Council aims to cut number of home schooled pupils

Barnsley Council has set out plans to cut the number of children being educated at home by 30% over the next two years.

A report to councillors said that in October 822 children were registered as being home-schooled .

The council said the number reflected a national trend and was being driven by growing dissatisfaction with school, mental health pressures and concerns that children's needs were not being met in mainstream education.

In some cases, families cited more than one factor, with worries about children suffering anxiety, bullying, or special educational needs such as autism or dyslexia.

Councillors were told the increase was not the result of a single issue but a combination of pressures, including post-pandemic mental health challenges, strained school relationships and difficulties faced by some families during key transition points such as GCSE years.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the report also acknowledged that, in a small number of cases, elective home education is chosen after the breakdown of support in school or to avoid exclusion.

While parents have a legal right to educate their children at home, the council said it was concerned about safeguarding risks when children are not seen regularly by professionals.

National safeguarding reviews have found that some children educated at home have suffered serious harm where there was little contact with services.

Barnsley Council has launched its Every Child in School Everyday plan, which aims to cut elective home education numbers by almost a third by 2026/27.

The council said early intervention was already having an impact, with education welfare teams helping more than 200 children return to school last year.

It said further staffing had been funded to focus on pupils in Years 9 to 11, where home education numbers are highest.

Council officers stressed that the approach was not about removing parents' rights, but about ensuring children are safe, supported and able to access education that meets their needs.

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