Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure children not in school develop safe and secure relationships with (a) other pupils and (b) adult mentors.

Parents have a right to educate their children at home and must provide a full-time, efficient, suitable education if the child is of compulsory school age. The government supports this right. Parents may provide education in whatever form they wish provided it is full-time, efficient, and suitable.

The government’s elective home education guidance sets out eight components that local authorities should consider when determining whether a child is receiving a suitable education, which includes very marked isolation as a possible indicator for unsuitability. Most parents will arrange for their children to undertake activities or trips away from the home, including as part of groups of home-educated children or at settings that allow for socialising with other children. Parents may also arrange for parts of education to be delivered by other individuals or settings, such as private tutors, though the parents will retain the overall responsibility to ensure that the education being received is suitable.

The department intends to provide further information on what should be considered when determining ‘suitable education’ as part of our consultation to review our elective home education guidance, which closed on 18 January. Responses are being analysed and we will publish the revised guidance and consultation response in due course.

Local authorities have duties to ensure all children in their area are receiving a suitable education. They have powers to make enquiries with parents as to whether a suitable education appears to be being provided. If home education appears not to be suitable, then the local authority must commence the school attendance order process by first issuing a preliminary notice. Local authorities have the same safeguarding responsibilities for children educated at home as for other children.