Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help improve the educational outcomes of pupils who are not in school.

Parents have a right to educate their children at home and must provide an efficient, suitable full-time education if the child is of compulsory school age. The department supports this right and wants parents and local authorities to be supported in ensuring the education children receive at home is suitable and delivered well.

Local authorities have duties to ensure all children in their area are receiving a suitable education and are safe. 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 also have the same safeguarding responsibilities for children educated at home as for other children. They should be ready to use safeguarding powers appropriately and when warranted. Local authorities also have a duty to make arrangements to identify children missing education (not in school or receiving suitable education).

The department is committed to a local authority registration system for children not in school, as well as a duty for local authorities to provide support to home-educating families. This will help local authorities undertake their existing duties to ensure all children receive a suitable education and are safe, regardless of where they are educated. The government will legislate for this at a suitable future opportunity.

On 26 October 2023, the government opened a public consultation to gather views on proposed changes to the non-statutory elective home education guidance to local authorities and parents, with the aim of emphasising responsibilities and improving practices and relationships. This consultation is open for contributions until 18 January 2024.

The government also ran a call for evidence on improving support for children missing education from 18 May to 20 July 2023. Evidence will be used to inform future policy to ensure all children, especially the most vulnerable in our society, are safe and have access to an excellent education. The government will issue a response in due course.