Member

I understand that existing case law means that an authority is entitled to ask for an annual report or meeting, and parents have the right to determine the content of that report or meeting. I said this before the recess and nobody has contradicted me, so I assume that this is the case. That seems entirely sensible. Since then, I have seen several annual reports which describe, among many other things, the reason the child is being home educated. It may be about special needs, bullying, having been excluded from school or parental preference. It also describes the needs of the child, the educational approach, what is planned and what has been achieved. That seems a much more effective way of assessing the quality of the education than filling in a form of the sort that we are looking at. It also helps build a relationship between the home education officer and parents, through which, if appropriate, the officer can offer guidance and support or, if appropriate, encourage them to send their child to school. This need not and should not be a confrontational exercise, and it is not in many local authorities at the moment.