BCP Council has a duty to be satisfied that all children are receiving a suitable education and that includes those being electively home educated. The Government’s Department for Education provides guidance for parents and local authorities in relation to EHE::

Department for Education guidance for parents and local authorities

BCP Council's elective home education policy,

As a parent or carer, you are legally responsible for ensuring that your child receives an efficient, full-time education suitable:

• to his or her age, ability and aptitude
• to any special educational needs he or she may have

This can either by regular attendance at school or otherwise (section 7 of the Education Act 1996).

It may be helpful to consider the following questions:

• what does your child or young person think about home education
• can you provide them with an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, ability and needs
• do you have the time, ability and suitable space to educate your child at home
• will you be able to engage your child in learning
• can you take on the full financial responsibility
• what would happen if you are not available to provide suitable full-time education for a short or long period
• how will you choose what to teach your child and how to teach it?
• what is your goal for their education. will your child sit exams such as GCSEs?

For more information email: ehe@bcpcouncil.gov.uk, we will aim to help you make the right decision for you and your child, personal to your own circumstances.

If your child is at a school, you must tell the headteacher in writing that you want to take them out of school to educate them at home. They will inform BCP Council about your decision.

You will then be contacted by BCP Council to check details such as your child's name, their date of birth, your contact details, together with a brief outline of your home education plan.

If all is satisfactory, you will be contacted annually either in person, or by telephone, video or email to check your contact details and that your child is receiving a suitable education. If, in the meantime, you move house or your child starts school please let BCP Council know as soon as possible. 

If your child has an EHCP and is at a special school, you will need to let the school know you wish to home educate your child. The school will inform your child's SEND case officer, who will acknowledge receipt of the request and will ask you the following:

• who will be your child's main educator and what is their availability to deliver a full-time equivalent learning programme
• what subjects do you plan to teach your child and what resources do you plan to use
• considering your child’s needs as described in their EHCP, what approaches to learning will you take to ensure your child engages and progresses e.g how do you plan to deliver their learning in a way that will work for your child

Your responses will be sent to ehe@bcpcouncil.gov.uk and the team will review the suitability of your child's planned education. If, all is suitable the SEND team will support your wish to home educate your child. If there are concerns, the SEND team will call an annual review and invite the home education team to attend in order to provide advice and guidance around the choice to home educate.

Your EHCP should set out the type of special educational provision that BCP Council thinks the child requires, but it should state that parents have elected to home educate.

All EHE children have the suitability of their education assessed annually. Where possible your child's assessment will be prioritised, to ensure their education is meeting their needs.

If your child or young person has an EHCP, this assessment is done as part of their annual review, so you only have to have one annual assessment.  This ensures that your child's EHCP reflects their needs are being met through their home education provision.  Your SEND case officer should send you a "parent or carer contribution to annual review for a child who is electively home educated" form to complete and return in advance of the annual review. When completed this should be returned to: ehe@bcpcouncil.gov.uk. If there are queries over the suitability of your child's education, the EHE team and your SEND case officer will discuss with you what steps are needed to resolve any issues.

At any time, you can decide to stop home educating and send your child to a school for their education. However please remember there may not be a place immediately available at your chosen school. If you want your child to return to school (or to attend school for the first time), please contact the School Admissions Team.

When you choose to electively home educate your child you take on full responsibility for their learning, health and well being and any associated costs:

• if you decide to employ a tutor either as a paid service or through someone who volunteers to help out – make sure they are safe to work with children e.g. they have a full Disclosure and Barring Service Clearance (DBS)
• make sure your child has opportunities to make friends and socialise and look after their physical and mental well-being – joining activity clubs like sports groups or creative groups can help with this
• if you want your child to sit an exam you will have to arrange this yourself – you can contact local schools, private tuition centres, or colleges to see whether they can help with this
• you can ask a school if your child can be taught there part-time but schools do not have to agree to this
• if you want your child to have work experience, be aware that child employment regulations apply to children who are electively home educated
• apprenticeships are not available for compulsory school age children
• if you fail to keep in contact through an annual review, or other requests for information, and BCP Council are unable to communicate with you, your child or young person will be referred to the the Children Missing Education team (CME) at cme@bcpcouncil.gov.uk. This team will cease the period of elective home education and record the child as CME and they will then undertake checks, for example on council tax records.