Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to pages 16 and 17 of the document entitled, Elective Home Education: Call for Evidence 2018 Government consultation response, what progress his Department has made on (a) providing clearer guidance to (i) schools and (ii) local authorities on (A) how to operate and (B) the effect of flexi-schooling arrangements and (b) establishing a separate code of practice to ensure that schools are not penalised as a result of the absence of flexi-schooled pupils.

The department’s revised guidance for local authorities on elective home education published on 2 April 2019 can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education.

This document can be used by schools and contains guidance on flexi-schooling at pages 34-35. The guidance makes clear that schools are free to agree to flexi-schooling arrangements and need not suffer any disadvantage in doing so.