Children in home education died or were abused because 鈥渢he protective factor that school can offer was missing from their lives鈥, an independent review has found. The , which exists to conduct reviews of serious child safeguarding cases, has published a report about 27 referrals received between August 2020 and October 2021 about 41 children who were not in school. The children at the focus of the reviews were 鈥渟ubjected to sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect鈥. Six children died and 35 others were 鈥渟eriously harmed鈥. The panel has added its voice to calls for a statutory register of children not in school. Rate of pupils leaving for home education doubles It comes after a Schools Week investigation revealed the rate at which children left the classroom for home education doubled last year. Analysis suggests around 140,000 pupils were home-educated at some point last year, and government data shows a further 117,000 are “missing” from education entirely. Of the 41 children, the 鈥渄ata available鈥 suggested 29 were in elective home education, while six others 鈥渁ppeared to be children who could be described as children missing education鈥. The panel said it 鈥渞ecognises that most children who are electively home educated are safe, thrive and live happy lives鈥, and said home education “is not, in and of itself, a safeguarding risk”. 鈥淗owever, while the number of electively home educated children who are harmed or are at risk of serious harm is comparatively low, the protective factor that school can offer was missing from their lives and this had serious, and sometimes fatal, consequences for their safety and welfare.鈥 ‘Less visible’ The panel found that home educated children who were the focus of safeguarding reviews were 鈥渓ess visible to safeguarding agencies than those who attend school鈥. The children were 鈥渢herefore not in the 鈥榮ight鈥 of agencies who have a statutory duty to protect them from harm鈥. The panel found a 鈥渞ange of harms that may be associated with a child not having the everyday access that is provided by schools and other education settings to the world outside their home and family鈥. Children who were the focus of serious safeguarding incidents 鈥済enerally had weak links with people and networks outside their immediate family鈥. Twenty-one of the children had never attended school. Eleven had previously attended state secondary school, eight had been to state primaries and one had been to a pupil referral unit. Of the children who died, three committed suicide, one died from an undiagnosed eating disorder, one had undiagnosed leukaemia and one was stabbed. Of the other children 20 experienced physical neglect, 16 suffered physical abuse, 10 suffered sexual abuse and eight had their 鈥渁ccess to food restricted, were malnourished and underweight鈥. ‘Out of sight’ Twenty-three children were previously known to children鈥檚 social care as children in need or were subject of a child protection plan. But over half of the children 鈥渁ppear to have been kept out of sight of any agency鈥. Many of the children lived in houses with known domestic abuse or with a parent with mental or physical ill health. The panel also said that data suggested the education of 12 children who were seriously harmed was 鈥渇ocused on religious or faith-based teaching鈥. Seven siblings described 鈥渆xposure to religious or faith-based views associated with prolonged physical chastisement鈥. They had 鈥渘o access to the internet, TV or radio and were isolated from others in the world outside the home鈥. Four children in another sibling group 鈥渄escribed being educated about the parents鈥 chosen religion only and they also experienced physical and emotional abuse鈥. Lack of powers and funding The report found that practitioners lacked the legislative powers and guidance to get 鈥渞egular access to children who are educated at home鈥. There were 鈥渆xamples of intentional misuse of digital visits and other contacts by parents so that the visibility of what was happening to children was greatly reduced鈥. Elective home education teams in councils 鈥渃an lack necessary capacity and safeguarding knowledge鈥. Some teams only consist of 鈥渙ne or two part-time staff鈥, and a lack of funding was 鈥渃ited by a number of stakeholders as a significant issue in some areas鈥. The panel said the evidence presented 鈥渞einforces the need for a statutory register so that relevant statutory organisations know which children are being home educated鈥. 鈥淭his will not of itself protect children, but it will help safeguarding agencies to have better local knowledge about this group of children.鈥 The government should also consider whether a duty should be placed on parents to 鈥渋nform the local authority when a child is to be educated at home鈥. ‘Most’ home-educated children ‘happy and safe’ The report also backed plans to make schools a fourth statutory safeguarding partner. The panel concluded that while 鈥渕ost children鈥 educated at home have 鈥渉appy and safe lives鈥 small minority do not鈥. Children who are educated at home and where there is a risk of abuse and neglect 鈥渨ill not be able to benefit from the protective care that school can provide. Flick Drummond Children who have never been to school are 鈥渆specially at risk of becoming invisible, rendering agencies much less able to act to protect them when necessary鈥. 鈥淚t is important that government acts to increase and clarify the scope and responsibilities of local authorities, including through the establishment of a national register to ensure that there is knowledge about which children are being electively home educated.鈥 A DfE spokesperson said “any incidents of abuse relating to children are abhorrent, and the cases highlighted in this report are truly tragic”. 鈥淟ocal authorities have a legal duty to safeguard children in their areas, regardless of how they are educated, and we expect them to use their safeguarding powers when warranted. 鈥淲e support parents who choose to home educate, providing that education is safe and suitable, and are working closely with Flick Drummond MP on a new law that will mean councils must maintain children not in school registers.鈥