Ofsted inspects provision for Home Education

Ofsted are setting out to inspect home education in 15 local authorities. As part of this exercise they will be approaching some parents.

I trust Ofsted to keep whatever they are told in confidence, and not to pass it on to the LA ever, at all, in any way.

I am not happy though with the secrecy with which Ofsted is surrounding its investigation - which LAs, which parents will be talked to, etc. I have put down some questions to see if I can open them up. Nor am I confident that Ofsted understands home education - but talking to more HE parents and children should help.

So please send me news when you happen across Ofsted - which LAs, what were they like, etc etc - on this blog or, if you prefer, privately to lucasr@parliament.uk.

Climate Change

As a physicist of sorts, I like to burrow into climate change science from time to time. This:

http://www.gao.spb.ru/english/astrometr/abduss_nkj_2009.pdf

from CCNet caught my eye, because it suggests reasons for the current cooling spell and makes near-term predictions that should be verifiable.

It seems to me that actions that have clearly defined benefits outside climate change - energy conservation, diversity of supply - ought to be given priority over those that have only costs (carbon capture, vast subsidies for solar power).

Lobbying the Lords

A correspondent writes:

"I have taken on board what you said about keeping MPs aware of the issues, especially when the Bill is published at the end of November. In addition to more lobbying, would it be in order to arrange some kind of showcase event at the Houses of Parliament for particularly gifted home educated people? I can think of a couple of families with children of exceptional musical talent.



Having steered clear of politics in the past, I do not fully understand how the system works in regard to the House of Lords. Should we be approaching members of the Lords, other than yourself, for help? How do we choose who to contact in the light of there being no constituencies."

No, the Lords is reactive not proactive, by and large, so the time to lobby is when the bill has been published or, if it starts in the Commons, when it has had its third reading there. We have no staff, so early lobbying tends to get forgotten before the time arrives when we can affect things.

Reading begins at 6? What have home educators to say?

A predictable government response to the Cambridge Primary Review prompts me to ask: what are home educators' experiences on when a child is ready to read?

Parking enforcement

Spoke at a British Parking Association this week - found myself agreeing with Nick Lester, who I have always regarded as an opponent, on almost everything.

Efficient, courteous, reasonable parking enforcement - well, we can all dream.

Home Education - progress with government

I had a useful meeting this week with civil (very) servants from both the Department of Work and Pensions (to discuss the welfare aspects of home education, the main point of the meeting) and the Department of Children Schools and Families (to bring in the home education review aspects).

Fingers crossed, I'll be able to report some progress on the welfare front - ball is in their court while they check if they really can do what they said they'd like to do. And no, this is not anything earth-shaking, but it would help.

I reiterated to the DCSF why (in particular) the time-alone-with-child proposals were unacceptable, and said that in my view they must keep education and welfare separate, and that proper training in home education should be required for all LEA officials having responsibility for HE. Did not fall on deaf ears, but there's a way to go to say the least in convincing them of our case.

Things will go quiet now as parliament goes into recess until mid October, but with home education due to appear in the Queen's speech in November it's going to be worthwhile educating MPs in the interim - getting to see them, helping them understand home education, and impressing them what a sensible and worthwhile bunch home educators are. If they remain ignorant they'll not take an interest when we need them to. In that context, though I admire the ingenuity of the best of the badmanesque blogs, please avoid personal abuse and vilification: it will not play well with MPs if that's what comes up top on Google, or if a newspaper is able to run a story of direct harassment: they get too much of both themselves.

House of Lords - financial provision for members

As preparation for the SSRB (senior salaries review body) report on financial arrangements (salary? allowances? expenses?) for members of the House of Lords, we're being asked our views. So I'd like to know yours.

It seems to me that:

Membership of the Lords should not be restricted to the independently wealthy - so peers should receive a (taxable) salary for attending.

Memebership should be possible for peers living a long way from London - so (vouchered) travel expenses should be allowed

Similarly some allowance must be made for overnight accommodation. I am puzzled as to the best way to do this. How do we deal with peers who attend so often that they want to have a permanent place in London?

Then there's the costs of doing the job - how much support should we receive? At present backbenchers get a computer, a desk, a telephone and free postage, plus a per-day allowance for other expenses. I'd like us to be able to afford proper research and secretarial support: perhaps by participating in a pool of people organised by the House. We'd do a better job, but we'd cost more, and so any increase should be couterbalanced by reducing our numbers.

Whatever the outcome I expect it to hasten Lords reform - why should anyone be appointed to a salary for life? But after waiting for ten years for someone to do all the reforms in one go, I'd rather get started, and deal with the financial side, than wait: the rest will follow.

Home Education and Welfare - preparation for a meeting with officials

We had a short discussion on Home Education and the welfare system in the committee stage of the Welfare bill on Monday. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldhansrd/index/090622.html#start_grand – then look at amendments 74 and 75

My view of the situation is that we cannot hope for any substantial allowances to be made at this time, but that we can try to build on my promised meeting with officials to get some small improvements.

What improvements can you suggest? My thoughts include:

Making it totally clear in guidance that sending a child back to school is not ever an acceptable outcome if against the child’s wishes

Giving guidance on how to conduct interviews when the child is present

Better arrangements for offering homeworking opportunities

Better arrangements for offering help with starting your own business

Offering training as a childminder where this may be an appropriate option

A better understanding on what constitutes acceptable childcare

And – though with no great hope of success – another crack at allowing postal signing on

Jobseekers' allowance and home education

I have an amendment down to the Welfare bill on home educators, and I'd like your views.

The current arrangement is (am I right) that a lone parent home educator has to make her/himself available for 16 hours a week unless she/he can show that appropriate and affordable childcare is not available.

I don't see - given the government's initial response and its general attitude - scope to change that - but what can be done to make it work appropriately in practice?