Flexischooling for children with special educational needs: insights from six English schools

As a formal arrangement of shared education combining school-based and home-based education, flexischooling is under-researched in academic literature. This exploratory, survey-based study aimed to address knowledge gaps by investigating school experiences of flexischooling, with a focus on children with special educational needs (SEN). Senior representatives from six English schools, collectively educating at least 32 flexischooled pupils with SEN, participated in an online survey. The schools reported supporting highly personalized educational arrangements, generally characterized by reduced school workloads and one or two home-education days per week. For home-education days, educational trips, sports, and outdoor activities were emphasized above curriculum learning. Staff participants considered most pupils to be progressing well academically and socially. Many of these children had been previously home-educated and outside the school system entirely.