Department for Education, 17th June 2010

Following the recent general election, the Department has not yet been able to consider in detail the policy for home education and the provision of additional support. However, we have recently received a number of enquiries from both local authorities (LAs) and parents about funding for home education, in particular about meeting the costs of college fees and GCSE courses. We thought it would be helpful to clarify the existing funding arrangements.

The current financial responsibility for home educated children has not changed, namely, that parents who choose to electively home educate their children assume financial responsibility for their education. This is set out in paragraphs 5.1 – 5.2 of Elective home education: Guidelines for local authorities.

However, funding may be available where a local authority provides significant financial support for a home educated young person in two specific circumstances. These are, first, where the young person has SEN and secondly where the young person attends further education college to take GCSEs or other courses. It is for the LA to decide whether to fund the provision: they have the discretion to do so but are not required to do so.
Where significant financial support is being provided, the LA can claim funding from the Department through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). The Department has sought to make clear to LAs the circumstances in which they can count home-educated pupils for the purposes of funding through the DSG. Revised guidance for the Alternative Provision Census on 21 January 2010 was sent to LAs on 26 November 2009 and is available at http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=14536.

A statement was also provided by Education Otherwise on their website, following discussions with the Department, after the organisation also received a number of enquiries about similar funding issues. The statement makes it clear that it is for the LA to agree whether to pay college fees.