Home education guidance: island communities impact assessment

Step five- preparing your ICIA

5.1 Describe the likely significant effect of the policy, strategy or service.

The updated guidance aims to foster increased collaboration and communication between home educating families and their local authorities. The more that is known about home education, the greater extent to which the needs of home educated children in communities, including island communities, are able to be considered in development of future policy.

The updated guidance encourages collaboration between local authorities and home educators, for example in strongly advising an annual conversation, in which the child is included if they wish to be, to look annually at the provision of education and for the local authority to satisfy themselves that the arrangements for provision of education continues to be suitable. It is expected that encouraging increased collaboration between home educating families and local authorities will improve knowledge of how home educators in island communities are affected by the guidance and will allow for best practice to be shared and developed going forward.

The flexibility afforded to parents in the home education guidance ensures that home education is accessible to anyone, regardless of geography. The guidance recognises that parents choose to home educate for a range of reasons and in a range of circumstances, and parents have the flexibility to adjust and adapt the delivery of home education to the needs of their child.

As previously mentioned, issues experienced by home educators in accessing examinations and qualifications experienced by home educators may be exacerbated for those located in island communities.

5.2 Assess the extent to which you consider that the policy strategy or service can be developed or delivered in such a manner as to improve or mitigate, for island communities, the outcomes resulting from it.

The updated guidance will clarify wording around support available, so that home educators engage with the local authority and other groups to gauge what support may or may not be available to them should they make the choice to home educate. The guidance will also make it clear that annual conversations between home educating families and their local authority can be facilitated online, which we anticipate might mitigate the impact of distance for home educating families living in island communities. The guidance will make clear that the nature of annual contact can be tailored to the needs of home educating families.

5.3 Consider alternative delivery mechanisms and whether further consultation is required?

N/A

5.4 Describe how these alternative delivery mechanisms will improve or mitigate outcomes for island communities.

N/A

5.5 Identify resources required to improve or mitigate outcomes for island communities.

The refreshed guidance underlines the importance of collaborative and mutually supportive relationships between a local authority and a home educating family, with the expectation of an annual conversation which includes the child, where they would like to be involved, being a key part of this relationship. As set out in response to 2.3 above, we are aware that current practice across local authorities includes digital communication and video conversations between families and local authorities, and the guidance will make clear that this option is available for families who would prefer this to an in-person conversation.