The desire for homeschooling has increased across the Western world, particularly in the UK and US, over the past six years. According to a Department for Education report, more British parents are questioning mainstream schooling and opting for homeschooling since the Covid-19 pandemic, with 126,000 pupils being homeschooled during the 2025/26 autumn term. Reasons cited included mental health, lack of SEND provision, the philosophy of teaching and pressure from government attendance targets. In in the US, the numbers have reportedly increased from 2.5 million in 2019 to 3.4 million in 2024-25. According to the Washington Post in 2023, homeschooling was the fastest growing form of education among school-aged children in the US. With this shift in mind, the following piece highlights the five fundamental things to consider when embarking on homeschooling wherever you happen to be located.
- Ensure you have the right motivations. In specific circumstances homeschooling can act as a necessary circuit breaker from mainstream schooling, such as supporting a child recover and catch up following bereavement, illness or family relocation, or to put the child ahead of the curve academically. Reportedly, 64% of peer-reviewed studies on social, emotional and psychological development of pupils homeschooled in the US show they perform statistically better than those in mainstream schools. With the right motivation therefore, homeschooling can be very effective. It should not simply enable a pupil to avoid school anxiety or interacting with others though. Whilst this might make a pupil feel better in the moment, it will not prepare them to cope with future difficulties which life frequently throws up at university or at work. Avoid mistaking common worries your child is experiencing for perfectly natural responses to unfamiliar surroundings and be clear the reason for pursuing homeschooling is part of a larger plan.
- Have a plan and goal yet remain flexible. If homeschooling is pursued, it must be done so with purpose. It could be a three to sixth months programme at the end of an academic year, throughout a half term, whole term or even an entire school year. Identifying a long-term objective, such as returning to school or sitting an exam, and working backwards from this, spotting potential problems which might arise along the way and mitigating these before they occur, is crucial. This will help build structure and a trajectory. Meanwhile, given the lack of a formal school timetable, large class sizes and institutional regulation, there are equally unique opportunities to drop everything and pursue spontaneous outings which are tailored to the pupil’s interests. The chance for pupils of different ages to study alongside one another also exists. This flexibility should be embraced to maximise learning and can help foster the tutee’s confidence to interact with people in future of varying ages and from different walks of life.
- Ensure everyone involved is aligned, with parents, tutee and tutors all in agreement and committed to the process. In situations such as these, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Establish shared goals, an agreed strategy and structure, and clear and regular communication to achieve clarity. Ensuring the selected tutors will be the right fit for your child and your surroundings is crucial. The saying unspoken expectations are premeditated resentments is not unfounded, know early on therefore with whom you are working to avoid unnecessary problems later.
- Encourage tutors to feel comfortable wearing several hats to offer a full education in the absence of the classroom. They will need to play the role of teacher, tutor, mentor, debating partner, friend and disciplinarian all in one. Fostering intellectual curiosity, discipline, resilience and emotional intelligence in the pupil is crucial. Tutors should therefore avoid simply regurgitating a subject specification. Given homeschooling is often one-to-one or in a small group, this opportunity is ideal for the pupil to truly explore their subjects and learn with their tutors as part of an education which will last beyond their time together. Reportedly, 62% of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show homeschooled pupils in the US perform significantly better than those in mainstream institutions. Homeschooling can therefore act as an effective boost for mainstream schooling, either consolidating previously learnt material or putting the pupil ahead academically.
- Consider carefully where the homeschooling will take place. Aiming for in-person tuition or a hybrid approach with part in-person and part online whenever possible is ideal. The human connection and coming together of minds are a critical ingredient for encouraging academic engagement and character development. Online tutoring is an incredibly useful tool to be used alongside in-person teaching, but homeschooling must replicate the classroom as much as possible. The Covid-19 pandemic showed that only online learning for hours per day, especially with few breaks and limited access to peers, was not conducive to pupils’ mental or physical health.
In essence, with homeschooling becoming increasingly popular around the world and studies showing how effective it can be, the fundamentals raised here are worth considering for those who wish to embark on something meaningful. Ultimately, the art of homeschooling comes down to having five things in sync: the right context, the right approach, the right plan, the right people and the right location. If homeschooling is carried out poorly, a child can be set back both academically and emotionally, but if done properly the process can be an asset to a pupil’s education for life.
by Hugh Pickering-Carter