Consultations and Related Activities 2009

Please see also Education Otherwise Press Releases.

You can read EO's press release response to announcement of Badman Review here.

EO response in February 2009 to the NICE guidance consultation on When to Suspect Child Maltreatment can be read here. Guidance was published in July and after protracted correspondence with EO and other home educators, revised Guidance was published by NICE in December.

EO response to Badman Review can be found here.

Meeting between Education Otherwise, Lord Lucas, barrister Ian Dowty and Graham Badman as part of the Badman Review. Read the notes here.

In March EO's response to the DCSF consultation Ending Child Poverty: Making it Happen made the point that insufficient attention had been paid to other indicators of wellbeing, such as emotional wellbeing. We also pointed out that outcomes for home educated children in lower socio-economic groups is higher than for their schooled counterparts. Finally we drew attention to the issue of home educating single parents on Income Support.

Education Otherwise responded to DCSF consultation on 21st century schools. Read more here.

A report from EO on the 21st Century Schools Conference April 2009 can be found here.

EO published prospectus for improving support to home educating families: "Prospectus For Improving Support to Home Educating Families".

EO attended launch of Laming Review and quizzed Ed Balls. Read an account of the launch here.

Following a meeting with NSPCC, EO published an apology letter from NSPCC here.

Read EO's presentation to Independent Schools Council Conference: Access to Exam Centres.

EO published models of good practice following field trips to North Yorkshire and Somerset here.

EO met DCSF to discuss Badman Report. Read an account of the meeting here.

EO and Home Education Advisory Service met with barrister Ian Dowty. Meeting Notes.

EO press release on Select Committee Inquiry into Badman Review here.

EO released short videos about home education on YouTube here.

EO met Minister Diana Johnson. See feedback.

EO press release on Graham Badman's call for extra evidence re Select Committee here.

EO commented on draft legislative programme proposing change to law on home education here.

EO attended Labour Party Conference on NCVO bursary.

EO's Disability Group made a response to Lamb Inquiry following discussion with Brian Lamb at Labour Party Conference September 2009. The response can be found here.

EO made a presentation to Children Missing Education Conference, slides available here.

EO issued Press Release about Select Committee here.

EO made response to DCSF consultation on registration and monitoring here.

EO held a Briefing Event on Home Education for MPs and notes from the event can be found here

EO published preliminary findings of research on home educated children which was presented to MPs at the EO Parliamentary Briefing Event:

"The Rights of the Child?" – Giving Them a Voice - 2009 Survey of Home Educated Children & Young People
"Not Hidden, But Home Educated" - 2009 Survey of Home Educating Families

EO made response to Children's Workforce Development Council consultation on common core skills and knowledge for children's workforce advocating training and awareness raising in home education and special needs.

Alex Dowty, former Trustee of Children's Rights Alliance England attended the CRAE annual conference on behalf of Education Otherwise.

In December Education Otherwise published a Briefing Paper on the home education proposals contained in the Children Schools and Families Bill.

On December 8th there was a mass presentation of petitions to parliament. Education Otherwise supported a team of volunteers in over half the parliamentary constituencies in the UK. Read more here.

In December, the Children Schools and Families Committee published a critical report on the Badman Review. See:

EO memorandum to Select Committee September 2009
EO evidence to Committee October 2009
Select Committee Report December 2009

EO made a response to the 16-18 participation funding review, pointing out the anomaly whereby home educated young people in England are not eligible for Education Maintenance Allowance. Read the response.

EO made a response to the consultation on revised guidance for ContactPoint, stating that if Clause 26 of the Children Schools and Families Bill became law, then holidaying families would have to apply for a place on the local home education register.