Agenda item

The Forum considered a report (Agenda Item 11) which presented the Home Education Review 2014/15.

Cathy Burnham explained that this report had been provided in answer to a query form Paul Dick on the cost per hour of home education provision. The home education budget was £300k and used by 37 pupils. The average cost was £8k per pupil, however calculating cost per hour of provision was difficult.

For example, for a pupil who used the service for the full academic year (38 weeks) at full capacity (25 hours per week), it would cost £213/week or £8.50/ hour. However if a child was able to attend at that capacity, one might wonder why they required the home education service.

A pupil who was ill for one term (12 weeks) and used the service for 10 hours/ week would cost £675/week or £67.50/hour.

Cathy Burnham advised that somewhere between £8.50/ hour and £67.50/ hour was the correct figure. To be more accurate it would be necessary to calculate the fixed costs and divide by the 37 pupils first, then look at each pupil individually.

Bruce Steiner thanked Cathy Burnham and Stacey Hunter for providing the report and advised that it in a time when Forum members wanted to control the budget, it provided reassurance.

RESOLVED that the Forum noted the report.