Northamptonshire counsellor Julie, 47, with two children, abruptly pulled her daughter out of school in June before the end of year 3.

“My child had been struggling with the school environment from the start,” Julie remarked. “She's autistic, has sensory issues, and struggles with noise and lights, but is smart. Her anxiousness made it impossible for her to interact with peers, so she was generally silent at school.

I was at risk of being fined and even having a criminal record since her attendance dropped, which would have jeopardised my ability to work in my sector. The GP advised her to drop out of school because she bit her cheeks and rubbed her tongue on her teeth till it bled. I had to remove her.”

Since, Julie has homeschooled her nine-year-old daughter, which she calls “distressing” owing to her lack of expertise and support.

Julie claimed her daughter was assessed by an NHS occupational therapist as not struggling enough to qualify for expert care, thus a special needs school would not be appropriate since she was performing well academically in normal education.

“We have nothing—it's terrible. She refused to homeschool her child.

Julie had to curtail her hours to supervise her kid, hurting the family income.

Over two-thirds of hundreds of parents from across the country told the Guardian via an online callout why they had taken their children out of school this year or last.

While most said they deregistered their children as a last resort because schools couldn't support complex health needs like autism or anxiety disorders, a large number said they did so because they didn't think school allowed their kids to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

Parental mental health concerns raised the number of English children homeschooled by more than 10,000 last autumn to 92,000, according to official estimates.

Scores of parents of students with special educational needs (SEN) informed the Guardian that their children had been traumatised by school and that they had been repeatedly absent, so they had to be deregistered.

To avoid being penalised for a week-long absence, Suffolk software developer Matthew, 45, pulled his son from school in year 9 last year.

“After switching to secondary school he started having anxiety attacks that slowly escalated,” Matthew added. Tests, homework, and managing expectations were the biggest issues. He struggled to cope with frequent supply teachers, shifting timetables, and bullying.

Matthew said the school wouldn't allow mental health absences despite his son's good attendance. “They were hostile and unwilling to collaborate. I could not pay fines.”

Matthew calls home education led by him and his wife “a mixed bag”.

Because we tailored the themes to our son's interests and aptitude, his panic attacks have mostly subsided, he's gained confidence, and he's making greater academic progress. But much of this success is due to our earlier teaching experience. I worry about non-teachers in similar situations who don't have accommodating employers like mine, who let me work from home.”

Despite joining neighbourhood clubs, Matthew believes his son feels even more alone. “He's still in touch with friends, but I don't think it's sustainable.”

Parents also cited bullying and poor student conduct as the main reason for their decision, while others stated the national curriculum no longer prepared their children for the modern world and workplace or let them pursue their hobbies.

“The school my daughter was attending was huge and very overwhelming, with significant bullying and too many naughty children who took up far too much teachers’ time,” said Ellie, 43, from Leicestershire, whose daughter is in year 9.

Too much attention was placed on appearance, uniform, and superfluous stuff. Punishments are silly. Her bus ride started at 7.15am, she wasn't home until 4pm, and she had two hours of schoolwork, leaving little time for fun. She lived only on worksheets and outdated knowledge.”

The past year, Ellie remarked, home education was “phenomenal”.

It's made all of our lives better; my kid is happy, relaxed, has time for gym and swimming, and loves reading again.

Many parents worried about a curriculum so full that it left no time to repeat content and make up for lost learning during the pandemic, and that students were bombarded with information, making it harder to learn basic skills like times tables and complete homework.

Catherine, 50, a Brighton teacher, claimed she withdrew her daughter, who has ASC, out of school to avoid fines for low attendance.

She started with two subjects but now does eight and is choosing GCSEs. Her engagement and enjoyment of learning are great.”

Catherine was glad her daughter could have her camera off during online courses.

“I think we’re committed to home education now and will reconsider A-levels.

Financially, it's hard. An online school costs £300 per month. As a single mother, I stopped working. I survive on remote employment and benefits. I also fear that if my daughter wants to go to university or work in an office, she won't have had any exposure.

She claimed switching to 15 hours of private tutoring a week in five disciplines instead of eight helped things, but concerns persist.

We've paid nearly £2,000 on tutors since September, plus £1,000 for examinations. Her health has improved, but socially it's been hard. She's lonely because my husband and I work full-time. The goal is for her to return in sixth form.”

Many parents hoped their children would return to school, with some worried about how they would adjust after years at home.

An anonymous parent claimed they had withdrawn their child out of year 6 in September due to unmet school needs and hoped to return shortly.

“Home education is problematic; my child struggles to leave the house and misses out on peer interaction. She's too excited about homeschooling events. We need proper support for her schooling. So unfair.”

A Lancashire woman said her year-8 daughter had been out of school for a year because no special needs school was available.

“My health issues have prevented us from doing home education, and it takes years to diagnose ASD or dyspraxia. She hasn't attended school in about a year. The government must wake up to a broken system that fails our children.”