Summer term data added to release
Broken link corrected
This publication provides data reported by local authorities on children in elective home education (EHE) in England.
Local authorities have a duty under section 436A of the Education Act 1996 to make arrangements to establish the identities of children in their area who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education.
EHE is a term used to describe a choice by parents to provide education for their children at home instead of sending them to school full-time. This is different to Education provided by a local authority Otherwise Than At a School (i.e. EOTAS) - for example, tuition for children who are too ill to attend school. These children are not counted in these figures.
It is also different to children missing education (CME) who, as defined in the Section 436A of the Education Act 1996, are children of compulsory school age who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise than at a school. CME includes children who are awaiting a school place and children in receipt of unsuitable education, including those children local authorities are supporting to place into suitable education. An EHE child whose education is deemed unsuitable should no longer be classified as an EHE child and should be classified as CME. A separate ad-hoc release has been published relating to CME.
Data is presented for both the number of children at a point in time on the Autumn term 2022, Spring term 2023 and Summer term 2023 census days, and the number of children who were EHE at any point during the 2021/22 academic year. Where a child was EHE more than once, they are only recorded once.
Data was collected from local authorities on a voluntary basis for the first time in Autumn 2022. The Department for Education (DfE) recognises the operational importance of publishing this data in a timely manner and so is publishing this information as ad hoc statistics. Figures from 2023/24 will be published as official statistics.
This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on a figure of 76,900 reported by 93% of local authorities.
This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on a figure of 82,400 reported by 95% of local authorities. The increase from Autumn term to Spring term in the number of children who are EHE is consistent across both local authorities and reasons for EHE, with the exception of Health concerns relating to COVID-19 that has decreased. It should be noted that is the first time data has been collected for the spring term and as a result no previous data on seasonal patterns is available, but this will be possible with further data in future.
Summer 2023 – Local authorities reported that there were an estimated 97,600 children in elective home education at the census date in Summer term 2023.
This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on a figure of 94,100 reported by 97% of local authorities. Most authorities continued to report increases in the number of children who are EHE following an initial increase in the Spring term.
This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on a figure of 105,800 reported by 89% of local authorities.
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Includes responses to the question - What support does your local authority offer to EHE children and their families?
The following considerations should be noted when using this data:
However, recording practices for EHE within local authorities are well established. As an indication, estimates in this report closely align with estimates produced by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) from their previous annual survey. The ADCS survey estimated on census day in Autumn 2021/22 that 81,200 children and young people were EHE, based on responses from 83% of local authorities. This source used a different uprating methodology so is not directly comparable.
EHE counts will vary depending on the population within the local authority, which may change over time, for example there can be higher numbers of EHE at the start of a school year as parents await their preferred school place and EHE in the meantime. High or low counts should not be used as a reflection of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ practice.
As this is a new data collection, we expect the quality of the data returns to improve over time as the collection becomes established. For example, reductions in the number of unknown values for detailed breakdowns and increased response rates.
Local authorities have a duty under section 436A of the Education Act 1996 to make arrangements to establish the identities of children in their area who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education.
This data collection (along with that on CME) has been developed to:
Local authorities reported that there were an estimated 80,900 children in EHE at the census date in Autumn term 2022. This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on a figure of 76,900 reported by 93% of local authorities. This includes children of compulsory school age who are resident in the local authority and the local authority are aware of being electively home educated on census date.
At the census date in Spring term 2023 local authorities reported that there were an estimated 86,200 children in EHE. This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on a figure of 82,400 reported by 95% of local authorities. The increase from Autumn term to Spring term in the number of children who were EHE is consistent across both local authorities and reasons for EHE, with the exception of Health concerns relating to COVID-19 which decreased.
In the Summer term 2023 local authorities reported that there were an estimated 97,600 children in EHE at the census date. This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on a figure of 94,100 reported by 97% of local authorities. Most authorities continued to report increases in the number of children who are EHE. Reception year had the largest percentage increase from the Spring term but still accounted for the smallest proportion the cohort of EHE children. EHE for reason of Health concerns relating to COVID-19 continued to decrease.
The EHE data collected are consistent, although not directly comparable, with those collected for previous years by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS). It should be noted that is the first time data has been collected for the Spring and Summer terms and as a result no previous data on seasonal patterns is available, but this will be possible with data in future.
The table below provides the primary reason why a pupil was EHE. Of those reasons known or provided, the reason most reported was philosophical or preferential reasons, accounting for 16% of pupils, followed by mental health (9%) and lifestyle choice (8%).
Of the primary reasons given, 47% were recorded under ‘unknown to the LA’, ‘other’, or ‘parent did not provide a reason’.
Primary reason given for EHE, Autumn term 2022
| Philosophical or preferential reasons | 12,600 | 16% |
| Mental health | 7,200 | 9% |
| Lifestyle choice | 6,100 | 8% |
| Dissatisfaction with the school - general | 4,600 | 6% |
| Health concerns relating to COVID-19 | 3,600 | 4% |
| Dissatisfaction with the school - bullying | 2,200 | 3% |
| Dissatisfaction with the school - SEND | 1,800 | 2% |
| Did not get school preference | 1,600 | 2% |
| Physical health | 1,400 | 2% |
| Religious reasons | 800 | 1% |
| Difficulty in accessing a school place | 600 | 1% |
| Risk of school exclusion | 400 | <0.5% |
| Suggestion/pressure from the school | 100 | <0.5% |
| Permanent exclusion | 100 | <0.5% |
| Other | 9,600 | 12% |
| Parent/guardian did not give a reason | 11,400 | 14% |
| Unknown | 17,000 | 21% |
The proportion of children electively home educated varies by characteristics. The figures below relate to Autumn 2022 but trends in Spring and Summer 2023 were broadly similar.
SEN provision and in need status was as known to the LA as at the census day and therefore may exclude children with previous additional requirements and those that were not known.
Data was also collected on the number of children reported by local authorities as being EHE at any point during the 2021/22 academic year. Where a child was EHE more than once, they are only recorded once. These are cumulative counts of all pupils reported by local authorities as EHE children at some point in the academic year and are not directly comparable to the point in time figures presented as at census day each term.
When adjusted for non-response, an estimated 116,300 children were reported by LAs as EHE at any point during the 2021/22 academic year. This is based on a figure of 105,800 reported by 89% of local authorities.
When adjusted for non-response, there were an estimated 44,400 pupils reported as starting in EHE during the academic year, while an estimated 19,700 EHE children returned to a school setting during the academic year. This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on figures of 40,700 reported by 89% of local authorities and 16,700 reported by 84% of local authorities.
The table below shows, of those pupils who started EHE during the academic year, the previous school type attended by those pupils. The largest proportion of children EHE had previously been in academies. This is reflective of the fact that a large proportion of secondary schools are academies and that a higher proportion of older children are EHE.
Previous school type before EHE for children who started EHE during the 2021/22 academic year
| Academy | 18,900 | 42% |
| Local authority maintained school | 12,700 | 28% |
| Free school | 800 | 2% |
| Special school | 300 | 1% |
| Pupil referral unit | 300 | 1% |
| Alternative provision | 100 | <0.5% |
| Independent school | 1,000 | 2% |
| Early years setting | 300 | 1% |
| Home educated outside the LA | 1,000 | 2% |
| None - previously not of compulsory school age | 900 | 2% |
| Educated elsewhere/unknown | 8,600 | 19% |
Data was also collected on section 437(1) and school attendance orders.
A section 437(1) notice is issued by a local authority in advance of a school attendance order. Where it appears to the local authority that a child of compulsory school age is not receiving a suitable education, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise, then they must begin procedures for issuing a school attendance order (under section 437 of the Education Act 1996). The order will require the child’s parents to register their child at a named school. If they fail to comply with the order the parent can be prosecuted.
In the 2021/22 academic year, an estimated 3,800 section 437(1) notices were issued and an estimated 1,300 school attendance orders were issued. An estimated 300 school attendance orders were revoked in this period. School attendance orders may be revoked because local authorities are able to conclude that the child is receiving suitable education, a court acquits a parent, the local authority applies for an education supervision order, or the child becomes no longer of compulsory school age.
This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on figures of 3,400 reported by 88% of local authorities, 1,200 reported by 89% of local authorities and 300 reported by 89% of local authorities respectively.
Usage of section 437(1) notices and school attendance orders varied across the country. 29 local authorities (out of 152) report issuing no section 437(1) notices whilst 11 local authorities contributed over half the national total. Similarly, 53 local authorities reported no school attendance orders whilst 7 contributed over half the national total.
Find out how and why we collect, process and publish these statistics.
Ad hoc official statistics are one off publications that have been produced as far as possible in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics.
This can be broadly interpreted to mean that these statistics are:
Find out more about the standards we follow to produce these statistics through our Standards for official statistics published by DfE guidance.
If you have a specific enquiry about Elective home education statistics and data:
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