Demonstrating a suitable education
Devon Local Authority has to determine whether the education that is being provided is suitable for the ‘age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs that your child may have.’ This is fulfilled by following the Association of Elective Home Education (AEHEP) Professionals Guidance for Parents/Carers and Professionals.
The EHE provision should have regard to the following characteristics:
- Broad: it should introduce to children a wide range of knowledge, understanding and skills and must include Literacy and Numeracy.
- Balanced: each part should be allotted sufficient time but should not push out other essential areas of learning.
- Relevant: subjects should be taught to bring out their application to the child’s own experience and to adult life and give due emphasis to practical aspects.
- Differentiated: what is taught, and how it is taught, needs to be matched to the child’s age, abilities and aptitude, considering any SEND.
Other aspects of a rounded education, such as personal, social and health education, outdoor and environmental education, citizenship, careers, technology and ICT could be incorporated into the learning experience.
It is beneficial for the EHE Adviser to have the opportunity to meet with the parent and child to speak with them about their experience of the education being provided at home.
Reasons why the EHE provision may not be considered suitable:
The following reasons are provided for guidance and are not intended to serve as an exhaustive list, rather a guide to help parents/carers and professionals to understand that the child should be at the centre of the processes undertaken to determine if education is suitable. Each case should be judged upon its own individual circumstances.
- Parents or carers do not provide any information or share only extremely limited examples of work or share resources which they may have simply copied from online sites.
- The education provision described lacks sufficient detail and it is difficult to ascertain what is being taught and what education is actually being ‘received’ by the child.
- Parents or carers choose to only share a report of the work that is being covered by their child, without sharing samples of work to demonstrate that the provision referred to within the report is being ‘received’ by the child, leaving no opportunity to hear the voice of the child.
- There is no or very limited information regarding resources used internally and externally.
- There is no or very limited detail of how the child’s progress is being monitored or examples of work to demonstrate relevant progression.
- There is no clear academic or time structure, although this does not mean autonomous education principles are considered not suitable.
It is important to note that the above is for guidance and by way of example only and is not an exhaustive list. Each case is judged upon its own individual circumstances.
As a guide the types of information and evidence that can be submitted might include: a timetable, a curriculum plan, photographs, work books, progress reports, original dated work over time (or photocopies of this), art work/scrapbooks musical, academic and sporting achievements (certificates), diary of events and activities, conversations with the child / parent, home visits, plans for or outcomes of entering your child for qualifications, recordings, on-line blogs, website content, electronic presentations and content etc.
Home educators can use the EHE Parents’ Report to provide information to the local authority regarding the suitability of the education that they are providing for their child. The template is not compulsory, it can also be adapted by home educators to meet their individual requirements. The local authority needs to be satisfied that suitable education is taking place through building a full picture of the individual circumstances rather than rigid adherence to a check list.