BARNSLEY Council has set a target to reduce the number of children educated at home by 30 per cent over the next two years, a report has revealed.
On Tuesday, councillors will discuss a report detailing the current state of affairs for children who are electively home-educated (EHE) across the town.
It states that as of October 24 the first half-term of this academic year there were a total of 822 children who were being educated at home.
It’s a drop from the 881 kids registered in May.
But at the start of this year, almost 150 new children were placed on the register for the upcoming education year, while 46 returned to school.
The report states: “Elective home education is the term used to describe a choice by parents to provide education for their children at home or in some other way in which they choose, instead of sending them
to school full time.
“This is different to education provided by a local authority other than at a school/academy.
“For example, tuition for children who are too ill to attend school (EOTAS Education Other Than at School).
“The Department of Education believe that although parents are responsible for ensuring their children are properly educated at home, the local authority has a moral and social obligation to ensure that a child is safe and being suitably educated.
“If evidence is not available or clear that a child is being suitably educated the local authority should act to remedy the position.
“Where parents choose elective home education for their children, Barnsley Council wants to support families to ensure that home educated children have a positive experience and aims to achieve this by developing positive, supportive relationships with parents and by working together, to ensure the provision is in the best educational interests of the child.”
The reasons parents and carers are taking their children out of school has also been revealed.
The report added: “There are lots of reasons that parents/carers choose to educate their children at home.
“Barnsley’s EHE register demonstrates that the reason most often cited by parents for choosing EHE is dissatisfaction with school.
“A total of 137 pupils have this recorded as the reason for EHE, 113 pupils have philosophical and religious reasons as the reason for EHE, and 92 have health and emotional health recorded as their reason.”
The Barnsley Schools’ Alliance has established a sub-group.
This group has been responsible for the co- roduction of Every Child in School Every Day plan.
The plan sets out a number of key activities including reducing the number of children educated at home by 30 per cent over the next two years.
The report added: “Barnsley Schools Alliance, in partnership with the local authority, continues to drive the ‘Every Child in School Everyday Plan’ to reduce barriers and improve outcomes.
“Barnsley has adopted a relationship-based strategy working closely with academy leaders, sharing best practice, and co-producing Every Child in School Every Day Plan and Charter.
“This approach fosters collaboration and long-term improvement, even though it takes longer to show impact and relies on the willingness of schools to engage.”
