The number of Staffordshire children being educated at home has doubled to more than 2,000 since the Covid-19 pandemic, new figures show.
There are currently 2,087 youngsters receiving elective home education in Staffordshire, up from 1,025 in April 2020.
The rise reflects a national increase in elective home education since the pandemic, which has raised concerns over safeguarding and the availability of support for parents who choose to educate their children at home.
Scrutiny committee members at Staffordshire County Council carried out a review into elective home education to understand the local situation, the reasons behind the increase, and the implications for the authority.
A working group of councillors spoke to parents, children and members of the council’s elective home education team. Its findings are due to be reported to the safeguarding and education overview and scrutiny committee on Thursday 11 June.
In her introduction to the report, working group chair Councillor Victoria Wilson says:
“We recognise that parents have the right to choose the manner in which their children are educated. However, we also wish to ensure that all children are given the best possible opportunity to reach their full potential, both during their compulsory educational years and into their future.
“During our work we have met some fantastic individuals who have helped us understand the complex nature of home education, its challenges and rewards.”
Local authorities have a legal duty to ensure the education of children receiving elective home education is up to standard.
Staffordshire County Council has five permanent elective home education officers who carry out this work, but the working group found that the recent increase in numbers means the team now has little time to carry out “enhanced” work.
Five temporary officers have been recruited to increase capacity, and the working group has recommended that they are taken on permanently.
The working group also found that social, emotional and mental health is now the biggest reason parents in Staffordshire choose home education. Historically, parents were more likely to be motivated by philosophical, lifestyle or cultural factors.
Social, emotional and mental health was given as the main reason for 609 of the current elective home education children in Staffordshire. A further 232 parents cited dissatisfaction with school, while 64 cited bullying.
Of the current elective home education cohort, 140 children have been home educated all their lives and have never attended a school.
The report says social media may have been a factor in the rise, with the Covid-19 pandemic showing many parents that home education was achievable.
But it also says it is vital that parents understand home education is fundamentally different from the distance learning that took place during the pandemic, which involved support from schools.
Councillors found that the parents they spoke to had “considered in detail the challenges and impacts of choosing to home educate”.
The report states:
“Educating children at home works well when it is a positive choice and carried out with a proper regard for the needs of the child. The parents we met who home educate their children showed incredible commitment, enthusiasm and dedication to ensuring the best education for their children.
“However, if home education is undertaken without this level of understanding and commitment, including the various financial commitments, the results will not be as positive.”
The working group’s report makes a number of recommendations, including making the temporary elective home education officer posts permanent.
Another recommendation calls for the council to assess the impact of recent changes in the law around home education, to ensure additional resource can be provided if required.
