New research shows that more and more searches are being made on the internet using terms relating to ‘home education’. The numbers have even outgrown those of the dreaded Covid era, when every parent was frantically looking for online resources during those stay-at-home days. So what exactly is going on?
Data from the Distance Learning Centre shows that Google searches for ‘home education’ are 66.5 per cent higher than in the first year of records beginning in 2004. Searches for both ‘elective home education’ and ‘GCSE private candidate’ reached record highs in the week beginning 1 September 2026 (higher than the Covid years).
These figures measure search interest, not the number of families actually leaving school. Nevertheless, they suggest that more parents are seriously considering alternatives to conventional education. The report also points to a possible new impetus following the addition of VAT to private school fees in January 2025, although the search data cannot establish a direct connection.
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