It may surprise people to learn that even if you use a Department for Education (DfE) accredited online school you are usually considered to be in “elective home education”. Department for Education statistics indicate there were 111,700 children in elective home education by Autumn 2025 and that the number has grown substantially in the past few years.
Educational Freedom is an organisation founded in 2013 with the aim of providing free support to home educators. They have recently produced a report entitled Educational Freedom, Home Education Research, Survey, Data Analysis and Review.
Their key conclusions relevant to accredited online schools are that elective home education is often not a choice but a last resort for many families (for perhaps as many as 75%), this is frequently because of Special Educational Needs left unmet by local authorities and schools. That said families in elective home education are usually happy with their choice, and often wish they started earlier.
The report also highlights that there are huge amounts of suspicion of local authorities on the part of EHE families, feeling that they are over-intrusive – policing not supporting. On a personal note I feel I have got lucky with my local EHE officer who has been very helpful and supportive.
A recurring theme is that EHE families would like financial support for examination fees; they are, after all, saving a great deal of money for local authorities by taking on the child’s education – examination fees are a large unavoidable cost.
The report and survey it is based on were triggered by proposals for a Children Not in School (CNiS) register. Educational Freedom highlight that they have little faith in local authorities competence to deliver such a register given discrepancies between EHE and children missing education which they already collect.
DfE accredited online schools can offer a solution to those reluctant home educators for whom their child’s Special Educational Needs are not being met in the mainstream system.
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