'Shocking' rise in home-schooled pupils with SEND

Worcestershire has seen a "shocking" rise in the number of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) being home-schooled, often "by default", and running the risk of falling "out of sight" of the education system.

From fewer than 50 in 2016, the number has risen to almost 300.

A further 88 children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) were being home-schooled as of September 2024, according to Worcestershire County Council.

One campaigner said parents felt they had no choice but to pursue home schooling, because "the system is letting them down" over school places.

The figures were requested by county councillor Lynn Denham, during a full council meeting in November.

She received a written response on the number of "elected home education (EHE) children with SEND" from education chief David Chambers, which has been seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Chambers said any children being removed from the roll of a school were a focus for the authority, to ensure "the decision had been made appropriately and in an informed way".

He said the council's elected home education team continued to ensure any students with additional needs were prioritised, and there was "joint working" when a parent or carer decided to educate their child at home.

Lynn Denham, a county councillor and leader of Worcester City Council, said the statistics showed "a shocking increase" in home-school numbers among children with SEND, who previously had SEND support in a school setting.

She said: "These children have not succeeded in getting an EHCP, mainstream schools are not meeting their needs, and they are being home-schooled by default.

"This is a huge strain on families and indicates that the county council is failing to meet its duties to provide education for all children in the county."

Denham said the data indicated there were children with special needs who were "falling through the gaps" and were "in danger of being out of sight of the education system".

She said: "Home schooling is the last act of desperation when parents are unable to obtain a suitable school place for their child from the county council."

Tracy Winchester, from the SEND National Crisis Worcestershire campaign group, said the statistics spoke for themselves, highlighting there were not enough SEND places in schools across the county.

She said: "People often feel they have no real choice.

"Their child's needs are not being met – the system is letting them down."

Chambers, the cabinet member for education at the county council, said families had the right to electively home educate their children, and the council provided information in order so people could make informed decisions in a positive way.

He said: "There are a wide range of factors which lead families to choose to electively home educate and for many families the choice is carefully considered to be in the best interests of their child and provides a broad and balanced, rich educational experience.

"When parents choose elective home education, we fulfill our duties by working collaboratively with families to support their decision, including offering assistance if they decide to return their child to school-based education."