MANY families who choose to home-school their children are “afraid” of letting Bradford Council know about the arrangement, according to a senior councillor.

A new report by the local authority, looking into home-schooling in Bradford, has revealed that 333 children across the district have been registered as being educated at home.

But it also says that because families do not have to notify the council if they home educate a child, there are likely to be many more taught outside the traditional school system.

The report comes after outgoing Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw criticised the council for being “naive” over the issue of children being taught outside school who could be at risk of radicalisation.

The issue was discussed by the council’s Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee where Conservative leader Councillor Simon Cooke said he had recently attempted to meet with parents who educated children at home.

He said parents were unwilling to meet him and he felt it was because they thought the council did not approve of their arrangement.

"When I asked around if there were any parents who home schooled their children that I could speak to about the issue, I was told that they weren’t confident their information would not be passed on to the council," he said.

"It was the first time in 20 years as a councillor that someone was unwilling to meet me because they were afraid of Bradford Council.

"I think there is a problem when you lump together children who are home schooled with children who are missing from school or at risk of radicalisation."

Deputy council leader Val Slater, who is also the executive member for health and wellbeing, said: “I share your concerns, what is it they are afraid of? Is it a perception or is it a reality? It is difficult to know if people won’t tell us.”

Teacher’s representative Tom Bright said: “I understand why some families might be fearful, but families with nothing to hide shouldn’t have anything to fear from the council.”

Jennie Sadowskyj, behaviour support service manager, said a third of parents who home-schooled their children did so for philosophical reasons. Another third did it because their child did not get into the school they wanted. The remaining third did it after falling out with the school to getting their child off the school rolls.