Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that children taught at home or in unregistered schools meet the requirements that children are taught British values.

The requirements on parents who educate children at home are contained in Section 7 of the Education Act 1996: these are that a child of compulsory school age receives an efficient full-time education suitable to his or her age, ability and aptitudes, and any special educational needs. There is no legal requirement that children educated at home are taught about the Fundamental British Values. A curriculum for a home-educated child which directly contradicted the Fundamental British Values might be deemed not suitable; that would be for the relevant local council to decide.

The Department has established a joint team with Ofsted and given them additional resources to step up investigations in to unregistered schools and to work with us to take whatever action is required, including closing the school or working with the police and Crown Prosecution Service as necessary‎.