England homeschooling surge could become permanent, data suggests

Department for Education estimates 97,000 children were home educated in 2023 summer term, 11,000 more than previous term

More than one in 100 children in England were homeschooled last summer term, with many parents citing lifestyle or “philosophical reasons” for abandoning traditional classrooms.

New estimates by the Department for Education (DfE) show that 97,000 children were home educated in 2023’s summer term, an increase of 11,000 compared with the 86,000 home educated at the start of 2023.