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20 April 2026

Tag: elective home education

‘Carrying the responsibility of a trust is a 24-hour-a-day role’

Diversity, deprivation and tackling parents’ abuse of home education – Sian Hampton tells Jack Dyson about a life that has taken her from Uganda to leadership of the Archway Learning Trust Labour’s surprise assault on academy freedoms has caused consternation across the sector. But for the Archway Learning Trust, it has already had a more […]

Our proposals on home education need not be intrusive

MPs understand that if council powers are used inappropriately it will negatively impact relationships, writes Robert Halfon This week, cross-party colleagues and I on the House of Commons education select committee were delighted to see the release of our report, Strengthening Home Education. This report brought together the input of experts such as former children’s […]

MPs tell government to ‘shake up status quo’ on home education

MPs have slammed an “astonishing” lack of data on the number of children educated at home, and called for more powers for councils to check on their progress and welfare. School leaders backed calls for the government to introduce a national register of children educated at home, and to investigate a recent rise amid concerns […]

Urgent action demanded on home education after deaths of ‘invisible’ children

The government must pay “urgent attention” to safeguarding for pupils educated at home, an expert has warned, amid a probe into the deaths of three children. The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel revealed it had been notified of 15 incidents of “serious harm” involving home-educated children over the past year in England. Three children died, […]

Home education among pupils with EHC plans up by a quarter in one year

The number of children with education, health and care plans being educated at home has risen by almost a quarter in just one year. Data published by the Department for Education today shows that 3,660 pupils with EHC plans were in elective home education as of January this year, up from 2,983 in January 2020. […]

Council with rising home education rapped for potential off-rolling

Ofsted has rapped a council after discovering potential off-rolling of children in care, with the number of pupils educated at home shooting up more than 20 per cent. The watchdog does not name the schools and will only report on the alleged practices if they continue once full inspections resume in the summer term. Ofsted’s […]

38% rise in elective home education, and ‘stretched’ councils can’t keep track

The number of children withdrawn from school for elective home education has soared by 38 per cent in the past year, councils have reported. The Association of Directors of Children’s Services estimated that 75,668 pupils nationally are being electively home educated as of October 1, up from 54,656 at the same point last year. The […]