More children in North East Lincolnshire are being home schooled

We're hearing post 'coronavirus lockdown' anxiety has led to a rise in the number of children being home educated in North East Lincolnshire.

313 children in the area were being taught at home as of last month - a 43 per rise compared to October 2021.

At a meeting Councillors were told the main reason for this was anxiety related and said it will offer support to parents if needed.

We spoke to Jennifer Steel, the Council’s head of pupil support, safety and wellbeing.

She confirmed “The predominant reason is anxiety, particularly post-pandemic."

“We continue to stress to families the enormity of the task they’re undertaking,” said Jennifer Steel on the increased numbers of elective home education.

The council has a neutral policy on the practice, offering some support and engaging with parents, but not promoting home education.

Only a handful of the 313 electively home-educated children are currently not responsive to contact from the local authority.

The Council has very limited powers when cases of elective home education permanently decline to engage, Conservative Cllr Paul Silvester was told when he asked if it had no control in such a scenario.

Where there is engagement, the child’s voice is “at the heart” of the council’s contact with elective home education, Jennifer Steel told the panel.

The split in the age of electively home-educated children is approximately two-thirds to one-third in favour of secondary school age children, of whom 212 are electively home-educated.

All Year 11 home-educated children were offered the chance to take GCSE Maths and English at Franklin College and 11 passed their exams this year.

For the second academic year in a row, there have been no permanent school exclusions from primaries in North East Lincolnshire.