A HOME-SCHOOLING provider has released figures showing rates have more than doubled in 10 years.
The number of children being home-schooled in Reading has risen by 232% in a decade, according to figures by home-schooling provider Wolsey Hall, Oxford.
Wolsey Hall was supplied the information after it made a Freedom of Information request, which detailed that in 2013, figures revealed that 75 children were home-schooled in Reading
By 2022, this had increased to 249.
Despite Covid-19 restrictions easing and schools re-opening, many parents have opted to continue homeschooling their children.
Wolsey Hall says that Reading’s spike reflects a “similar picture seen across the UK,” as figures showed that there are now more than 71,500 homeschoolers in the country.
This is up from 59,559 as of 2018, and 22,408 back in 2013.
Wolsey Hall made FoI requests to more than 100 UK Councils to compile its data.
Its principal, Lee Wilcock, said: “What seems very apparent is that those parents who chose to try home-schooling for the first time during Covid-19 have realised how beneficial online learning can be.
“Home-schooling allows children to learn at their own pace and at a time which suits them.
“It is a much more child-centred approach to education than is available in a traditional classroom.”
As for what reasons parents gave for home-schooling, Wolsey Hall said that many choose to do so due to poor results from mainstream schooling.
As well as this, it also cited frustration with standards of teaching, concerns of safety or bullying, ineffective responses to behavioural issues, or that families are travelling or expats.
Many also choose to home-school in cases where children have medical reasons or learning difficulties which make conventional learning difficult or ineffective.
This was also true of some “gifted” or talented students for whom mainstream school was insufficient, or for children excelling in athletic or creative fields.
During its research Wolsey Hall conducted a survey in September which found that of 343 parents who responded 91.5% of parents believed that their child’s well-being has improved since they opted to home-school.
Founded in 1894, Wolsey Hall Oxford is the an established home study and home-schooling online provider delivering courses from Primary, Secondary, IGCSE and A level.
More information can be found via: www.wolseyhalloxford.org.uk
