Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet with parents who home school their children to discuss the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Ministerial team try to meet with stakeholders regularly, including in relation to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

It is important that the department engages and listens to the views of key stakeholders who have an interest in the Children Not in School measures within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. That is why we have established stakeholder implementation forums to listen to the views of home educating parents, home education organisations, local authorities and other safeguarding and education stakeholders with a vested interest.

There is currently no automatic right for all parents to be able to home educate their children, with local authority consent currently being required for a small cohort of children.