After the murder of Sara Sharif in August 2023, Surrey CC carried out a safeguarding review which was published at the end of 2025. This new page looks at what the review revealed about processes in Surrey and problems with the family court system https://edyourself.org/sara-sharif/
News
152 posts
In light of recent government amendments in the Lords and particularly the non-government amendment from shadow education minister Baroness Barran which still has to be approved by MPs in the House of Commons, I have updated my post on Sara Sharif https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/06/29/sara-sharif/
I have updated my post on Baroness Barran’s amendments with more detail about the amendment which was passed and what it means https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/20/late-report-amendments-baroness-barran/
The House of Lords has now finished debating Children Not In School at Report stage and looks set to complete Report by next week. This new post explains more https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/29/what-we-now-know-after-january-28th/
There are changes to the law being planned for home education in England and Wales, this new post explains more https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/26/what-wellbeing-bill-means-for-home-education/
Slow progress at day 3 of Report could have a knock-on effect for getting the Wellbeing Bill through by Easter, this post explains more https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/wellbeing-bill-rush-for-easter/
It was expected that the House of Lords would start debating Children Not In School on Wednesday January 21st 2026, but this did not happen, read more here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/22/lords-didnt-get-to-cnis-jan-21st/ DEBATE WILL NOW BE ON JANUARY 28TH.
On Monday January 19th Baroness Barran tabled some late amendments for the Wellbeing and Bill, saying they were about safeguarding. NEW POST https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/20/late-report-amendments-baroness-barran/ SEE ALSO RELEVANT LETTER FROM MINISTER ABOUT COST AND PROPORTIONALITY https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/09/15/will-write-letters-from-day-9-committee/ UPDATED DECEMBER 2025
The government will be presenting new amendments to Children Not In School for the Wellbeing Bill on Wednesday January 21st 2026. This new post explains the background and sets out some questions https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/17/questioning-new-government-amendments/
In light of recent government amendments about Child Protection Plans going back 5 years, I have updated my evidence for the Wellbeing Bill debate in the Lords around January 21st 2026 https://edyourself.org/bill-committee-evidence-january-2025/
The government has tabled amendments to the Wellbeing Bill giving local authorities the power to prevent or stop a child being home educated if there has been a Child Protection Plan in the past 5 years NEW PAGE HERE https://edyourself.org/government-amendments-for-lords-report-5/
I am on a Zoom panel today – 10-5 – to discuss the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill FACEBOOK LINK HERE https://t.co/JhqvLFafhh YOUTUBE LINK HERE https://t.co/NttYnHh8TE
In future, each time regulations are changed, the Westminster parliament or the Senedd will have to look closely and vote in favour of the proposed changes, more about why this matters here https://edyourself.org/government-amendments-for-lords-report-4/
The government has tabled amendments designed to reduce the reporting burden on parents for the Children Not In School register. NEW POST HERE https://edyourself.org/government-amendments-for-lords-report-3/Â
On January 7th 2026 the government tabled a late amendment to the Wellbeing Bill setting out a new requirement for local authorities to consider the family home within 15 days of registration, NEW POST HERE https://edyourself.org/government-amendments-for-lords-report-2/
On January 7th 2026 the government published revised policy summary notes for the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill including big changes to Children Not In School clauses. NEW POST HERE https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/08/government-changes-wellbeing-bill-january-2026/
On January 7th 2026 the government tabled amendments to the Wellbeing Bill setting out details of a pilot scheme with a limited number of local authorities requiring parent AND CHILD to meet the LA before a child could be deregistered for home education. Assuming worst case scenario this passes into law, it will probably be 2028 before this starts. NEW PAGE HERE https://edyourself.org/government-amendments-for-lords-report/
New blog post looking at amendments so far to clauses 31 and 32 tabled for Report stage in the Lords in 2026 https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/details-of-amendments-for-report/
Now we finally have dates for Report, more amendments are starting to appear. This post explains why it matters and what to expect https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/12/15/amendments-for-report-house-of-lords/
The government has announced provisional dates for Report stage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill in the New Year, read more here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/12/12/report-stage-wellbeing-bill-lords-2026/
NEW post about not having a date yet for Report stage of the Wellbeing Bill in the Lords https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/11/02/no-date-yet-for-report-lords-wellbeing-bill/
Clause numbers have changed following committee and the bill is now awaiting report. NEW POST https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/09/22/report-stage-lords-wellbeing-bill/
Children Missing Education guidance (England) was revised in early September 2025. My UPDATED CME PAGE is here https://edyourself.org/children-missing-education/
The government has published its response to the 2024 consultation on new standards for alternative provision. Read my UPDATED PAGE here https://edyourself.org/unregistered-alternative-provision-new-rules/
The Minister gave assurances about follow-up letters in the debate on September 2nd NEW POST HERE https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/09/15/will-write-letters-from-day-9-committee/
Tidied up transcript of my afternoon Q&A Home Ed Zoom Day with links https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/09/07/afternoon-qa-zoom-home-ed-day-september-6th/
Morning Zoom talk from September 6th tidied-up transcript plus links https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/09/07/morning-talk-zoom-home-ed-day-september-6th/
I have 2 x 15 minute slots 9.30 and 4.30 today at a public online event, more details here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/09/06/all-day-zoom-lets-talk-home-education-september-6th/
Short guide to the bill with links to further pages – NEW POST https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/09/01/wellbeing-bill-quick-guide-for-home-educators/
The Wellbeing Bill currently going through parliament would introduce a consistent identifying number for children. Read more here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/09/01/unique-identifier-childrens-wellbeing-bill/
NEW post https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/08/31/changes-to-child-benefit-rules-post-16/
My updated Child Benefit page is here https://edyourself.org/child-benefit/ and my updated Universal Credit page is here https://edyourself.org/universal-credit/
On 1.9.25 the Child Benefit rules will change, removing the requirement for education otherwise than at school to have started pre-16 (hence also removing need for EHCP/IDP proof and LA approval) also adding new provision of limited hours as appropriate for illness or disability. My updated page has more details https://edyourself.org/child-benefit/
NEW POST https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/08/07/lost-track-wellbeing-bill/ Where are we up to and is anyone listening, also how does it connect with controversial changes to special educational needs
Predicted shortlist for recess meeting with civil servants, plus ideas for your email https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/07/23/which-lords-meeting-in-august-wellbeing-bill/ NEW POST (update August 2025 this meeting actually took place at the end of July)
Who is likely to be at any meetings during recess + what will they be talking about NEW POST https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/07/11/writing-to-lords-for-august-meetings/ (Update August 2025 this meeting actually took place at the end of July)
I have rewritten my main page on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill so that all posts and pages about the bill can be found in one place https://edyourself.org/childrens-wellbeing-schools-bill/
2 firm dates plus 3 provisional dates have been added for the Lords Committee scrutinising the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill NEW POST https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/07/11/lords-committee-dates-added-september/
Discussions about the Wellbeing Bill are set to continue behind the scenes during August while parliament is closed. NEW POST about why I think this is not necessarily a bad thing https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/07/10/lords-meeting-dfe-officials-august/
Multi-city events about the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will take place this coming Sunday July 13th. I am speaking at Wakefield, more details here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/07/07/wakefield-event-july-13th/
I have written a new post (trying to keep it simple!) about how close the Wellbeing Bill is to becoming law https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/07/06/childrens-wellbeing-bill-how-close-to-law/
I have updated my page on School Attendance Order Statistics with new information about levels of fines via recent successful Ministry of Justice FOI https://edyourself.org/school-attendance-prosecution-statistics/
Government has clearly been thinking how on earth to get through business given the amount of attention required for Children Not In School. NEW POST explains more https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/07/04/what-happened-in-lords-july-3rd-wellbeing-bill/
Discussion of a bill in parliament is by suggesting improvements (amendments) NEW POST – translation of Children Not In School amendments tabled for House of Lords July 3rd https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/07/02/decoding-amendments-clause-30-wellbeing-bill/
Updated page about Lords’ amendments previewing the debate on July 3rd plus analysing interest across political parties https://edyourself.org/lords-amendments-wellbeing-bill/
NEW PAGE answering the main questions I am asked about the Wellbeing Bill in the Lords https://edyourself.org/faq-house-of-lords-wellbeing-bill/
Teacher abused adopted children with family court judge partner failing to intervene NEW POST https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/06/29/family-court-judge-abuse-case/
10 year old Sara Sharif was found dead at the family’s home in Woking, Surrey in August 2023 NEW POST https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/06/29/sara-sharif/
NEW post – Wellbeing Bill what to expect next week in the Lords https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/06/27/july-3rd-and-after/
2ND NEW FAQ PAGE – impact of Wellbeing Bill on children already home educated including with EHCP https://edyourself.org/faq-2-childrens-wellbeing-bill/
NEW PAGE FAQ Will I still be allowed to home educate/ What if my child has an EHCP/ How soon is all this happening? https://edyourself.org/faq-childrens-wellbeing-bill/
The House of Lords will start to scrutinise the Children Not In School clauses of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on Thursday July 3rd, beginning with clause 30. NEW POST https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/06/24/july-3rd/
Clause 30 is the start of Children Not In School (Wellbeing Bill) My submission to the bill committee on clause 30 has now been fully updated for the Lords https://edyourself.org/bill-committee-evidence-january-2025/. NEW POST https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/06/23/consent-withdrawal-school-certain-categories/
The House of Lords committee appears to be a day’s worth of amendments away from Children Not In School, but just in case the first few amendments to clause 30 are debated on June 23rd, I have made a new page https://edyourself.org/condition-a-cnis-wellbeing-bill/
Lords got up to clause 26 yesterday. NEW POST https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/06/20/lords-up-to-clause-26/ with my reasons for predicting July 3rd Children Not In School
Today the House of Lords is back in Committee for the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill READ MORE HERE https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/06/19/day-6-committee-lords-wellbeing-bill/
The Lords got up to clause 15 of the Wellbeing Bill in committee last night, so it is just possible that scrutiny of clause 30 Local authority consent for withdrawal of certain children from school could start on July 3rd [Day 8]. NEW post here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/06/18/lords-up-to-clause-15/
Now predicting June 23rd or even July 3rd for scrutiny of Children Not In School Wellbeing Bill Lords Committee, NEW POST https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/06/13/lords-only-up-to-clause-10/
The House of Lords is still only on clause 6 of the Wellbeing Bill after day 3 of Committee, hence June 19th seems earliest likely date for Children Not In School clauses 30-35. My updated bill page is here https://edyourself.org/childrens-wellbeing-schools-bill/
How far peers get with scrutinising the bill today will determine when they reach Children Not In School. New post here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/06/09/children-not-in-school-debate-in-lords/
Overview main areas of amendments from members of the House of Lords – NEW PAGE https://edyourself.org/lords-amendments-wellbeing-bill/
NEW page: Children’s Wellbeing Bill – what’s happening when https://edyourself.org/childrens-wellbeing-bill-how-to-track/
As a bill goes through parliament, government will realise or be persuaded – that some things are priority for changing. NEW POST https://edyourself.org/changing-a-bill/
Scrutiny of Children Not In School measures no earlier than day 4 of committee June 12th https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/05/09/wellbeing-bill-lords-may-july-2025/
New post: what makes a good LA for home education https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/05/21/what-makes-good-la-for-home-education/
New post – good and bad local authorities for home education https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/05/20/good-and-bad-las-for-home-education/
June 9th added as day 3 of committee in the Lords. Updated blog post here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/05/09/wellbeing-bill-lords-may-july-2025/
Overview of new and updated pages about Wales https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/05/14/pages-about-wales-on-my-website/
Children Not In School (Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill) not till June. New post here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/05/09/wellbeing-bill-lords-may-july-2025/
Second reading Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill House of Lords. NEW PAGE https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/05/01/lords-2nd-reading-and-after-may-2025/
The Ministry of Justice has confirmed 800 school attendance order prosecutions in 2023-24 resulting in 546 fines. Read my new page on SAO Prosecution Statistics HERE https://edyourself.org/school-attendance-prosecution-statistics/
My MP has asked the Ministry of Justice for statistics on School Attendance Order prosecutions and fines over the past 10 years. Read the PQ page HERE https://edyourself.org/parliamentary-questions-wellbeing-bill/ (For context, the Department for Education has said “We can predict from Ministry of Justice data that the number of families ultimately subject to a fine for breach of a SAO will be low compared to the overall number of SAOs that are issued.” [LINK])
The Welsh government has made slight changes to its elective home education guidance and also began displaying it as a web page. Read my new page HERE https://edyourself.org/home-education-guidance-wales-2025/
The Children Not In School clauses of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will now apply to Wales as well as England, read my new page HERE https://edyourself.org/wellbeing-bill-applying-to-wales/
Second Reading in the Lords has been announced for May 1st with 37 peers on the speakers list so far. Read more here https://edyourself.org/childrens-wellbeing-schools-bill/
The Department for Education estimates it will only take 10 minutes a year for parents to report all registration information and updates to the local authority. Read more here https://edyourself.org/parent-registration-information/
By the end of March 18th the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill had been amended in a number of ways. Read my NEW post here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/03/24/clause-25-is-now-clause-30/
I have updated my Children and Schools Wellbeing Bill page now the Bill has finished in the Commons. MPs are of course still able to submit Written Questions and write to the Minister on behalf of their constituents. https://edyourself.org/childrens-wellbeing-schools-bill/ The Bill now has to go through the House of Lords.
A new impact assessment has just been published on the day of Report for the Wellbeing Bill. NEW PAGE here https://edyourself.org/impact-assessments-wellbeing-bill/
The Children Not In School clauses of the Wellbeing Bill will be debated on Tuesday March 18th in the House of Commons. This NEW post explains what to expect https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/03/16/tuesday-march-18th-report-stage-bill/ –
Part 2 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will be debated in the House of Commons next Tuesday 18 March. NEW POST with links to 1 page flier for MPs (including image file and copyable PDF) https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/03/14/amendments-abtisam-mohamed-parliament-march-18/
Some clues about funding for the proposed new law on Children Not In School can be found in a document which has never been published on the main bill page, read more HERE https://edyourself.org/wellbeing-bill-wheres-the-money/
I have written a new post about approaching MPs to ask if they will help you and your family by raising your concerns in parliament over the Wellbeing Bill https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/03/12/wellbeing-bill-amendments-for-report/ There is some urgency as the debate will take place on March 17th and 18th next week
My MP Abtisam Mohamed has tabled a number of amendments for Report regarding “suitable education” and mandatory home visits once in the school attendance order process. NEW PAGE here https://edyourself.org/amendments-for-wellbeing-bill-2/
My MP Abtisam Mohamed has tabled a number of amendments for Report to address the disproportionate impact on lone parents. NEW PAGE here https://edyourself.org/amendments-for-report-1/
Report has been confirmed for March 17th and 18th, see https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3909/stages/19544 The last day for tabling amendments within the notice period for selection is MONDAY MARCH 10TH. MPs wishing to speak at Report don’t have to put their names on a list. Read more here https://edyourself.org/childrens-wellbeing-schools-bill/
It has been provisionally announced that report stage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will take place on Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th March [LINK]
My MP has tabled a number of parliamentary questions about the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – NEW PAGE read more here https://edyourself.org/parliamentary-questions-wellbeing-bill/
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill has been reissued after committee, with adjustments to clause and page numbering. Read more here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/02/12/clause-24-is-now-25/ The updated version of the children not in school clauses can be viewed onscreen here without needing to download https://shorturl.at/eJleP
My written evidence never appeared on the committee website so I secured permission to publish it here https://edyourself.org/bill-committee-evidence-january-2025/
I have updated my page on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to reflect the fact that it is finishing in committee and will shortly be considered at Report by all MPs in the House of Commons before going to the House of Lords https://edyourself.org/childrens-wellbeing-schools-bill/
NEW blog post explores when we might expect Report stage https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/02/09/report-stage-childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill/
The bill committee has finished with the home education clauses, so the focus now moves to report stage, NEW blog post here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/02/01/90-minutes-home-education-30-1-25/
New blog post overview of the children not in school proposals set out in the Wellbeing Bill https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/01/25/overview-children-not-in-school-wellbeing-bill/
I have published a new blog post explaining why the children not in school proposals are likely to be scrutinised on Thursday January 30th (or possibly the following Tuesday) and hence why there is still time to send written evidence https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/01/24/children-not-in-school-bill-committee-dates/
Interested parties can send written evidence to the bill committee, but time is short, read my new blog post here https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2025/01/14/evidence-childrens-wellbeing-bill-committee/