Prime Highlights:
- The government has launched a 10-year Education Estates Strategy to replace old school buildings with safe, modern, and climate-ready learning spaces.
- Every secondary school will have an inclusion base to better support students with SEND and promote inclusive education.
Key Facts:
- An additional £1 billion has been allocated to repair unsafe buildings and continue the School Rebuilding Programme.
- The strategy includes a £700 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme to fix major maintenance issues and extend building life by up to 40 years.
Background:
The number of home-educated children attending social learning sessions in Nottinghamshire has grown significantly, reflecting a wider rise in families choosing education outside mainstream schools.
Deb Hadden, a former primary assistant head teacher, runs twice-weekly drop-off sessions designed to support children educated at home. What began with just three children has now expanded to 55 regular attendees. The sessions are for children aged four to 12 and focus on play and project activities that help them build creativity, explore new ideas and develop social skills.
Hadden started the Ethereal Learning Foundation in 2021 and first ran mental health workshops in schools. She later opened a dedicated learning centre before moving her activities to a family centre in Arnold. She says the sessions are intended to complement home education by strengthening children’s confidence and emotional well-being.
“The world can feel overwhelming for children,” she said. “These sessions give them space to build relationships and develop socially through shared experiences.”
While parents remain responsible for academic learning at home, the sessions provide opportunities for group interaction. Under current rules, because children attend for fewer than 15 hours per week, the provision is not classified as a school.
The growth in attendance mirrors a wider increase in home education locally and nationally. Nottinghamshire currently has 2,178 children being educated at home, up from 1,839 the previous academic year, an increase of just over 18%. The number of children being educated at home has increased over the past year.
New laws may require councils to keep records of children not in school and monitor home education more closely.
At the same time, more community learning sessions are helping support home-educating families.
