18/03/2025
Urgent and important call to action NOW.
Your parental rights to chose how your children are educated is under attack. Not just elective home educating families, but all of us. If you have a school refusing child and chose to remove from school because it is not a suitable environment to meet needs or harm is actually happening to your child, you will loose your right to protect your children from harm. The state, local authority will decide. You will need to take the local authority to court and prove that your child is being harmed or needs are not being met. The local authority have an exceedingly poor track record on these matters to date.
ACT NOW. STOP THE BILL.
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URGENT: HELP US PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN FROM STARMER'S NEW LAW
Find your MP here:
https://members.parlia…
You can call MPs and Lords on this number (NB: DO NOT BE RUDE OR ABUSIVE, as this does not help and the person answering is unlikely to be responsible for the issue):
020 7219 4272
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SUMMARY
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, proposed in 2025, includes significant changes that will impact home education in England. These measures raise serious concerns about parental rights, privacy, and the freedom to choose the best education for children. Below are the key provisions of the bill:
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1. Registration and Monitoring
Mandatory "Children Not in School" Registers: The bill requires local authorities to maintain a compulsory register of children who are not attending school. This will affect all home-educating families, who must register their children and provide detailed information on their education.
Information Requirements: Home-educating parents must submit extensive information, including their child’s curriculum, hours of instruction, and any changes to these arrangements within 15 days.
Home Visits by Local Authorities: Local authorities will be given powers to request home visits to ensure the suitability of education. Refusal of these visits could be used as evidence against families.
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2. Restrictions on Home Education
Loss of Right to Home Educate: Parents could lose their automatic right to home educate if their child is subject to a child protection investigation or a child protection plan.
Restrictions on Special Schools: Local authorities can refuse to deregister children from special schools if it is deemed not to be in the child’s best interests.
Consent Required for Home Education: Local authority consent will be required in some circumstances for children to be homeschooled, giving councils more control over parental decisions.
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3. Increased Local Authority Powers
Review and Intervene in Home Education: Local authorities will have the power to review and potentially end home education arrangements for children involved in section 47 enquiries or subject to child protection plans. This could allow authorities to intervene in the educational arrangements of vulnerable children.
Enhanced Investigative Powers: Local authorities will have greater powers to investigate the educational suitability of home education, including the right to request home visits and see the child.
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4. Data Collection and Privacy Concerns
Unique Identifier Number: The bill proposes a Unique Identifier Number for every child, which will link their data across various services. This raises serious concerns about data security and the potential misuse or breaches of personal information.
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5. Impact on Educational Approach
Restrictions on Flexibility: The bill’s extensive requirements may limit the flexibility and diverse approaches that are characteristic of home education. The proposed monitoring could force a more formal, school-like structure on home-educating families, stifling creative and individualised learning.
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6. Penalties and Enforcement
Changes to School Attendance Orders (SAOs): The bill introduces increased criminal sanctions for families who fail to comply with school attendance orders.
Monetary Penalties for Educational Providers: Educational providers who fail to provide details of home-educated children using their services could face financial penalties.
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While proponents of the bill argue that these measures will ensure that all children receive a suitable education and help protect vulnerable children, critics assert that the bill:
Undermines parental rights by removing decision-making power from families.
Misunderstands home education, which is fundamentally different from school-based education.
Imposes unnecessary burdens on home-educating families, potentially stifling the personalised learning that many children benefit from.
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What You Can Do
We need your voice to stop this bill from passing. Please contact your MP and express your concerns about these measures and their impact on home education and parental rights.
