Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children have been out of school for one year or longer as a result of not having been able to find a setting that meets their needs.

The Department collects data about children who are not in a school but being taught in another setting, such as pupil referral units or at home, through the Alternative Provision census and the Elective Home Education collection. The latest data on children in Alternative Provision, including those with Special Educational Needs (SEN), is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. The latest data about children in Elective Home Education, including those with SEN, is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-missing-education.

The Department also collects data about children missing education, who are not registered at school or otherwise receiving suitable education, from Local Authorities on a voluntary basis. The latest published figures, which include the proportion of children with SEN, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-missing-education.

Data is not available on how long children have spent in these arrangements.