The number of children in England being home schooled increased by more than 10,000 last autumn, with mental health being increasingly cited by parents as the main reason, according to official figures.
The statistics published by the Department for Education (DfE) showed that 92,000 children were recorded as being home schooled on one day last term, compared with 80,900 at the same point in autumn 2022.
The government is launching a fresh push to improve school attendances in England, including a 33% increase in the cost of fines for unauthorised absences and a tougher line banning pupils from attending protests during school hours.
The percentage of parents recording mental health as the primary reason for home education rose from 9% last year to 13%.
“Philosophical” or “lifestyle” reasons accounted for 24%, while 40% were recorded as unknown, other or no reason. One per cent of parents cited religion as their primary reason for home schooling, while 3% cited bullying.
Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We are concerned that the increase in elective home education is in part a symptom of wider problems – such as unmet special education needs, and school anxiety and other mental health issues.
“These are areas that are badly under-resourced, with huge pressures on school funding and an erosion in local support services.”
According to the estimates by local authorities, 126,000 children were home schooled at any point during 2022-23, up from 116,000 in 2021-22.
For the first time the DfE also released statistics on children missing education (CME), a new classification covering school-age children not enrolled at school and receiving “unsuitable” education.
Callout
Last autumn, councils recorded 33,000 children missing education, compared with 24,000 in autumn 2022. Across the 2022-23 school year, councils recorded 117,000 CMEs at any point, compared with 95,000 the previous year.
The DfE defines CME as children who are “not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise than at a school. This includes children who are awaiting a school place and children in receipt of unsuitable education, including those children local authorities are supporting to place into suitable education.”
About 20% of cases last autumn were the result of a child moving out of the country or to another local authority, while 23% involved children who were waiting for a school place. About 44% of cases were for other reasons or not recorded. Just 6% of CME cases were attributed to “unsuitable” home education.
Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, has said Labour would introduce a national register of children not in school, while the Conservative MP Flick Drummond has introduced a bill that would require local authorities to maintain a register of children not enrolled in a school.
The DfE published new statutory guidance on school attendance on Thursday, to come into force next summer, which includes a ban on students attending protests. “Leave of absence should not be granted for a pupil to take part in protest activity during school hours,” the guidance states.
