"There are no plans to change parents’ well-established rights to educate their children at home," says the government.

Yet it has clearly decided that long-standing arrangements in England surrounding home education require closer attention.

A review due to be published shortly is based on concern some local authorities are neither monitoring home educating families, nor offering them sufficient support.

But they are also investigating whether home education could be a cover for abuse.

After cases of serious child abuse, all aspects of child protection are under the microscope.

Until now there has been a relatively softly-softly approach to home education, which could be about to change.

But many home educators resent the suspicion they receive, and feel they are a soft target.