Significant Increase in Home-Schooled Children with Special Educational Needs in Worcestershire

Worcestershire has experienced a “shocking” increase in the number of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who are being home-schooled, frequently “by default,” which carries the risk of them falling “out of sight” of the educational framework. The count has grown from fewer than 50 in 2016 to nearly 300. Additionally, 88 children possessing education, health and care plans (EHCPs) were receiving home education as of September 2024, as reported by Worcestershire County Council. A campaigner stated that parents felt compelled to opt for home schooling due to “the system is letting them down” concerning available school places. County councillor Lynn Denham sought these figures during a full council meeting held in November. She obtained a written reply regarding the number of “elected home education (EHE) children with SEND” from education chief David Chambers, a response that has been reviewed by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Chambers indicated that any children being withdrawn from a school’s register were a priority for the authority, to guarantee “the decision had been made appropriately and in an informed way.” He added that the council’s elected home education team maintained efforts to ensure that students with additional needs received priority, and that “joint working” occurred when a parent or carer chose to educate their child at home. Lynn Denham, who serves as both a county councillor and the leader of Worcester City Council, commented that the statistics revealed “a shocking increase” in home-schooling figures among children with SEND, particularly those who had previously received SEND support within a school environment. She stated: “These children have not succeeded in getting an EHCP, mainstream schools are not meeting their needs, and they are being home-schooled by default.” She continued: “This is a huge strain on families and indicates that the county council is failing to meet its duties to provide education for all children in the county.” Denham asserted that the data suggested there were children with special needs who were “falling through the gaps” and were “in danger of being out of sight of the education system.” She remarked: “Home schooling is the last act of desperation when parents are unable to obtain a suitable school place for their child from the county council.” Tracy Winchester, representing the SEND National Crisis Worcestershire campaign group, commented that the statistics were self-evident, underscoring the scarcity of SEND places in schools throughout the county. She stated: “People often feel they have no real choice.”Their child’s needs are not being met – the system is letting them down.” Chambers, who is the cabinet member for education at the county council, affirmed that families possessed the right to electively home educate their children, and that the council furnished information to enable individuals to make informed decisions constructively. He stated: “There are a wide range of factors which lead families to choose to electively home educate and for many families the choice is carefully considered to be in the best interests of their child and provides a broad and balanced, rich educational experience.” He continued: “When parents choose elective home education, we fulfill our duties by working collaboratively with families to support their decision, including offering assistance if they decide to return their child to school-based education.” This report was compiled by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers local councils and other public service entities. For further updates, follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.