Rising numbers of Sheffield children are being home schooled

A rising number of Sheffield families are home schooling their children and it’s often not by preference.

A meeting of Sheffield City Council’s education, children and families policy committee (February 26) heard that the numbers are rising partly because of the increase in children struggling with mental health following the Covid pandemic.

​Coun Mohammed Mahroof said that he had heard 900 parents or carers are now opting to home school their children, some through choice and others because they are worried that their child won’t fit into the school where a place has been offered.

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Meredith Dixon-Teasdale, strategic director of children’s services, replied that, while some parents do philosophically choose to home school, others do it because either the child is struggling to stay in school due to their particular needs or the school is struggling to help that child to stay in school.

She said that she is speaking to schools about bringing in more integrated resource hubs and specialist hubs to help children with additional needs stay in school.

“What we have seen is that increase in the number of children who are neurodiverse or who have social, emotional and mental health needs since Covid and we don’t have enough special schools, nor is it right that those children should always be in special schools,” said Ms Dixon-Teasdale.

She asked: “How do we ensure that those children can access the right provision with mainstream schools?”

The committee agreed to take a more in-depth look at the issue at a future date.