Students forced into homeschooling as a ‘last resort’, warns Ofsted

Ofsted has reported that students in England are being rushed out of school and into home education without proper discussion and little consultation with the child. The report found that in some cases students were unable to say goodbye to their friends and that some schools refused to allow students to take their schoolwork with them when they left.

The Ofsted report focuses on schools in seven local authorities in the East Midlands and addresses the rising tide of students leaving school for elective home education, though ‘elective’ may be in some cases, a misleading term.

“Unfortunately, our evidence suggests that letting children go can be an easy option for schools,” the report stated. “We cannot say for certain whether there were any cases of off-rolling. Our research did find examples that support other evidence that parents have been coerced into moving to home education.

The report found that while home education can be a positive choice, for many of these families it represents the last resort, and parents are unprepared or ill-equipped to offer home education for their children. Evidence cited showed that parents were making the choice to avoid prosecution for non-attendance and permanent exclusion and found little support once the decision had been made. “I’ve not got the experience or funds for homeschooling and I’ve made that clear to the authorities. So my daughter is receiving nothing at all,” a parent told Ofsted.

Pupils being propelled out of school system 'in space of a day' (The Guardian) Children with complex needs forced into home education as ‘last resort’, warns Ofsted(Schools Week) Ofsted warns against home educating `simply to resolve difficulties in schools´ (The Daily Mail) Home education a 'huge undertaking for parents' – Ofsted(BBC)

Why should this matter to me?

This story makes clear that schools are in desperate need of resources to support children with behavioural problems or special educational needs. It also shows that parents who home school need better training, resources and support. It is also evident that homeschooling is on the rise, and while school budgets are still suffering from years of cuts, it may be an opportunity for the launch of new products and services designed to support this growing market.