barefoot wend Report post Posted August 8, 2005 We have decided to home educate our son. I know we will need to de-register him from school and have seen the sample letter for this on this site. However, as he has a statement I intend to write to the LEA to inform them of our decision and I wondered whether I should ask them to amend the statement in Part 4 to say he is receiving education at home or, whether I could ask them not to maintain the Statement any longer as it is not required. Perhaps I should ask for the former in the first instance and the latter when the statement comes up for review? Does anyone know? Thanks Barefoot Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nellie Report post Posted August 8, 2005 Hi Barefoot, Information on home educating a child with a statement. Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 recognises parents?right to choose to educate their child at home. Such arrangements are described as ?education otherwise than at school.? In such cases, if the child has a statement of special educational needs, it remains the LEA?s duty to ensure that the child?s needs are met. The statement must remain in force and the LEA must ensure that parents can make suitable provision, including provision for the child?s special education needs. If the parent?s arrangements are suitable the LEA are relieved of their duty to arrange the provision specified in the statement. If, however, the parents? attempt to educate the child at home results in provision which falls short of meeting the child?s needs, then the parents are not making ?suitable arrangements? and the LEA could not conclude that they were absolved of their responsibility to arrange the provision in the statement. Even if the LEA is satisfied, the LEA remains under a duty to maintain the child?s statement and to review it annually, following the procedures set out in Code of Practice Chapter Nine 8:95 In such situations section 324 (4A) of the Education Act 1996 does not require the name of the school to be specified in part 4 of the statement. Part 4 should state the type of school the LEA consider appropriate but go on to say that: 'parents have made their own arrangements under section 7 of the Education Act 1996.' The statement can also specify any provision that the LEA have agreed to make under section 319 to help parents provide suitable education for their child at home. If you decide to do this I would be upfront with the LEA, if you can think of some way in which they can support you, then ask them. It will depend on your LEA. You do not legally have to send your child to school, you do legally have to ensure that they receive an appropriate education. By keeping a careful record of all the work you do with your child you will always be in a position to prove that you are fulfilling your legal duty as a parent. Hope this has helped. Nellie. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
denise2 Report post Posted August 8, 2005 Hi Nellie, we home educate but my son did not have a statement so I am unsure of the procedures you need to follow. However we obtained a lot of help from education otherwise. The website is www.education-otherwise.org.uk. Good Luck, it has been a real turning point for us. Denise 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nellie Report post Posted August 8, 2005 Denise, You don't have a problem if there is no statement, I believe you just need to de-register. A couple of other links on home education. http://www.he-special.org.uk/ http://www.nhen.org/ Nellie xx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barefoot wend Report post Posted August 8, 2005 Thank you Denise and Nellie for the advice. Barefoot Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jan Report post Posted August 9, 2005 Hi Barefoot, We took our son out to home educate in april. He has a statement and apart from a rather quick visit from the LEA we have had no problems. I wrote to the LEA saying that we felt the school he attended was no longer a suitable placement and that we intended to home educate! You only have to show the LEA that your child is learning. So keep a learning diary that you can produce when they come to call. It has not always been easy, but the change in M has been worth it. Good luck and if you need to chat or offload, feel free! jan Hi Denise and Nellie Hope things with you are going well. x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
denise2 Report post Posted August 9, 2005 Hi Jan, good to hear things are going well. I agree it's not easy, but school was much more stressful on us all and we have noticed an obvious change in our son. We are still awaiting our visit from the LEA and have been told it will be some time in September. A friend had hers the other day, the man that came to see her told her they could not offer any better in school. She was worried as she is in no way a teacher and was mixing some formal work with a lot of social and living skills and she got a glowing report. Are you still going to go back to the school system in September? Denise 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nellie Report post Posted August 9, 2005 Jan, It's great to hear things are going well. I had my son out of school for a year, he thrived but we didn't!! He was keen to return when we got him a place at a suitable school. We are all well, things could be better......but then again, they could be much worse. Keep us posted. Nellie xx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barefoot wend Report post Posted August 9, 2005 (edited) Dear All It's good to hear such positive responses. I feel my son has been dragged down at school since he statred at secondary. He has not coped at all and was signed off by the doctor for the last two weeks of summer. I can honestly say that nearly all he has learned over the years has been because of his own extra-curricular reading (non-stop). He has huge talents that mostly go unrecognised at school as they try to get him to conform. It's all so negative. He should feel proud of his abilities but has been made to feel hopeless. I really feel that home ed is the way forward and has the added bonus that I shall, at last, have the time and space to teach him some valuable life skills. My daughter is coming up to her GCSE year and the huge focus on the national curriculum seems really stultifying and repetitive. I certainly can't see my son coping. Further, he does not have the great social life that she has at school to balance the effects of schoolwork. Rant over. Thanks for all replies. Barefoot Edited August 9, 2005 by barefoot wend Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flora Report post Posted August 9, 2005 Hi barefoot, I have a homeshooling website with loads of links leading to information on home education. We were all set up to start home educating our AS son in September. However, we have recently agreed to allow our son to repeat his last year of junior school which gives us a year to either find an appropriate school or to again decide to home educate. The link to my website is below, if you go to the links page you will find links to a few websites which will provide you with loads of home educating advice and info. Good luck Lauren www.homeschooled.co.uk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
