Sharp Rise in Home-Educated Children in Hartlepool – With SEN Numbers Growing
- teessidetoday
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
Spike in home-schooling linked to unmet SEND needs and parental dissatisfaction as Hartlepool sees surge in children leaving classrooms..
4th November 2025
Councillors representing Hartlepool Borough Council are set to be told that the town is seeing a sustained rise in the number of children being taught at home, with the latest council report showing a significant increase in Elective Home Education (EHE) over the past six years – with a growing proportion of those pupils with special educational needs (SEN) being taken out of mainstream education altogether..
According to the figures which are set to go before Hartlepool Borough Council's Children’s Services Committee on the 11th November 2025, the number of children in home education rose from 170 in October 2022 to 259 in October 2024, before increasing again to 273 in October 2025. That represents a sharp rise of 52.4% in 2023/24, followed by a further 5.4% increase this year.
“There has been rising numbers of children being removed from school to receive elective home education… with a significant percentage increase in 2024,” the report notes.
SEN Figures Rising – Over One in Four Now SEN
The council report also confirms a substantial increase in the number of children with additional support needs being home educated, where in October 2025 its reported that 75 home-educated children have a special educational need such as Autism...
Why Parents Are Removing Children from School
Parents reported a wide range of reasons for taking their children out of mainstream education to home education. The top motivations in 2025 reportedly include:
General dissatisfaction with school – 65 children
Health and mental-health reasons – 57 children
Bullying – 28 children
Parental choice – 54 children
SEND-related parental choice – 16 children
Attendance concerns – 13 children
Cases linked to school preference or not securing a school place also rose to 7 children this year.
The number citing risk of exclusion has dropped to just two, suggesting a shift away from behaviour-driven withdrawals and towards parental dissatisfaction and unmet needs.
Increasing Number of Parents Refusing Face-to-Face Engagement with the Council.
Another challenge highlighted by the council is engagement, where its claimed that as of October 2025 56 parents only communicate with the council in writing regarding the progress of their child in home education, up from 34 families in October 2023....
The report also warns that where parents do not engage with the local council, school attendance orders may be used to return children to mainstream education.
What the Trend Reveals
The latest figures paint a picture of rising demand for alternative education pathways, especially among children with additional educational needs. While many families choose home education willingly, the data suggests that dissatisfaction with school support, especially in relation to special needs, remains a key driver.
With more than a quarter of home-educated pupils identified as having a special education need (SEN), there are increased calls nationally and locally for better support in mainstream and specialist settings, and closer monitoring of home-educated children to ensure suitable provision.
Hartlepool Borough Council says it will continue to monitor and engage families twice a year, using legal powers where necessary to ensure children do not slip through the cracks.
