Elective Home Education (EHE) can be a complex area for social workers to navigate. We have detailed below a few key points to assist Social Workers with understanding this area:  

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Key points

• The Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) Elective Home Education team are an Advisory service.

• Elective Home Education (EHE) must always be the choice of and led by parents/ carers.

• Parents/ carers have a legal right to home educate. Currently, consent from the local authority is only required where a child has an EHCP and attends a Special School.

• Home educating parents and carers assume all financial and organisational responsibility for their child’s education. The London Borough of Barnet, Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS)and the child’s previous school will not oversee, organise or finance the home education. This means that there is no financial help for costs with exams, subscriptions, outings, clubs, laptops, books, teaching and tutors from The London Borough of Barnet, Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS) and the child’s previous school. There is no home schooling programme available from The London Borough of Barnet, Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS) and the child’s previous school.

• Where a home educated child has an EHCP, the local authority is not under a duty to make the special educational provision set out in the EHCP, provided it is satisfied that the arrangements made by the parents/ carers are suitable. This is in line with paragraph 10.32 of the SEND Code of Practice. The duty under section F is discharged from the Local Authority.  If there is health care provision in Section G of a child/ young person’s EHCP, the health body must still arrange this. 

• The Barnet Education & Learning (BELS) Elective Home Education team (EHE) work within government guidance: www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education

• The Barnet Education & Learning (BELS) Elective Home Education (EHE) team make annual (i.e. once a year) enquiries into a home educated child’s education. This is in line with government guidance.

• The Barnet Education & Learning (BELS) Elective Home Education (EHE) team do not monitor a child’s education. This is in line with government guidance.

• Home educating families can decline an annual home visit by the Barnet Education & Learning (BELS) Elective Home Education (EHE) team. Home educating families are not obliged to allow the Barnet Education & Learning (BELS) Elective Home Education (EHE) team to meet the home educated child. This is in line with government guidance.

• Where written concerns are raised by a professional as to the home education provided to the child, the Elective Home Education (EHE) team can request a further review of the education provided. However, the family are under no obligation to respond, accept a home visit or allow the team to meet the home educated child. This is in line with government guidance.

• Home educating families can ignore and/or decline all contact with the Barnet Education & Learning (BELS) Elective Home Education (EHE) team. This is in line with government guidance. Under these circumstances, a Child Missing Education (CME) referral is made by the team and the case closed to the Elective Home Education (EHE) team.

• Depending on availability, staff from the Elective Home Education (EHE) team can attend ICPCs, RCPCs, CGMs, CINs, strategy meetings etc. to input in relation to the child’s home education. Alternatively, the team can provide reports for these meetings.

• The Elective Home Education (EHE) team kindly ask that they are promptly updated when a home educated child has a Social Worker or Early Help practitioner.

• Home education should be referred to as Elective Home Education (EHE) rather than ‘home schooling’ to avoid confusion with other forms of available education.

The Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) Elective Home Education (EHE) team can be contacted via our enquiry form: https://forms.office.com/e/rSEF1tcx0f?origin=lprLink