Increase in Home Educated Children in East Riding

Thursday, 9 January 2025 06:00

By Matthew Pells

The number of home educated children in the East Riding rose by 29 percent last year.

The East Riding of Yorkshire has experienced a significant increase in the number of children being home educated. In 2023-24, the number of children known to be electively home educated rose to 941, compared to 727 in the previous academic year.

Councillor Victoria Aitken is the council's Cabinet member for Children, Families & Education, she says that while the East Riding's increase is notable, it remains lower than in many other areas.

This cohort leans towards secondary-aged children, with a particular increase in Year 11 pupils opting for home education in the later stages of their education. This trend has raised concerns as it can prevent students from accessing formal examinations.

The council emphasises its responsibility to ensure all children within the area have access to suitable and efficient education, regardless of their schooling method. Council officers actively monitor home education levels and dedicate considerable effort to building relationships with home-educating parents to ensure the education provided at home is suitable. This involves keeping in touch meetings, drop-in sessions, and an annual oversight of education by education welfare and access to education offices.

The government is currently considering a new Children's Wellbeing and School Bill, which aims to strengthen the role of local authorities in overseeing home-educated pupils.

Councillor Aitken says she welcomes the proposed changes.

A significant number of children and young people embrace home education for short periods, often due to challenges with their previous schools, admissions, exclusions, or other issues. In such cases, welfare officers work to support the reintegration of these children back into schools as quickly as possible.