Annex C
Letter from Kevin Brennan MP, Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families
to Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector
LOCAL AUTHORITY
DUTY TO
ESTABLISH IDENTITIES
OF CHILDREN
NOT RECEIVING
A SUITABLE
EDUCATION
You will be aware that I have recently
given evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on the issues
of forced marriage and the duty that local authorities were given
through the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to make arrangements
to establish (so far as it is possible to do so) the identities
of children residing in their area who are not receiving a suitable
education.
As you will know, the duty applies in
relation to children of compulsory school age who are not on a
school roll and who are not receiving a suitable education otherwise
than being at school (for example, at home, privately, or in alternative
provision). Statutory guidance was issued in February 2007 on
how to undertake the duty, including appropriate action where
children were missing from their school. The guidance includes
reference to the new duty being monitored as part of the existing
judgements made by Ofsted on the outcome for staying safe.
My officials have assembled data from
a number of areas to inform my evidence to the Select Committee.
As you would expect, the volumes of young people identified under
this duty are very variable and the information we have had from
local authorities has illustrated the wide variety of circumstances
which can lead to children being identified as not receiving a
suitable education.
It is now just over a year since local
authorities assumed the new duty. I would be interested in your
view about how well this new duty is being implemented and if
there are any lessons that local authorities should learn from
practice over the last year.
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