Home-schooling

Summary

The request sought home-schooling statistics for the past 10 years and details on safeguarding measures following the Sara Sharif review. The authority provided data from 2018 onwards, citing record retention limits for earlier years and Section 20 exemptions for data already publicly available, while outlining proposed legislative changes to improve safeguarding.

Key Facts

• Home-schooling records prior to 2018 are not held due to a 6-year retention period.
• The number of home-schooled pupils rose from 47 in 2018-2019 to 244 in 2025-2026.
• The Education (Amendment) Bill proposes sharing the home school register with the Department of Health and Social Care.
• New legislation will require parents to update the Department annually on their children's educational arrangements.
• The Bill aims to prevent the removal of children from school rolls during active safeguarding enquiries.

Data Disclosed

• 2015-2025
• 2018-2019 = 47
• 2019-2020 = 57
• 2020-2021 = 82
• 2021-2022 = 100
• 2022-2023 = 130
• 2023-2024 = 173
• 2024-2025 = 236
• 2025-2026 = 244
• 16th December 2025
• Case ID: 3929345
• Case ID: 5082050

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held (prior to 2018)
• Section 20 (Information accessible to applicant by other means)

Original Request

Hi there, Please can you provide me with the numbers of children being home-schooled on the Isle of Man for the past 10 school years (from 2015-2025). In addition, following the conclusions of a review into the death of Sara Sharif in the UK, could you also please explain the safeguarding measures, if any, that are currently in place for children who are home-schooled. Thank you.

Data Tables (1)

Data Tables (reformatted)

Full Response Text

19th December 2025 Policy, Strategy and Governance Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Thie Slieau Whallian Foxdale Road St Johns IM4 3AS

Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im

Our ref: 5082050

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 13 November 2025, which states: "Hi there, Please can you provide me with the numbers of children being home-schooled on the Isle of Man for the past 10 school years (from 2015-2025). In addition, following the conclusions of a review into the death of Sara Sharif in the UK, could you also please explain the safeguarding measures, if any, that are currently in place for children who are home-schooled. Thank you." Our response to your request is as follows: Please can you provide me with the numbers of children being home- schooled on the Isle of Man for the past 10 school years (from 2015-2025). Prior to 2018 While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. By way of advice and assistance the retention period for such records is date of last entry in the book (or file) + 6 years. Years 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 S20 Information accessible to applicant by other means While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee. Some of the information that you have requested is available from; https://www.tynwald.org.im/spfile?file=/business/BusinessHansardIndex2126/W- 202201-0146.pdf By way of advice and assistance the total number of pupils home schooled at the beginning of the academic year is as per below: 2018-2019 = 47 2019-2020 = 57 2020-2021 = 82 2021-2022 = 100

Years 2022-2023 2023-2024 S20 Information accessible to applicant by other means While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee. Some of the information that you have requested is available from a Freedom of Information response available via the Disclosure Log. Case ID: 3929345 https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/search
By way of advice and assistance the total number of pupils home schooled at the beginning of the academic year is as per below: 2022-2023 = 130 2023-2024 = 173 Years 2024 – 2025 66 2025 – 2026 29 By way of advice and assistance the numbers provided above are the number of registrations received by the Department for home schooling in that academic year.
The total number of pupils home schooled at the beginning of the academic year is as per below:
2024-2025 = 236 2025-2026 = 244 It is worth noting that the figures will constantly change as parents can register and deregister their children from home education at any point throughout the year.

In addition, following the conclusions of a review into the death of Sara Sharif in the UK, could you also please explain the safeguarding measures, if any, that are currently in place for children who are home-schooled. The Education (Amendment) Bill aims to address current challenges and future needs, ensuring our education system remains robust, inclusive, equitable, adaptable and introduces additional safeguarding measures to protect children and young people. The additional safeguarding proposals are informed by recent development in the UK, specifically the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (which is currently being considered by the House of Lords), which introduces new measures to safeguard children who are not in school. This legislation will enable the Department to share the home school register with the Department of Health and Social Care, strengthening our ability to protect vulnerable children. The Bill also introduces powers to consider the prevention of the removal of a child from a school roll, if they are subject to safeguarding enquiries or child protection planning. A key safeguarding measure if the requirement for parents or carers to update the Department annually on their children’s educational arrangements. This will help us to understand those educational arrangements and that no child falls through the cracks. The Department will maintain a live and accurate register of all children not registered in our schools, including those who are home-schooled or attend independent schools, on or off Island. The Education (Amendment) Bill has begun its passage through the House of Keys and the next key milestone is the reading of the Clauses on the 16th December 2025.

Please quote the reference number 5082050 in any future communications. Your right to request a review If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested. In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. I will now close your request as of this date. Yours sincerely