Hospital and Home Teaching Service (HHTS)

The HHTS is a service that is funded by the Local Authority to provide education to children and young people who are unable to attend school due to ill-health or pregnancy.

HHTS provides education for compulsory school age children (4-16) who are:

  • unable to attend school for medical reasons for 15 days or more, whether consecutive or cumulative
  • a statutory school-age child who is a new mother or a mother to be temporarily unable to attend access education in their registered school
  • an in-patient on Acorn ward at Whipps Cross University Hospital

The HHTS team consists of fully qualified and experienced primary and secondary teachers and a Higher Learning Teaching Assistant. Teaching is delivered in the school room, at the bedside or in the child’s home.

Referrals for support from HHTS may be made by:

  • The child’s school
  • The school’s education welfare officer
  • The child’s consultant or other clinical professional i.e. doctor

Prior to a request for support from the HHTS, the pupil’s school should ensure that:

  • There is a named teacher who is able to liaise regularly with the designated HHTS teacher.
  • The home school named teacher has completed sections one and two

The home school named teacher takes responsibility for:

  • Enabling the HHTS to provide continuity of education within agreed curriculum areas
  • Enabling the referred pupil, wherever possible and appropriate, to maintain links with their peer group
  • Monitoring and reviewing of pupil progress in liaison with the designated teacher, at agreed regular intervals, as required. The review meeting will include discussions about reintegrating the pupil at the earliest possible date, which would be determined by the referring clinical professional or the child’s consultant.

Please note that, where the pupil being referred is not on roll of a school, the person referring will be the person responsible for liaising with the HHTS designated teacher through the referral and pupil progress review meetings.

Please email the completed referral form and medical evidence from the child’s consultant or other clinical professional which states:

  • Medical reason why the child is unable to attend school
  • Period of absence required

Please email to: senteam@walthamforest.gov.uk

Last update: Tuesday 9th of February 2021 05:43:06 PM