The Isle of Wight has the highest proportion of home-educated children in England, according to new analysis based on Department for Education data.
A House of Commons briefing paper using information from the autumn 2025 school census suggests there are around 690 children being educated at home on the Isle of Wight – equivalent to 4.1% of all school-aged children.
Across England, an estimated 126,000 children aged between 5 and 16 are being educated outside the mainstream school system.
The figures have been highlighted by the National Education Union (NEU), which says the number of children being home educated has risen significantly in recent years.
Peter Shreeve, Assistant District Secretary of the NEU Isle of Wight, has said:
“Which Local Authorities have the greatest percentage of home educated children? The briefing suggests Blackpool is second highest with 3.1 per cent. The Island has 690 home educated children and the highest percentage at 4.1 per cent.
“These numbers are certainly higher, but only estimated. The paper clearly states: ‘It is not known how many children are home educated in England.’ It can only estimate numbers as registering home-educated children is voluntary.
Article continues below this advertisement “Estimates are likely to underestimate the total number of home-educated children.”
