Agenda item

5.1

Fiona Nicholson, Independent Home Education Consultant, questioned how many families, who had taken up the option of elective home education in respect of their children, had been consulted in connection with the drafting of the report on Elective Home Education (Agenda Item 8) and how had such families been selected.

5.1.1

In response, Alena Prentice (Assistant Director, Inclusion and Learning Services) stated that the report comprised a brief contextual report, and that whilst parents were obliged to list their reasons for opting for home education for their children on the application form, there had been no survey undertaken of parents or engagement with them, as part of this report.  She added that she had invited Ms Nicholson to meet with relevant officers to discuss any issues she had in terms of elective home education.

5.2

Andy Shallice referred to the minutes of the Committee’s last meeting, specifically the reference to the disproportionate number of Roma children being excluded from schools, and questioned whether the Authority could give assurances that there would not be any reduction in the level of services and support offered to Roma, and gypsy and traveller families, as part of its work in trying to reduce the numbers of such children being excluded from schools in the City.

5.2.1

In response, Pam Smith (Head of Primary and Targeted Intervention) stated that there was extensive work being undertaken in terms of  support for children from Roma families in connection with reducing the numbers of school exclusions, and there was no evidence to suggest that such work would not continue.  Ms Smith added that whilst there were not as many children from gypsy and traveller families in the City’s schools as there were from Roma families, she was sure that a similar level of support would be available for such families.