Elective Home Education (EHE) can be a complex area for health professionals to navigate. We have detailed below a few key points to assist with this:

 

Key points

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• The Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) Elective Home Education team are an Advisory service not a Statutory service.

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

• 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 Local Authority/ 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.

• Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) cannot make a MASH referral on the basis of a health professional’s concerns regarding a home educated child. Any safeguarding concerns should be referred by the health professional directly to MASH: mash@barnet.gov.uk   A safeguarding referral can be made online at: www.barnet.gov.uk/directories/directme/multi-agency-safeguarding-hub-mash-team-childrens

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