Number of home-schooling cases across Wakefield nears 1,000 as figure continues to rise

The figure is in line with a national trend which saw the number of parents choosing to home educate their children rise sharply after the covid pandemic.

A report said there were 964 elective home education (EHE) cases being dealt with by Wakefield Council in November 2024.

The authority’s children and young people scrutiny committee set up a working group to carry out a review after the caseload rose to 789 in February last year.

Of those, the most common reason (76 cases) given for a new EHE referral was “anxiety”.

Other listed reasons included “moving school/school dispute” (41), “behaviour” (10) and “bullying” (12).

By comparison, the number of Wakefield children educated at home during the 2019/2020 academic year was 317.

Members of the working group have met with senior education officers and a council education welfare officer (EWO) as part of their research.

The report said: “It was particularly useful to hear a first-hand perspective of how increased capacity enabled EWOs to employ a more proactive approach allowing for more frequent interactions with schools and parents.”

Group members also plan to hold “structured interviews” with teachers, parents, young people and school governors.

The review is expected to be submitted to the committee later this year outlining the group’s findings and recommendations.

Since the pandemic there has been a major rise in the number of children being removed from school to be home educated.

The figures indicate that the home-schooling experienced by parents during lockdowns prompted many to opt out of the school system permanently.

Department of Education data for autumn 2023 estimates there were 92,000 EHE cases nationally.

The figure for autumn 2022 was 80,900.

Parents can choose to provide their child’s education outside of the school system under the Education Act 1996.

They are then wholly responsible for the approach, structure, content and cost of all education provision to ensure they provide a “suitable and efficient” education.

However, there is no legal definition of “suitable” education and no official definition of how many hours per day a full-time education takes.

Local authorities have a duty to enquire about a child’s education at least once a year if they are of compulsory school age.

Last April, education officers told the committee how the council is now dedicating more resources to supporting youngsters being educated at home.

Committee members also heard how the authority was working more closely with educational psychologists to get a better understanding of some cases.