To: children@cornwall.gov.uk; klavery@cornwall.gov.uk; tdoughty@cornwall.gov.uk
cc: comments@cornwall.gov.uk; nburden@cornwall.gov.uk; Amanda.Hale@cornwall.gov.uk
Elective Home Education - For the attention of John Heath
As a Beacon Council and aiming for democracy in local government, providing excellent service an understanding the law on home education I would have thought that you would have known that this job description seems designed to recruit someone to carry out ultra vires practices.
Perhaps you are not aware that you have no duty or right to monitor families who do not avail themselves of your services, but only to intervene if you find no education is taking place, you do not have to go looking for this.
1. See Home Education Guidelines for Local authorities
2. 3.6. ‘... parents are not legally required to give the local authority access to their home.’
3. Also
4. 2.7 ‘Local authorities have no statutory duties in relation to monitoring the quality of home education on a routine basis.’
5. In fact Graham Stuart, recently elected chairman of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, has just confirmed this in his response to Ofsted’s Report on Home Education.
6. ‘Under section 436A of the Education Act 1996, inserted by the Education and Inspections Act 2006, local authorities have a duty to identify children who are not receiving a suitable education in their area, so far as it is practical to do so. As the 2007 Elective Home Education Guidelines for Local Authorities make clear, however, ‘local authorities have no statutory duties in relation to monitoring the quality of home education on a routine basis’ and are only required to intervene if it appears that parents are not providing a suitable education.’
I hope that this advertisement reflects a misunderstanding, perhaps you should bear in mind these things are not private and can seen by Elective Home Educators, many of whom understand the law and the complexity surrounding it with some mastery.
I do hope you can amend you plans for Elective Home Education in order to stay within the law.
Yours sincerely
Maire Stafford
More details about the people I have sent this too and copied in at Cornwall County Council.
Kevin Lavery
Chief Executive
The chief executive is the head of the paid service and is responsible for a budget of approximately £1 billion and 22,500 members of staff.
Contact details
Cornwall Council, County Hall, Truro, TR1 3AY
Phone: 0300 1234 100
klavery@cornwall.gov.uk
Phone: 0300 1234 100
klavery@cornwall.gov.uk
Neil Burden
Cabinet member for Children's Services
The services contained in this portfolio include;
· Education and Schools
· Safeguarding Children
· Family Services
· Integrated Youth Services
· Individual Needs and Disability Services
· Carers Board
Neil Burden, the Independent Councillor for Stoke Climsland, joined Cornwall Council in 2009.
Amanda Hale
Deputy Risk and Insurance Manager (Policy)
01872 323231
Amanda.Hale@cornwall.gov.uk
Deputy Risk and Insurance Manager (Policy)
01872 323231
Amanda.Hale@cornwall.gov.uk
All policy related Issues
