Quarter of home-schooled children in RBWM 'opted in for mental health'

Figures revealed at a Royal Borough forum showed 23 per cent of families who have opted for home-schooling have done so for mental health reasons.

A report on school attendance and elective home education (EHE) by Royal Borough service provider, Achieving for Children, was presented at a schools improvement forum on Thursday, June 22.

Pupil inclusion and support manager, Alasdair Whitelaw, who delivered the report, said: “There's been an increase in parents and carers making the decision to elect EHE.

“Children’s mental health is the most significant reasons for deregistering from school.

“It’s a perfect wave of COVID, the cost-of-living crisis, social media – it’s very challenging for some of our more vulnerable children in the borough.”

Data revealed that of the 206 children tracked as EHE, 53 were opted in for philosophical or preferential reasons while 48 were for mental health.

Mr Whitelaw said: “Many pupils receive support via reduced timetables, options of working in smaller environments and pastoral support but parents opt to elective home educate because they feel other avenues have been exhausted or the stresses of trying to get their children into school is too overwhelming and worsens the children’s mental health.”

Home education does not have to follow the national curriculum, but the law enables local authorities to make reasonable inquiries about education if families refused to engage.

He said the Royal Borough is a ‘positive outlier’ by having a dedicated coordinator for elective home education, who ‘builds excellent relationships with families’ and offers an ‘extra level of support’ as well as ‘scrutiny’.

He added: “We assume that they are not receiving the efficient, suitable and full time education and we also need to make sure it is safe.”

Councillor Amy Tisi (Lib Dem, Clewer East) said: “I wonder if there’s any trends against the [exam] testing system.

“The educational system has changed a lot in the last few years and if 23 per cent is mental health issues, then whether this is reactionary to the system that we're having to put them through.”

Mr Whitelaw responded: “Absolutely, I think the educational system doesn't necessarily fit all our children and we often have conversations as a team in ideal worlds where all needs could be met within mainstream and it’s something that we work towards.”

He said one strategy is to have mental health practitioners embedded within schools.

He also referred to ‘graduated exposure’ being one strategy currently being used in schools, for children to take ‘tiny steps’ such as wearing uniform one day, and sitting near the school another day.

“It’s frustrating for schools who want them back in and want them to be learning but if we don't go at the pace that the child is willing to accept, it just doesn't work,” he added.