Since starting Kip McGrath Derby South in 2011, Sue & Dave, have always welcomed a number of young people who are electively homeschooled. i.e. Parents have taken an informed decision and chosen to take their child out of full-time mainstream school and de-registered them with their Local Authority. In these circumstances, LA’s still have monitoring oversight and can recommend that your child returns to a school setting if they feel the home education option isn’t meeting their (the child’s) needs.
This decision conveys a responsibility on the Parent to educate their child outside the school environment, though not necessarily in line with the UK National Curriculum. This applies to all children between the ages of 5 and 16. The official Government line on what constitutes “an education” relies on it being appropriate to each child’s needs.
There are some headline-grabbing figures on the topic of homeschooling, which have a raised profile over the last few years. More and more children are leaving full-time, school-based schooling to undertake homeschooling. An investigation by the BBC in 2023 shows that the number of children moving to home education is at its highest since the pandemic. Councils across the UK have received an additional 50,000 notifications from Parents wanting to take their child out of full-time schooling. This is on top of the estimated 92,000 children already being home-educated. That represents an approximately 85% increase.
The reasons behind this significant increase since 2019 seem to be focused on both philosophical beliefs and the whole range of mental and emotional health issues. Examples of this are parents not aligning with school education (16%), and young people feeling uncomfortable in the school setting (13%). The COVID-19 Pandemic, where children missed school for somewhere between 3 and 6 months, is cited as the main factor contributing to the increasing mental health issues amongst school-aged children. Both Primary and Secondary ages are implicated to similar degrees. Evidence suggests that stronger links between children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and a desire to leave mainstream school now exist.
Sue & Dave know of local students who have a home education routine that suits their individual needs and exposes them to a wide variety of experiences aimed at promoting their learning/ development in a very positive way. These routines also clearly address the young person’s mental health issues, if there are any. Parents and students together can then decide whether the young person undertakes GCSE subjects between the ages of 14 and 16. We’ve always been real advocates of doing the right thing for your son or daughter and, as Kip, are here to help each young person be successful throughout their educational journey.
In the Kip McGrath environment, students are individually respected and encouraged to develop their own learning journey. We’re here to support them wherever they choose to be educated. If you’re considering the homeschooling route for your own child, Sue & Dave are here to help them on their way. The homeschool revolution is here to stay!
Kip gives me peace of mind that my daughter is maintaining a level of Maths suitable for her age. She absolutely loves coming – the class size and support suit her perfectly; and her confidence has grown so much as a result.
Current Year 7 Parent Quote
My homeschooled daughter has been attending Kip for around two years. In this time, she has continued to learn both maths and English as she would at school, but on a one-to-one basis, which has eliminated the anxiety she has around being with other children. Kip is a friendly environment where they have gotten to know her on a more personal level, and can adapt the learning to a pace she is more able to deal with.
Parent of Year 10 Homeschooled Child
