This paper troubles the narrative around childhood as a 'timeless zone' (James and Prout 2015), which is particularly evident in the performative culture of education. Conversational-style interviews -- and in some cases, re-interviews -- were conducted with four UK Mums during their time of COVID-19 home-schooling. Subsequent interpretive…

There is little literature which provides any analysis regarding the relationship between cultural order and home education. Research reported here found that home education has grown steadily in recent decades and that parents' motivation for home education was closely associated with cultural order. It was noticeable that Christian and Confucian…

Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) took part in an online survey that explored their experiences of home-schooling during the coronavirus pandemic. Two hundred and thirty-eight parents from the UK responded to 49 questions about the resources and support they had received, their management and feelings…

Home-schooling, or 'elective home education' (EHE) as it is more commonly known in the UK, invites contestation and controversies. Drawing on a UK-wide study of 242 families this paper explores a collection of EHE pedagogic practices within the socially situated contexts of doing everyday life. Through an application of Bernsteinian ideas, the…

This paper has two aims, first to examine the feasibility of using an omnibus survey to estimate the prevalence and characteristics of families who home educate and secondly to provide an empirical contribution to recent research on home education in the UK. Because there is no statutory requirement for families who home educate to register with…

This small-scale study investigates the perspectives of parents whose children have special educational needs/disabilities and who have elected to withdraw their children from the state-maintained education system in England and educate them at home. The study draws on data gathered from seven parents and their perspectives of home education…

"The Wiley Handbook of Home Education" is a comprehensive collection of the latest scholarship in all aspects of home education in the United States and abroad. This book presents the latest findings on academic achievement of home-schooled children, issues of socialization, and legal argumentation about home-schooling and government…

Despite the abundance of legislation and research initiatives concerning children's participation in decision-making, there is less research in this area with regard to extended school non-attenders. Using semi-structured interviews, this research explores how the views of children and their families who have experienced school non-attendance can…

The home-education of children is one "choice" of provision that is often overlooked or unreported in the debate on inclusive education for children with disabilities or special educational needs. This study aimed to access the views of these hard-to-reach home-educating families through an online survey. Twenty-seven parents, with at…

Background: There is general agreement across all interested parties that a process of working together is the best way to determine which school or educational setting is right for an individual child with autism spectrum disorder. In the UK, families and local authorities both desire a constructive working relationship and see this as the best…

With many thousands of home-educated children across the UK, the subject of support for the home-education community is widely debated. A report conducted by the NFER for the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation is based on detailed interviews with 20 home educators and presents findings on support needs. This Research Briefing illustrates some key findings…

Many thousands of children in the UK are educated at home, and the subject of support for the home-education community is debated. The National Foundation for Educational Research conducted research to examine the views of home educators about the support they receive from local authorities, other home-educating families, schools and other…

Home educators are often stereotyped by concerned professionals and others who make statements based upon their beliefs rather than research. Characteristics such as eccentric, arrogant, ignorant, middle-class and hippy are often associated with home educators. Increasingly too, they are represented as a potential danger to their children, either…