Home education guidance: consultation

Consultation Questions

If you require additional space for your answer please include this where necessary.

Section 1 - Introduction

1. The purpose of this guidance is to set out the relevant law, to provide advice on the roles and responsibilities for local authorities and families in relation to home education; and to encourage the development of trust, mutual respect and positive relationships.

Is this purpose sufficiently clear in the introduction?

• Yes
• No
• Don't know

2. The law does not foresee flexi-schooling, or make provision for it. Flexi-schooling is not the same as home education. Is this made sufficiently clear in paragraph 1.4?

Please provide any comments on flexi-schooling that you may have.

Section 2 – Relevant law

3. How can local authorities hear the individual and collective voices of home educated learners?

Give examples of good practice.

Section 3 – Withdrawing a child from school

4. Please share examples of collaboration and involvement in the delivery of support and guidance for home educating families.

5. Do you have any comments on sections, 3.1 – 3.11?

6. Is it helpful for a local authority to provide a structure for parents to use to provide information on their education plans. For instance, broad questions or a template to support parents to think through their planned provision?

• Yes
• No
• Don't know

Please give details, and any examples of good practice.

7. Does 6 weeks provide sufficient time for the Local Authority to issue a decision? Please give further details.

Section 4 – Contact between home educating families and local authorities

8. Do you consider in-person contact between the local authority and home educating family to be important?

Please give examples of the types of contact that have worked well and in the best interests of the child.

Section 5 – Good practice for local authorities

9. How can local authorities best keep general data on the numbers of home educated children and young people within their area?

10. What is your opinion of a national approach to information management, for example, a national register?

The subject of a national register of home educated children and young people is one that has been discussed by a previous Scottish Parliament Education Committee (Petition to Parliament PE01730) and an England-wide register forms part of the recommendations of the Westminster Select Committee on Education report, Strengthening home education, published July 2021.

There may be advantages and disadvantages to a national register. A register may be seen to be advantageous as a means to better understand the number, demographics and spread of home educated children and young people in Scotland, and to better reflect their needs in wider policy making. However it may be seen as disadvantageous to require local authorities and home educating parents to maintain an accurate register of children and young people.

11. What factors can facilitate home educated learners to access qualifications? What barriers or solutions may there be to accessing qualifications? Please give details.