Tackling exclusions in Norfolk schools

Text of my letter to Norfolk’s Director of Children’s Services:

Dear Sara
You will recall the last meeting of the Children’s Services Committee revealed an astonishing increase in the number of children being home-schooled in Norfolk. You no doubt also heard the Chief Inspector of Schools this morning highlight this as a concern in relation to how schools are ‘managing’ children with special educational needs.
At the committee meeting I asked if there was any discernible pattern in the number of exclusions between different types of school and the answer was no. However, I wonder if you could investigate this further and take into account the pattern of home schooling?
Obviously I am not questioning home schooling as a legitimate choice for some parents but we clearly have a duty to ensure that schools are not adopting it as a strategy to encourage children who will need an extra investment of resource to support them off their books.
Could you also give me a summary of the support we are giving to children who are home schooled and how we measure its impact please? I am aware, for example, of the work being done at Erpingham Primary school in this area but I am keen to understand what the council’s strategy is in relation to both supporting children who are home schooled and ensuring that such decisions are being made with the best interests of the children in mind.
Thank you and best regards
Ed Maxfield
Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Mundesley Division