Parents of more than 2,000 Hertfordshire children are opting to teach them at home, rather than send them to school, according to the latest data.

And more than 700 children are "missing" out on an education completely – being neither registered at a school nor being educated at home or elsewhere.

The data, compiled by the county council, was presented to a meeting of the education, SEND and inclusion cabinet panel on Wednesday (March 11).

It shows that at the end of December (2025), there were a total of 2,112 children being educated at home across the county.

That is an increase of 143 since the start of the 2025/26 academic year, in September, and 58 more than at the same point last year (December 2024).

Most of the children being educated at home in Hertfordshire (1,420) are secondary school-aged, according to the data, with 1,022 in the equivalent of years nine, 10 or 11.

And the remaining 692 were primary aged, including 68 children who would be in year one and increasing to 170 who would be in year six.

Meanwhile, the data also shows that in December (2025), 712 children were deemed to be "missing" from education in the county, of which 212 are primary school-aged and 500 secondary.

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According to the data, 541 of those children had been missing from education for at least one month.

And of those, 317 had been "missing" for more than three months and 84 for a year or longer.

According to officers, although the number of children missing education has increased during the autumn term, "children are typically missing education for shorter periods than previously".

They say work is contributing to reintegrate children into education, "including return to 'elective home education' where appropriate".

And they report that in the 2024/25 academic year, more than 200 children who had been missing education had been successfully reintegrated.

At the meeting, the director of inclusion and skills, Hero Slinn, referenced work to reintegrate a "huge" number of children who had been previously missing from education.

She highlighted schools' willingness and motivation to support the county's most vulnerable children.

And she pointed to the council's ability to enhance that with a 'transition package' and support around the child to enable that to be more successful.

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The meeting of the county council's education, SEND and inclusion panel was held on March 11. And the webcast of that meeting can be viewed at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk