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.