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Until recently (summer 2009) Elective Home Education (EHE) was placed with the Equalities and Diversity Team, who are part of the Children and Young People’s Directorate in Somerset.
For a link to their old website click here
The County website has now been updated as the departments have undergone a reshuffle and EHE is now placed under Education and Individual Services in the ‘Virtual School’. Home educators still deal with the same staff and advisors, but they in turn have to report to a different head of department.
The fact that the LA department dealing with EHE had its beginnings in Equalities and Diversity and was used to thinking about home educators as a cultural minority group, has meant that they are open to the idea that families may have alternative lifestyles and in turn educational philosophies different to mainstream views.
If you decide to register with the LA and further decide to accept a home visit, the advisors tend to be open minded and understand the breadth of diversity that exists in home education.
If you register your child with Somerset LA at the start of their GCSE course (usually 2yrs before examination), then the LA will pay the examination fees.
Generally from the experiences of EHE families in Somerset and the work that the Home Education Centre in Chard have been doing with Somerset LA, it is fair to say that on the whole Somerset LA have a positive attitude towards EHE and have in fact been identified as one of the very small number of LAs that is demonstrating good practice. Generally Somerset LA listen well to families, offer support with resources and are working in conjunction with the Home Education Centre and local colleges to help with exam access for EHE students. The LA have made funding available for resources for local groups and have provided activities and workshops for registered families to attend.
If for any reason you want to know what personal information Somerset County hold about you or your family, you will need to make a request under the Data Protection Act 1998; see County website.
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