Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Written evidence submitted by Kate Richards to The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Committee (CWSB90)

Executive Summary:

• The bill's provisions regarding local authority consent for home education could prevent parents of children with special educational needs from making necessary educational choices
• Requirements for "suitable education" may not recognize alternative educational approaches needed by children with Autism and PDA
• Information sharing requirements could restrict access to home education groups and activities
• The bill risks forcing children with documented school trauma back into harmful environments
• Current home education provisions have proven successful for children who struggled in mainstream settings, many of the requirements contained in the bill risk significantly de-railing progress that has been made.

Introduction:

I am a parent of three children, including an 8-year-old son with diagnosed autism (PDA). I am submitting evidence based on our direct experience with both mainstream schooling and home education over the past four years.

Main Submission:

1. I am writing to express serious concerns about the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, specifically regarding provisions related to children not in school and school attendance orders.

2. My 8-year-old son was diagnosed with autism (PDA) two years ago and is currently being home educated after experiencing severe difficulties in the mainstream school environment.

3. Prior to deregistering him, he struggled significantly with sensory overload from noise, frequent changes in teaching staff, and social interactions due to his literal interpretation and lack of social filters. His anxiety manifested in violent meltdowns, school refusal, and physical illness (including bi-monthly ear/throat infections requiring medical intervention). On one occasion, he attempted to exit a moving vehicle to avoid having to attend school.

4. Section 24 (434A) of the bill requires parents to obtain local authority consent to withdraw children from school for home education. Given my son's diagnosed special educational needs and clear evidence that the school environment could not meet this need (and was detrimental to his wellbeing) this provision could prevent parents from making necessary decisions to protect their children's mental and physical health.

5. The low-demand, child-led approach we have adopted in home education has been transformative. Since beginning home education two years ago, he has not experienced any major illnesses (compared to bi-monthly illnesses while in school), his anxiety has decreased significantly, and he is now meaningfully engaged with his learning. This demonstrates clear evidence of the success of alternative educational approaches for children with special needs who struggle in mainstream settings.

6. Under section 436H of the bill, local authorities could determine this approach does not constitute "suitable education" and issue a school attendance order, forcing a return to an environment that previously caused severe distress, not only to the child in question but to the whole family.

7. Section 436E's requirements for out-of-school education providers to share information could result in home education groups refusing to accept home educated children. My son has only recently begun engaging with a home education music group - losing access to such activities would be another significant setback in his educational and social development.

Recommendations:

8. The committee should consider:
   - Exempting children with diagnosed special educational needs from local authority consent requirements
   - Including specific provisions recognizing alternative educational approaches for children with autism and similar conditions
   - Revising information sharing requirements to protect access to home education groups and activities
   - Adding safeguards to prevent forcing children with documented school trauma back into mainstream settings .

January 2025