Barnsley Council has set out plans to cut the number of children being educated at home by 30 per cent over the next two years, amid concerns about safeguarding and rising numbers of GCSE-age pupils leaving mainstream schools.

A report to councillors says 822 children were registered as being educated at home in October 2025, with four in ten of those in Years 9 to 11. The council says the rise reflects a national trend but is being driven locally by growing dissatisfaction with school, increasing mental health pressures, and concerns that children’s needs are not being met in mainstream education.

According to the report, the most commonly recorded reason given by parents for choosing home education is dissatisfaction with school, followed by philosophical or religious beliefs and health or emotional wellbeing issues. In many cases, families cite more than one factor, particularly where children experience anxiety, bullying, or special educational needs such as autism or dyslexia.

Councillors were told the increase is not the result of a single issue but a combination of pressures, including post-pandemic mental health challenges, strained school relationships, and difficulties faced by some families during key transition points such as GCSE years. The report also acknowledges that, in a small number of cases, elective home education is chosen after the breakdown of support in school or to avoid exclusion.

A report to councillors says 822 children were registered as being educated at home in October 2025, with four in ten of those in Years 9 to 11.

placeholder image — A report to councillors says 822 children were registered as being educated at home in October 2025, with four in ten of those in Years 9 to 11.

While parents have a legal right to educate their children at home, the council says it is concerned about safeguarding risks when children are not seen regularly by professionals. National safeguarding reviews have found that some children educated at home have suffered serious harm where there was little contact with services.

As part of its response, Barnsley has launched its “Every Child in School Everyday” plan, which aims to cut elective home education numbers by 30 per cent over the next two academic years, with a 15 per cent reduction targeted in 2025/26 and a further 15 per cent in 2026/27.

The council says early intervention is already having an impact. Education welfare teams helped more than 200 children return to school last year, and further staffing has been funded to focus on pupils in Years 9 to 11, where home education numbers are highest.

Council officers stressed that the approach is not about removing parents’ rights, but about ensuring children are safe, supported and able to access education that meets their needs. Schools, academies and the local authority have signed up to a new inclusion charter, committing to work together to reduce the factors that push children out of mainstream education.

Councillors will continue to monitor progress over the next two years, with further updates expected on whether the measures lead to a sustained reduction in home education numbers across the borough.