Wednesday 30 March 2011

More about changes in the Pupil Regulations

Predictably enough, the change to the 2006 Pupil Regulations, requiring schools to keep de-registered pupils on their roll for twenty days before deleting them, is generating a good deal of sound and fury among the usual crowd on the home educating lists and forums. It is hard to see what their objection to this move is, except as a matter of general principle on the grounds that Graham Badman first suggested it. As far as I can see, this will benefit those who are considering de-registering their children because of problems with the school. Let me give an example of what I mean.



On Tuesday I went with a mother whose child is at a special school, to have an interview with the Head. This woman has not been what I would describe as cooperative so far. When the mother said that she was thinking of removing her daughter from the school entirely and I made it clear that this would be followed up with letters to the local authority, her attitude changed and she began to address the problems more seriously. Some schools, allow pupils to be de-registered quietly and do not tell their local authority the circumstances. It is a black mark for schools in the eyes of local authorities if too many pupils are taken from the school to be educated at home, so some try to keep it quiet. This will not now be possible. The Z code on the register is currently used only for pupils who are registered at the school but not yet attending. If there was a sharp rise, once the Pupils Regulations have been amended, in the Z codes from certain schools, it would indicate something which needed to be investigated. If a pupil was withdrawn from the school, then it might push the Head into making one last-ditch attempt to solve the problems of which the parent had been complaining. It seems to me a positive move for those who currently take their kids out of school because of problems. The Head to whom I spoke on Tuesday launched into a general attack on the very idea of home education when the mother talked of taking her child from school. I only listened with half an ear as she rambled on. Parents can't match the resources of schools...can't take GCSEs,.... opportunities for socialisation....great deal of work... The fool! Did she not realise who she had in her office? None other than the well know author of Elective Home Education in the UK. It was one of those occasions when one feels minded to say, 'Do you know who I am?'



On one of the lists, somebody has asked why one of the recommendations from the Badman report has surfaced in this way without any announcement or consultation. I have no idea at all whether this was a rhetorical question, but the answer is very simple and straightforward. Not all the ideas contained in Graham Badman's review were sensible or practicable. The notion of a right of entry for local authority officers to people's homes was a non-starter, for example. Several of the main ideas; a system of registration, the need for a plan of education and so on, were generally seen to be good things; although not of course by many home educators themselves. I have a suspicion that we will see a few of these brought in over the next year or so, not with a great fanfare as part of a major new piece of legislation, but rather as minor amendments to existing laws such as the 1996 Education Act and so on.

10 comments:

  1. 'It is a black mark for schools in the eyes of local authorities if too many pupils are taken from the school to be educated at home, so some try to keep it quiet.'

    Could anything happen as a result? My LA has on more than one occasion said it cannot compel schools to do anything and the increased control of schools by central government, and their increased independence, mean that, as far as I can see, LAs don't have much say in what happens in schools any more.

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  2. suzyg says-My LA has on more than one occasion said it cannot compel schools to do anything

    yes this is the standard answer by an LA to any parent who is having a problem with a school!

    of course what that answer means is you the parent must do what the schools wants then everything will be ok again! it be an attempt in those 2o days to try and get you to see that the school is right and your wrong.

    it would take far longer than 20 days for an LA to respond the head will write tell LA but would the head write the next day to LA to say child is now home educating? you can see a number of days being wasted while the head gets around to telling the LA then how long would LA take to follow up? week month?(LA do not work at a fast pace) then parent got to respond.You can tell who ever thought this up does not live in the real world! more likly take six months to get answers!

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  3. Webb says-The notion of a right of entry for local authority officers to people's homes was a non-starter,

    Are you now saying you are now against the right of entry into a private house by a Local authority officer? i seem to remember you where all for it?

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  4. I always thought that right of entry and right to see the child alone were in there just so they could be dropped in response to complaints from home educators. It was clear that the real intent then (and now, I'm sure) was to make sure all home educated children were registered and inspected in some way. Like Simon, I suspect that govt will try to work towards that piecemeal. I had been hoping that they would decide to leave the issue alone for a few years but it seems not.

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  5. 'I always thought that right of entry and right to see the child alone were in there just so they could be dropped in response to complaints from home educators.'

    I think you have that right, Allie. Always ask for more than you expect to get when bargaining and then it makes it look as though you are giving ground graciously.

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  6. 'Are you now saying you are now against the right of entry into a private house by a Local authority officer? i seem to remember you where all for it?'

    I'm afraid not, Mr Williams. You have frequently claimed that I supported this idea, but it is quite untrue. Because I have never bothered to contradict you, you have persuaded yourself that your fantasies are real! It is a bad sign when you begin to get confused about what you have invented and what has actually happened.

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  7. Allie says=It was clear that the real intent then (and now, I'm sure) was to make sure all home educated children were registered and inspected in some way. I suspect that govt will try to work towards that.

    depends what you mean by being registered? filling in a silly form with child name address or you could register by phone or email. as for being inspected if their cant get into your house how will this be done.

    governments are often all talk and very little action like most LEA are!

    the 20 day nonsense is an easy thing to do with the schools/LEA(not that anything will change as LEA are so slow 6 months would have been better) real change to home education law will not be so easy!

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  8. 'm afraid not, Mr Williams. You have frequently claimed that I supported this idea, but it is quite untrue.

    Im afraid you did support crazy old Graham Badman recommendations when their come out never heard you say you did not and you claimed their was no point trying to stop his ideas as it would be passed! you alos never told the select committee you where against his ideas?
    you and your daughter did support Graham Badman recommendations that LA have right of entry into a private house to see a home educated child!
    your only regret is that it was not passed and his ideas went down the drain along with his children's bill!

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  9. Peter and Carol said
    'of course what that answer means is you the parent must do what the schools wants then everything will be ok again! it be an attempt in those 2o days to try and get you to see that the school is right and your wrong.'

    I can see it might mean that in some areas. My LA is well aware that some schools, and even the education system - is often not up to scratch.

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  10. suzyg says-My LA is well aware that some schools, and even the education system - is often not up to scratch.

    your LA may be aware that a some schools education system are not up to scratch but what REAL ACTION does your LA take? whats the use of being aware of a problem if nothing is done to put right the problem? bit like government really aware of a problem but doing very little to put it right!
    the 20 days will just be used(not that many LA would react that quick more like 6 months!) to try and blame the parent for any problem that may have occured at the school this is how the system works blame the parent and close ranks with the school! not that any of this will effect us Peter to old now thank goodness! but i feel sorry for those starting out in September if this get passed into law over the 20 days we also not so far heard a word from the Grahma Stuart M.P i wonder why?

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