Increase in home-schooled children in Nottinghamshire as a result of pandemic

As of August 2021, 1,079 children were registered as home-educated in Nottinghamshire, an increase of 298 since August 2020.

The data shows 127 parents cited Covid-19 as a factor in their decision to home school, in line with national trends as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Parents of 312 children declined local authority involvement – and the Nottinghamshire Council report described a ‘concern’ over the level of need for some home-educated children in the county.

Data shows 71 per cent of home-schooled children in Nottinghamshire were White British, 6 per cent were of Gypsy, Roma or Traveller ethnicity and 6 per cent were from other ethnic groups.

The remainder’s parents did not provide a response.

More than £250,000 is dedicated to the council's home-schooling service for 2021/22.

The authority’s latest six-monthly paper, to be discussed by councillors, states: “Comparing the dashboard data for August 2020 and August 2021, a significant increase in the number of registrations can still be seen at Year 10, +53, but also at Year 7, +45, and Year 8, +43, and for primary at Year 1, +36.

“There does appear to have been an impact from Covid on parental confidence in transition.

“It is, however, difficult to draw meaningful conclusions when nearly half of the cohort have chosen not to provide a reason for their decision.”

Reasons given include: School refuser, 15; Response to legal attendance proceedings, 11; Bullying, 25; Dissatisfaction with school, 65; Emotional reasons, e.g. anxiety, 39; and preferred method, 386. However, 538 families did not give a reason.