One in 50 children are now being home schooled in one of the most deprived areas of the country amid a massive national rise, new figures show.

Council officials in Blackpool have raised ‘significant concerns’ over 2.6 per cent of its pupil population dropping out to be educated at home – one of the highest rates in the UK.

It comes after nationwide data showed last week the number of children being home educated has risen by 38 per cent in two years.

In 2024-25, 111,700 children in England were officially home schooled, up from 80,900 in 2022-23.

Mental health, including anxiety, was listed as a top reason why children had deregistered from schools – with bullying also raised as a factor.

There are fears some families may be allowing their child to effectively drop out of school without having the resources to teach them at home – with poorer households disproportionately affected.

Blackpool council data shows that the highest numbers of home schooled children live in the most deprived wards. 

Victoria Gent, the director of children’s services at Blackpool council, said: ‘While many families who choose elective home education do so thoughtfully and provide a positive learning environment, the overall scale and concentration of children out of school in Blackpool remains a significant concern. This can deepen existing inequalities and increase the likelihood that disadvantaged children fall further behind.

‘Schools play a vital role in safeguarding. For children in deprived wards, these risks can be amplified by wider social and economic pressures.’

Blackpool, a rundown seaside town in Lancashire, is the seventh most deprived area in the country, with 38 per cent of its population living in low-income households.

The employment rate is 69.7 per cent, lower than national and regional averages.

A teacher survey by Ofsted in 2019 found 87 per cent said the pupils most likely to be taken out of school were those with behavioural problems.

Meanwhile, 70 per cent noted pupils with low prior attainment, 53 per cent noted pupils with special needs and 42 per cent noted pupils from economically deprived areas.

To withdraw a child from mainstream education in England, a parent must inform their school, which then notifies the local authority.

Councils do not have statutory powers to routinely enter homes or inspect.

However, they are expected to contact families at least once a year to check core subjects are being taught suitably.

Charlotte O’Regan at the Sutton Trust charity, told the Sunday Times: ‘Children from low-income households gain the most from being taught by the best teachers. It’s important to remember that teaching is a highly skilled profession, and we can’t expect everyone else to be able to deliver the same level of education.’ 

Pete Summers, a plumber from Blackpool who has been homeschooling his 16-year-old daughter Tilly for two years, said he made the decision due to her panic attacks and anxiety.

He said she studies for GCSEs in English, maths, science and art using a mixture of online resources and revision books, while he is at work.

He added that the simplicity of taking her out of school was ‘surprising’.

He said: ‘I thought I would have to drag Tilly into school, that there’d be loads of paperwork and visits and things, but there was nothing. It was literally, “I’m taking her out” and they said, “OK”’.

The case of ten-year-old Sara Sharif, who was murdered in 2023 by her father and her stepmother having been taken out of school for home education, has prompted calls for tighter controls.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which is at the report stage in the Lords, will create a register for home-schooled children.

Parents of those subject to child protection inquiries and plans will need local authority permission to withdraw their children from school.

A Department for Education spokesman said: ‘Every child deserves the chance to get on in life, and we believe that no child’s background should determine their success. In the vast majority of cases, children achieve and thrive best in schools but parents do have the right to choose to educate their children at home, where that is suitable and in the child’s best interests.

‘As part of our Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we are introducing Children Not in School registers to help local authorities identify those children who are not receiving a suitable education and to take action to support them to improve their life chances.

‘We are tackling barriers to school attendance, including through expanding access to mental health support teams in all schools and making sure more children with SEND can achieve and thrive at their local school alongside their peers – including investing at least £3 billion to create more specialist places.’