Continuing rise in home-schooling being 'monitored'

The number of children being schooled at home is continuing to rise in Blackpool, new figures have indicated.

The town's council said it was "monitoring" the changes, which have seen the number increase from just over 600 in 2024 to more than 750 in July this year.

Children becoming "less visible" to the local authority was said by Blackpool Council to be one of the main risks of the rise.

The council, like other local authorities, has a duty to make sure children who are not in school are being properly educated elsewhere.

According to a report put before the authority, there were 604 electively home educated (EHE) children in the borough in June 2024.

By July 2025, the figure had risen to 726 and, as of July this year, it stood at 768.

However, the number of children returning to school has been increasing as well. In 2022, 93 children went back into the classroom.

"This demonstrates that EHE is not necessarily a permanent educational pathway and that increasing numbers of children are re-engaging with formal education," the report said.

The primary reasons given for the rise in home-schooled pupils were lifestyle choices, followed by mental health issues.

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