Understand the scale of EHE and what existing resources local authorities have to monitor and support children who are EHE
Received: 27 September 2024
The NSPCC Policy and Public Affairs team is carrying out research to understand the scale of EHE and what existing resources local authorities have to monitor and support children who are EHE. We will use the findings to inform our policy influencing work on the Government's upcoming register for children not in school.As part of the research, we are asking all local authorities in England to complete a Freedom of Information Request so that we can gather information on:A snapshot of the number of children who are home educated and their profileThe number of staff allocated to monitor and support home educating familiesWhether or not there has been an increase in the number of home educating families coming to the attention of local authoritiesHas the total number of staff allocated to monitor and support home educating families increasedHas the total number of visits and school attendance orders increased By piloting our questions, we hope this request will not exceed the time that is allowed to be spent on this request. However, if it does look like you will exceed the limit, please input as much information as you can and are able to and do not hesitate to let us know if this is the case.We would be grateful if you could populate the attached document and return it to us answering:1. Understanding scale and nature of elective home education in your areaHave you seen an increase in the total number of children who are home educated during the last 6 years (2018/19-2023/24)? (yes/no/don't know)Can you give us the total number of children who were EHE in the year 2018/19 and 2023/24? (yes/no/don't know)Has there has been an increase in the number of children on a Child in Need plan who are EHE over the last 6 years? (yes/no/don't know)Has there been an increase in the number of children on a Child Protection plan who are EHE over the last 6 years? (yes/no/don't know) 2. Understanding resource attributed to monitor and support EHE families in your areaAt the time of this request, how many FTE staff are allocated to monitor and support EHE families?Has the number of FTE staff allocated to monitor and support EHE increased over past 6 years? (yes/no/don't know)How many visits did your local authority make to EHE families in the year 2023/24?Has the number of total visits increased over the past 6 years (2018/19-2023/24)? (yes/no/don't know)Has the number of school attendance orders increased over the past 6 years (2018/19-2023/24)? (yes/no/don't know)