THERE are 333 children across the district registered as home schooled, although the actual number may be higher.

A new report into home education, being discussed by Bradford Council’s Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, highlights the “limited powers” the council has to monitor children’s education when they are taught outside the normal school system.

It says that the safety of children not registered as being home schooled “cannot be assured,” and there may be many who are unknown to the council.

Parents who choose to teach their children at home are not required to notify local councils, and councils have no right to access their homes to monitor the education they are offering.

The report comes several months after outgoing Ofsted chief, Sir Michael Wilshaw, criticised the authority for being “naive” over the issue of children being taught at home, including at unregistered schools, and how they could be at risk of radicalisation.

Shortly after the council set up an Education Safeguarding Hub to strengthen work to keep children safe, and to monitor whether there are any unregistered schools in the district.

Judith Kirk, assistant director of Children’s Services on the council, has written a report on the issue for the scrutiny committee. It reveals that as of January, there were 333 children registered as being home educated.

Mrs Kirk’s report says: “Given that it is not a legal requirement to register home educated children with the local authority, there may be children who are being home educated that are unknown to the authority.

“The education safeguarding hub will work to identify children who are electively home educated but not registered with the authority and whose safety cannot be assured.”

It says the hub, established in March, is a “key vehicle in ensuring and promoting the wellbeing of children who are not attending any registered provision.”

The report also gives a breakdown of the wards with the highest numbers of children who are registered as being taught at home.

Bolton and Undercliffe top the list with 35, followed by Toller with 24 and Keighley Central with 19. There is only one child registered as being home schooled in Windhill and Wrose.

The committee meets in Bradford City Hall at 4.30pm on Tuesday.