Rethinking School – An investigation into why our families choose to homeschool.

Week 1

Welcome to Rethinking School, a series exploring why our families are turning away from mainstream education and choosing to homeschool instead. In recent years, homeschooling has received a considerable amount of negative press, including some questionable stories. However, behind these “sensational” headlines there are real parents and children making life-changing decisions for reasons often overlooked. In the coming weeks, I will examine and break down the reasons behind our families decisions around rethinking school and instead choose homeschooling.

For many children, formal schooling or mainstream education serves as a platform where they form friendships, develop essential skills, accumulate qualifications, and prepare for adulthood. Throughout their school years, most children will experience moments of reluctance to attend school due to first-day jitters, changes in teachers, difficulties within friendship groups, or challenges in grasping subjects that seem effortless for their peers. While many children may find school enjoyable and for some it provides a sense of safety, acceptance, and genuine care. For others, in some educational institutions, students may not receive the comprehensive support they require. This lack of resources can pose safety concerns and hinder their ability to express themselves freely. The authoritarian nature of some schools can create a hostile environment, rather than fostering a nurturing and supportive atmosphere where students feel valued and understood as individuals.

In the past, homeschooling was viewed as an unconventional approach to education, but its popularity has experienced a significant surge, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, approximately 81,200 children were being homeschooled in 2021. However, Charity Education Otherwise estimated the figure to be closer to 84,000. The Department of Education conducted a study in 2023, which revealed a substantial increase in homeschooling numbers, with approximately 92,000 children being homeschooled compared to previous years.

Surprisingly, the precise number of families that homeschool has remained uncertain in the past and continues to be unknown today. In England, there is no legal requirement to register with a local authority, nor is there an official registry for parents who choose homeschooling. However, without open communication to authorities, councils and schools can appear to be somewhat aggressive in their pursuit of families who have not made it clear how their child is being educated. Upon enrolment, here at Orchard Training, we consistently advise parents to notify both the school and the local education authority in writing to formally withdraw their child and that they are Electing to Home Educate (EHE).

During the transition from primary to secondary education many students disappear from the system. It is disheartening to observe that the authorities often overlook this crucial phase and educational leaders appear to be unaware of the absences. For instance, X children completed primary school in July, yet only Y children enrolled in secondary school in September. Z represents the difference between the two. It’s this Z that is critical. The follow-up on children not arriving at secondary school is slow and haphazard at best. We have registered learners with us who have not been seen, spoken to, or inspected since leaving education during this transition 3 to 5 years ago.

There have been numerous news stories that suggest parents who work from home find it easier to not send their children to school. However, these blogs will not address this issue, as it does not apply to our home schoolers. Many of our parents have had to make the very difficult decision to transition from two working parents to one in order to be present with their child, who is now exhibiting what is commonly referred to as “school avoidance”. 

Although school avoidance may appear innocuous, it often signifies more significant underlying issues. Some younger children may experience difficulties in forming attachments, suffer from anxiety, have autism, dyslexia, suffer from boredom, or experience intellectual delays. These factors can hinder their ability to keep pace with their peers in the same year group. As they become cognitively aware of this, a deep sense of hopelessness sets in.

Professionals often rephrase “school avoidance” as a severe and acute situation that occurs exclusively at home, compelling a child to refuse to attend school. The crucial phrase here is “at home.” This is where these blogs intend to address this misconception. 

Our families have made the decision to homeschool their children for various reasons, whilst some have made this decision because of what happens at home, many chose homeschooling because of what happens at school and it is this that is causing the rethinking school movement.

In the forthcoming series of weekly posts, I hope to provide some insight and critical analysis of each of these reasons. I will share insights from our homeschool students, the educators collaborating with me, and explain why they opted for elective home education over traditional mainstream schooling and how we are doing it differently. The case studies and examples I will provide were gathered both before and after the Covid outbreak. Notably, the themes remain consistent on both sides of the pandemic: the situation has remained unchanged!

Over the next few weeks in Rethinking School, next week we’ll look more closely at the business of School, and how prioritising business opportunities sometimes takes priority over the education and wellbeing of the students.