Requests for Elective Home Education (EHE) from parents and carers can be a complex area for schools to navigate. We have detailed below a few key points for schools as well as the processes that Barnet Education & Learning Service ask schools to follow. This section covers the following areas:

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• What Elective Home Education is.

• What Elective Home Education is not.

• Key points for the school and parent/ carer.

• Separated parents/ carers in dispute.

• Financial responsibilities of home educating parents/ carers.

• Deregistration and consent.

• Residence.

• Where a child/ young person is moving out of the borough.

• Where a parent/ carer states that the child/ young person is being withdrawn from the school roll.

• Where a child/ young person is being educated via online education providers.

• Process for schools to follow with a request for home education from a parent/ carer.

• Safeguarding concerns.

• Further information.

• Enquiry form QR code and link.

 

What Elective Home Education is.

• Elective Home Education covers the education of a child/ young person at home, usually by their parents/ carers. However, parents/ carers may also involve outside providers, including private tutors, online education providers etc.

 

What Elective Home Education is not.

• Elective Home Education is not:

  • Flexi schooling.

  • Education taking place at home whilst a child is on roll at a school (whether organised by the parents/ carers or the school.)

  • Education provided by the Local Authority when a child is on roll at a school but unable to attend for medical reasons.

  • Education provided by the Local Authority when a child cannot attend school due to exclusion or other reasons.

  • Education provided at home during the pandemic – sometimes referred to as ‘home schooling.’

  • EOTAS (Education Other Than At School) - whilst a child registered as EOTAS may be educated at home, the local authority remains responsible for providing the child’s education package. 

 

Key points for the school and parent/ carer.

• 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.

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

• 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 (BELS) Elective Home Education (EHE) team only register children and young people for elective home education resident within the London Borough of Barnet.

 

Separated parents/ carers in dispute.

• Where separated parents/ carers are unable to come to an agreement in relation to a child being home educated, the school should suggest taking legal advice.

• The Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) Elective Home Education team are unable to intervene and/or mediate between parents/ carers in these matters.

• The Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) Elective Home Education team are unable to stop a referral for elective home education due to disagreement/s between separated parents/ carers in relation to their child’s education placement.

• Relevant guidance can be found below:

www.assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf6d2bdcb0757928e5bd47/Elective_home_education_departmental_guidance_for_local_authorities.pdf (paragraph 10.3. on pages 31 and 32.)

 

Financial responsibilities of home educating parents/ carers

• 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.

• 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. 

• There is no ‘home schooling programme’ available from The London Borough of Barnet, Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS) or the child’s previous school for home educated children/ young people.

 

Deregistration and consent

• Consent for a parent/ carer to deregister a child/ young person from school for Elective Home Education is only required when that child/ young person has an EHCP and attends a Special School. This consent must be obtained via the SEN team at BELS before deregistration. The Elective Home Education team will not register the child without this consent.

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Residence.

• A child must be resident within the London Borough of Barnet to be registered with the Elective Home Education team at BELS.

 

Where a child/ young person is moving out of the borough.

• Where a child/ young person is simply moving out of the borough, this is not Elective Home Education and should not be referred to the EHE team at BELS.  The matter should be referred to the school’s Education Welfare Officer and/ or the Child Missing Education Officer (CME) at Barnet Education & Learning Service for advice.

 

Where a parent/ carer states that the child/ young person is being withdrawn from the school roll.

• Where a parent/ carer states that the child/ young person is simply being withdrawn from the school roll, this is not Elective Home Education and should not be referred to the EHE team at BELS.  The matter should be referred to the school’s Education Welfare Officer and/or the Child Missing Education Officer (CME) at Barnet Education & Learning Service for advice.

 

Where a child/ young person is being educated via online education providers.

• Elective Home Education can include the use of online education providers. Where parents/ carers inform the school that their child is being removed from the school role to be educated via an online education provider, this is Elective Home Education.

• In these circumstances, the parent/ carer deregistration letter to the school should state that they are electing to home educate and the date that this will start.

• The parent/ carer deregistration letter to the state should not refer to deregistering from a school for an online provider (and not mention Elective Home Education.)

• The off-rolling form completed by the school must include Elective Home Education and not the name of an online education provider.

 

Process for schools to follow with a request for home education from a parent/ carer.

1. Before finalising their decision to home educate their child, the school should suggest to potential home educating parents/ carers to contact Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) EHE for impartial advice. The parent/ carer can initiate this via our enquiry form: https://forms.office.com/e/rSEF1tcx0f?origin=lprLink

 

 

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The EHE team will always endeavour to respond promptly to such contact.

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The parent/ carer is under no obligation to contact the Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) EHE team. However, where possible, the team would like the opportunity to discuss home education with the parent/ carer and answer any questions that they may have.

 

2. Where a child has an EHCP and attends a Special School

The parent/ carer should be immediately directed to seek consent to home educate from the Local Authority – via their SEN caseworker at Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS). The child should not be off rolled before this consent has been obtained.

 

Where a child has an EHCP and attends a mainstream school, this consent is not required.

 

3. Exit meeting.

a. The school should request an exit meeting with the parent/ carer to discuss their decision to home educate. However, parents/ carers are under no obligation to attend such a meeting.

b. The school should reaffirm with the parent/ carer that they will be home educating their child and are resident in the London Borough of Barnet. The school should confirm that they are not simply moving out of the borough or wanting to withdraw their child from the roll. In such cases, the matter should be referred to the school Education Welfare Officer and/or the Child Missing Education Officer at BELS.

c. The school should confirm to the parent/carer that in electing to home educate, they will be assuming all financial and organisational responsibility for their child’s education. The London Borough of Barnet, Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS)and the 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 school. It should also be confirmed to the parent/s/ carer/s that the school will not provide or organise work, resources, tuition, assessments and examinations for their home educated child.

d. The school should confirm to the parent/ carer that 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.

e. The school should confirm to the parent/ carer of any child/ young person with an EHCP who is electing to home educate, that 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. 

f. If the parent/ carer declines an exit meeting with the school, we kindly ask that this information (3a-e above) is emailed to the parent/ carer by the school along with the Barnet Education & Learning Services Elective Home Education registration link and QR code:  https://forms.office.com/e/8d16cHakcn?origin=lprLink

 

4. Deregistration email from the parent/ carer to the school

a. The parent/ carer should be asked to provide the school with a dated email/ letter (deregistration email) clearly stating that they intend to home educate, will be taking full responsibility for their child’s education and the date that this will start. Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS) is unable to accept registrations for Elective Home Education (EHE) without this email and the child will not be registered as EHE until this email and all off rolling documentation is received.

b The deregistration email must be written/ typed by the parent/s/ carer/s only and should be sent to the EHE team in it’s original format. School forms, meeting notes, emails and phonecalls from school staff etc. will not be accepted in place of a signed deregistration email from the parent/s/ carer/s.

c. Home education can include the use of online education providers. Where parents/ carers inform the school that their child is being removed from the school role to be educated via an online education provider, this is Elective Home Education and the parent/ carer deregistration letter should inform the school that they are electing to home educate and the date that this will start. The deregistration letter should not refer to deregistering from a school for an online provider. Similarly, the off-rolling form prepared by the school must include Elective Home Education and not the name of an online education provider.

 

5. Once the school has received the parent/ carer deregistration email stating Elective Home Education.

a. The parent/ carer should be asked to register with Elective Home Education at Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS) via the link and QR code below: https://forms.office.com/e/8d16cHakcn?origin=lprLink

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b. The school should send Elective Home Education (EHE) at BELS EHE@Barnet.gov.uk  the following paperwork:

 

i. Parent/ carer deregistration email which clearly states that the child will be home educated and the date that this will start. This email must be in it’s complete and original format.

ii. Off rolling form - fully completed. Please ensure that:

• Elective Home Education is indicated on the form.

• All contact details provided are fully up to date. Please check this before sending.

• Both parent/ carer details are included in the form.

• It is made clear within the form whether each parent/ carer has parental responsibility (PR.)

• It is made clear whether the parents/ carers detailed on the form are separated, divorced etc.

• Where parents/ carers with parental responsibility live separately, both sets of names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers are required.

• If one parent/ carer is contesting the decision to EHE, this should be indicated on the form (including the name and contact details of this parent/ carer.)

iii. Attendance record.

iv. Any meeting notes regarding the decision to home educate.

v. EHCP (if any.)

vi. Consent to home educate notification from the Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) SEN co-ordinator if the child has an EHCP and attends a Special School. This is not required for a child with an EHCP attending a mainstream school.

 

6. The child’s paper and/or online school file/s.

• Any paper and/or online school file should remain with the school until such a time as the child/young person returns to school (where relevant), at which time it should be transferred to the child/young person’s new school. Please do not send paper or online pupil files to Elective Home Education (EHE) at Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS.)

 

Safeguarding concerns.

• Kindly note that Elective Home Education (EHE) at Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) cannot make a MASH referral on the basis of a school’s concerns.

• Any safeguarding concerns should be referred by the school 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

 

Visiting and seeing the child whilst home educated and monitoring a child’s home education.

• The Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) Elective Home Education team are an Advisory service. The team works within current Elective Home Education Guidance: www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education

• The Elective Home Education team receive a number of requests from schools and other professionals to ensure that a home educated child is regularly visited and seen by the Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) Elective Home Education team and that the child’s education is monitored.

• Schools should note that local authorities ordinarily make contact with home educating families on an annual basis (i.e. once a year) to determine the suitability of the education provided. This is in line with elective home education guidance. Kindly note that local authorities may not monitor a child’s home education.

• Whilst local authorities can request or offer an annual meeting or further meetings with home educating families, they are under no obligation to accept. Home educating families can simply decline to meet with the EHE team and instead provide the Elective Home Education team with written information, which if suitable, Barnet Education & Learning Service (BELS) are obliged to accept. Similarly, in circumstances where a family may accept a home visit, they are under no obligation to introduce or ensure that the home educated child is seen by the Elective Home Education team.

• Home educating families can also ignore and/or decline all contact with the Barnet Education & Learning Service (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.

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Further information

• The Elective Home Education (EHE) guidance can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education

 

Enquiry form QR code and link

• 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