Children Educated at Home

NSPCC Learning has published a report exploring some of the challenges local authorities face to safeguard children educated at home. The findings are based on a review of UK literature, data from a Freedom of Information request, interviews with local authority home education teams, and insights from Childline and the NSPCC Helpline. Key findings include: many families choose home education because mainstream schools are unable to meet their children’s needs; Elective Home Education teams are under-resourced to meet the needs of a growing cohort of home-educated children; and the child’s voice is under-represented in local authority practice. Recommendations for the Department for Education include: update and strengthen national guidance to reflect the scale and nature of home education; and provide stable and sufficient funding for local authorities to safeguard and support home educated children.

Read the report: Tipping point: tackling the challenges in safeguarding children educated at home