School-Aged Children who are Educated at Home by their Parents: Is there a role for educational psychologists?

This paper reviews the literature on home education with reference to issues that may concern educational psychologists. It notes the fast growing number of families (at present, 1% of the UK school population) who have chosen to educate their school-aged children at home. The great majority of home-educated children are reported to be well adjusted and to be achieving highly. However, samples used to study home education have been self-selected and may not accurately reflect all home education practice. Possible reasons for home education are discussed, as well as the approaches to teaching and learning reported in the literature. Implications are outlined for the work of educational psychologists.