FOI Request - Elective Home Education

Request 101002231681

My queries relate to the council’s policy and practices in relation to elective home education (sometimes erroneously described as ‘homeschooling’) for the time period from 1 August 2016 until the date of your acknowledgement of my request, broken down by academic session (16/17, 17/18 and 18/19)
Statistical data
1.             How many children of compulsory education age are recorded as home educated? From how many families?
2.             How many of these children have additional support needs?
3.             How many requests have been received from parents for consent to withdraw children from school for home education?
4.             How many such requests have been processed within the 6-week time scale set out in current home education statutory guidance?
5.             In respect of any consent requests which exceeded (or are currently exceeding) the 6-week time scale set out in the home education statutory guidance, please provide details of the actual processing period for each request and reasons for the delay.
6.             How many complaints and/or notes of concern have been received from (a) parents; (b) lay or legal representatives; and/or (c) elected members, regarding the processing council consent to withdraw their children from school for home education?
7.             How many of these complaints were partially or fully upheld by (a) the council, and/or (b) SPSO?
8.             How many school attendance orders have been issued in respect of home educated children, how many were appealed and what was the outcome?
Policies, proformas and template letters
9.             Please provide a website link and/or electronic copy of your information for parents and the council’s current policy relating to home education which is used by staff and is available for parents as required by the home education guidance.
10.         Please provide copies of any proformas and template letters (if they are not included in the above policy documents).
11.         Please provide copies of all the council's home education policies in use since 2013 (with dates) and the current version.
Home education contacts and training
12.         Please provide the name(s) and contact details of the council employee(s) assigned to deal with home education enquiries.
13.         Please provide details of all home education specific training undertaken by the assigned contact(s), including dates and training provider(s).
Communications, reports and minutes relating to elective home education
14.         Please provide copies of all incoming and outgoing communications, reports, minutes/notes of meetings and media comments or releases which make reference to home education or ‘homeschooling’ (suitably redacted). My request does not include responses to consultations that are already available in the public domain.

Response 13-08-2019

1.            2016/2017 - 24 in home education - 22 families
               2017/2018 - 38 in home education - 37 families
               2018/2019 - 54 in home education - 52 families

2.             In accordance with section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 please be advised that this information is not held. 

3.             Please see figures above (Q1).

4.             45 requests were processed within the timescale.

5.             The reasons for delay are specific to each individual child/family and disclosure therefore risks identifying individuals. This information is therefore exempt under section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, personal information. Please also note, in accordance with section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, that this information was not consistently recorded prior to 2018 and so only partial records are held. 

Length of delay where clearly recorded: 
2 weeks 
2 weeks 
4 weeks 
5 weeks 
3 weeks 
      

6.          No record of complaints/concerns being received since approximately 2018. However, in accordance with section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, please note that this information was not consistently recorded prior to 2018.

7.           N/A

8.           None. 

9.           Please find a copy of the current policy attached here and a copy of planning guidance attached here. 

10.         Please find the requested information attached here.

11.         Please see Q9.

12.          Lynne Riddoch, Education Officer, Education & Social Care
               lynne.riddoch@moray.gov.uk
               01343 563102 

13.         Nil

14.         No record of this type received since approximately 2018. However, in accordance with section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, please note that this information was not consistently recorded prior to 2018.