More Plymouth children being home schooled than ever

Ninety per cent of these children were severely absent or persistently absent before they were home-educated

More children in Plymouth are being home-educated by choice, although ther city council isn’t happy about it. Council officers and cabinet members described the continuing rise in the number of children being withdrawn from school as “concerning”

During the last academic year, the number of home-educated children peaked at 888. The figure has nearly doubled in two years, is is up 43 per cent in the last year.

The council’s children, young people and families scrutiny panel was told the main reasons are more children with special educational needs and disabilities being withdrawn from school, mental health issues, and parents not confident about how schools support their children.

Ninety per cent of these children were severely absent or persistently absent before they were home-educated and 37 per cent were known to children’s social care.

The council says it is committed to reducing the number of vulnerable children becoming home-educated. There is a significant increase when they children move to mainstream secondary schools, a report for the panel said.

The city has four secondary schools, all in areas with high levels of deprivation, which have disproportionately high rates of children becoming home education because their parents choose that route.

Cllr Terri Beer (Ind, Plympton Erle) questioned how robust the monitoring of home schooling is as she said she knows of children who spend all day perusing their hobbies.

Isabelle Kolinsky, the council’s service manager for inclusion and welfare, said Plymouth is an example of best practice but the legislation favours home educators.

Annual reports on the schooling had to be produced for the council but home visits are only made if home educators ask. “We do not see what is going on in a child’s life because we need to be invited,” she said.

If there is intelligence to suggest that what was happening in the report was not happening in real life the council could make an order requiring the child to return to school.

Ms Kolinsky said there is a good relationship between many parents and the “brilliant” home educating team, and a group of home educators share resources and information, and organise trips.

Cllr Lindsay Gilmour (Lab, Moor View) said said sitting at home playing computer games is not pursuing a hobby. “I understand that to be called neglect,” she said.

“We got children out there being home-educated but I am hearing a euphemism, I’m sorry to say. There is a way of checking how effective it is, and that is by comparing exam results between those who attend school and those who are educated at home.”

The meeting was told that more is being done to encourage children to return to school and last year 153 children did.

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