[Holding answer 16 May 2007]: Local authorities arrange for education out of school in pupil referral units and other settings. The DFES annual census shows that in January 2006 23,670 pupils were educated in pupil referral units. In addition, a further 12,750 received tuition at home, in community homes, at further education colleges, or with voluntary section providers.
We do not collect information about the number of children whose education is arranged by their parents. A recent study on the prevalence of home education in England, conducted by York Consulting, estimated that there were around 16,000 children being educated at home that were known to the local authority. We have not made any estimate of the number of home educated children that are not known to their local authority.