(England) 29% of homeschooled children have special needs; numbers surging
- The end of childhood
- Dec 5
- 2 min read
Nov 30, 2025, Essex Live: More Essex parents are taking children out of school permanently, report warns
The number of children being home educated in Southend has surged, with mental health now the leading reason for children leaving school. Figures show 463 new elective home education cases were identified in 2024/25, almost double the 235 recorded in 2021/22 – a 97 per cent increase.
There were 706 children reported as being home educated in Southend on November 17, up from 593 on the same day last year, representing a 19 per cent rise. In 2024/25, there were 1,017 'episodes' of home education, according to government numbers.
The Department for Education reports Southend's home education rate is 2.1 per cent of the school-age population, higher than the national average of 1.4 per cent and the regional average of 1.5 per cent.
A report to the People, Overview and Scrutiny committee says mental health has overtaken lifestyle or philosophical reasons as the most common factor behind parents choosing home education. Numbers are also rising among children with special educational needs (SEN), with 29 per of home-educated children previously identified as having SEN, compared with 18 per cent in schools.
The surge comes as the Government's Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill progresses through Parliament. The bill, now in the House of Lords, proposes sweeping changes, including mandatory registration of all home-educated children on a local authority "Children Not in School" register.
Additionally, councils will have the power to assess education quality and intervene if standards or safeguarding concerns arise. The automatic right to home educate for families under child protection plans will be removed.
Currently, parents are not legally required to register home education, meaning the true numbers may be higher. Local authorities also lack the power to enter homes or speak to children, making oversight challenging.
Laurie Burton, Southend councillor for children, learning and SEND, welcomed the changes. He said: "People home school for a variety of reasons, but whatever the circumstances, all young people are entitled to a rich and varied education.
"The majority of parents do an absolutely fantastic job, but having a central list enables us to monitor provision and make sure nobody falls through the gaps."
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