Educating your child at home Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council respects and accepts the right of parents to educate their children at home. These guidance notes offer information to parents who are considering or have decided to educate their children at home. Neath Port Talbot CBC has an Elective Home Education Support Officer who works with parents who are home educating their children. *Parents will also refer to those with parental responsibility e.g. carers. Why home educate? Home education is an option that families from many walks of life consider to meet the needs of their children. There are many different styles of home education and parents/carers are free to use the method which is right for them and their children. What does the law say about educating your child? The Education Act 1996 states that the parent of a child of compulsory school age (5-16 years) has a legal duty to see that their child receives full time education, suitable “efficient to his/her age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs he/she may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.” There is no definition of and in the Act, but education has been held to ‘efficient’ ‘suitable’ be efficient if it achieves what it sets out to achieve, and suitable if the education prepares the child for life in modern society, enabling the child to achieve his/her full potential. The Act parents the right to educate their children of compulsory school age at home if the education is suitable to the age, ability, aptitude and any special educational need of the child. As the Local Authority, Neath Port Talbot CBC has a duty to ensure that all children receive a suitable education, and as parents educating your child otherwise, you would need to provide information about the education you provide for your children.
Educating your child at home Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council respects and accepts the right of parents to educate their children at home. These guidance notes offer information to parents who are considering or have decided to educate their children at home. Neath Port Talbot CBC has an Elective Home Education Support Officer who works with parents who are home educating their children. *Parents will also refer to those with parental responsibility e.g. carers. Why home educate? Home education is an option that families from many walks of life consider to meet the needs of their children. There are many different styles of home education and parents/carers are free to use the method which is right for them and their children. What does the law say about educating your child? The Education Act 1996 states that the parent of a child of compulsory school age (5-16 years) has a legal duty to see that their child receives “efficient full time education, suitable to his/her age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs he/she may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.” There is no definition of ‘efficient’ and ‘suitable’ in the Act, but education has been held to be efficient if it achieves what it sets out to achieve, and suitable if the education prepares the child for life in modern society, enabling the child to achieve his/her full potential. The Act parents the right to educate their children of compulsory school age at home if the education is suitable to the age, ability, aptitude and any special educational need of the child. As the Local Authority, Neath Port Talbot CBC has a duty to ensure that all children receive a suitable education, and as parents educating your child otherwise, you would need to provide information about the education you provide for your children.
sch_information_for_parents_on_elective_home_ed.docx