Elective Home Education data
Case reference FOI2024/00378
Published 25 March 2024
Request
Please provide the following data on Elective Home Education (EHE):
1) The number of school pupils who were newly registered as EHE each academic year for:
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2) Please could you also provide the total number of school pupils who were registered for EHE in each of the same academic years (this time the total number rather than just those newly registered).
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
3) Additionally, please could you provide the number of pupils who have moved from elective home education back into school in the same academic years?
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
Response
Please provide the following data on Elective Home Education (EHE):
1) The number of school pupils who were newly registered as EHE each academic year for:
2018-19 Not available.
2019-20 13
2020-21 14
2021-22 13
2022-23 23
2023-24 13
The number of formal notifications for elective home education that were received by the Local Authority. A formal notice is not always received when a child becomes electively home educated. Records would not necessary show where a child had become newly electively home educated but has previously been electively home educated at an earlier time point.
2) Please could you also provide the total number of school pupils who were registered for EHE in each of the same academic years (this time the total number rather than just those newly registered).
Figures provided represent a snapshot of the total elective home education cohort as at the end of each academic year.
2018-19 174
2019-20 177
2020-21 229
2021-22 267
2022-23 273
2023-24 327 (Snapshot February 2024)
3) Additionally, please could you provide the number of pupils who have moved from elective home education back into school in the same academic years?
The local authority is not always informed when a child ceases to be electively home educated (for example the family might leave the area) and where there is a notification, the reason for leaving elective home education was not historically recorded in line with the reason being requested. The local authority officer for social inclusion will always encourage a return to mainstream education where this is appropriate and will work with parents during the application process for a school if required or where a child or parent wishes this.
The figures below represent the total number of children that ceased to be electively home educated where one of the following reasons was reported:
· Ceased because of parental desire - please note this does not mandate that the child returned to a school in the maintained sector
· Ceased because of pupil desire - please note this does not mandate that the child returned to a school in the maintained sector
· Ceased because choice of school became available - please note this does not mandate that the child returned to a school in the maintained sector
2018-19 7
2019-20 14
2020-21 19
2021-22 37
2022-23 42
2023-24 19 (February 2024 to date)
Please note for information that the local authority keeps a voluntary register of all children where it is aware that a child is in receipt of elective home education. Please note, point 3.7 of the document Elective Home Education Departmental Guidance for Local Authorities which makes clear that registration is not a legal obligation for either parents or authorities.
Elective home education Departmental guidance for local authorities
3.7 Local authorities may often choose to go further than this - for example by operating voluntary registration schemes so that support can be given more readily to those who wish to receive it, and by providing more information on home educated children in their locality. Such schemes can also help authorities discharge the responsibilities which they have under ss. 436A and 437 of the 1996 Act (see below) and the department would encourage those authorities which do not operate voluntary registration to consider doing so. However, registration is currently not a legal obligation for either parents or authorities.
The figures reported as a response to this FOI are based on the information held under the local authority voluntary register. The local authority might not hold data in line with the data being requested in the FOI and as such all answers are provided based on the information recorded.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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