there is no data about unregistered schools.  They thought there were 24, but they've already found over 700.  Because some of the children who attend these schools are said they are home educating, he thinks this is an issue of home education, but then goes on to say these unregistered schools are duping HEing parents.

Should there be a statutory register?

Wendy says no, unless there is a needs assessment.  Wendy points out that Ofsted should provide a register of registered providers so that they will no longer be "duped".

Amber points out that a register alone won't necessarily answer the points Victor made earlier.  And the fact that a register will bring in Monitoring of HE.

Victor acknowledges that the register should be wider than HErs and include children getting s19 support.

Again, Wendy points out that the current process for the LA is sufficient for the LA to get involved, and they should get involved in the minority of cases.

Apsana has asked some good questions (time ~11:20ish).

Good points by Wendy about referring to s7 1996 Ed Act and the individualised education for the individual.

Kim has asked Victor some questions - he thinks that a register will solve the world's problems.  The register should be national, not local, but LA should do the monitoring.  He is right that this is not Ofsted's role.

Victor is talking about the outcomes of children who are attending illegal schools, but that's not outcomes of EHE children.

Caroline is asking about 'outcomes' of literacy of HE children throughout their home education - sounds like she is already talking about the register expanding to include monitoring.  Ellen answers that she does look at progression for each child.  Wendy rightly talks about stepping away from school-based samples as it does not make sense in a HE setting as there are other ways to learn. Caroline is asking a second question about 'measuring' education.  Wendy answers it well.  

Halfon interrupts Wendy and doesn't understand the difference between a child progressing and whether a child is achieving their potential. <MASSIVE EYE ROLL>
Then he goes on to say that SATS are nothing to do with assessing the school, and are only about assessing the children. Ofsted assesses the school, and don't use SATS.
Gah! Stop interrupting!!!
Are SATS a test of the school or the child?
What are SATS?

Caroline's repeated question about a 10year old not reading and whether the education is sufficient or not is infuriating.  Reading is not the only way to gather information and learn!  Personally, I love reading (as if you didn't know - and if you didn't know, click on "Books" in the Word cloud at the top right) and DD1 was a fluent reader at 3, and DD2 learned at 5yo.  That doesn't mean I can sit on my perch and judge children or their parents if they don't read at 10years old.  That child could be learning audibly or through documentaries and hands-on and have an encyclopaedic knowledge about various topics that I have no idea.  There is more than one way to learn, and forcing a test on all children at age 11 or whenever, is not conducive to a good education.

Ellen says there is no available training or course that EHEOs go on.  It's all on-the-job training, and their legal dept determines whether they are interpreting the policy correctly.

Question at the end about accessing exams due to covid.

Wendy rightly picks up the fact that not all EHEOs are well qualified, nor do they have education/relevant qualifications. 

Ellen thinks a register will solve HE kids being unknown based on "knowledge".

And that's the end!