[NSPCC]

Dear Sir,
Further to your open letter, I would like to take the opportunity both to reiterate the NSPCC’s position regarding home education and to address the reference made to Victoria Climbie in the Independent article to which you refer.

We would like to make it absolutely clear that the NSPCC takes no position as regards home education from an educational perspective. Our concern is for the safety of children. Our view is simply that chi;dren educated at home should have the same right to protection as those taught in school. This is what we have asked the government to consider in its current review.

As regards the reference made to Victoria Climbie in the Independent, I accept that this comment should not have been made and regret the offence it has caused. We stand by our concern to ensure that every child can be protected by the authorities. However, clearly there is no connection between home education and Victoria’s tragic death. We have already spoken to the Victoria Climbie Foundation on this matter.

In light of some of the comments made on the NSPCC’s Facebook page and in your letter I would also like to make clear that in her statement to the inquiry into Victoria Climbie’s death, the then NSPCC Chief Executive, Dame Mary Marsh expressed profound regret and apologised to Victoria’s family for the missed opportunity to help her. She also explained that we had reviewed our services as a result. The NSPCC was not named at the inquiry into Victoria’s death as one of the original nine agencies involved with her - we volunteered evidence ourselves.

To conclude, the NSPCC has a legitimate concern about the safeguarding of all children whether they are educated at home or at school and that will be the basis of our involvement with the Government review.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Flanagan
Chief Executive