Homeschooling in Western Australia continues to grow with parents opting out of traditional schools for a host of reasons, including bullying, a better chance for gifted students to prosper and offering more personalised tuition for those with sensory processing disorders.

Education Department of WA figures show 3,827 Western Australian children are now registered to homeschool — up 65 percent from five years ago and around 0.84 percent of WA's school-aged children.

Home Education WA believes WA has the second highest rate of home-schooled children per capita in the nation, behind Tasmania.

In Queensland, the number of children being homeschooled has nearly tripled over the past five years, from 1,108 in 2013 to 3,232 in 2018.

Top reasons families decide to homeschool: Low school starting age: pre-primary is now compulsory and some parents believe their children are unprepared for full-time schooling at this age

Low school starting age: pre-primary is now compulsory and some parents believe their children are unprepared for full-time schooling at this age Bright but bored: parents with 'gifted or talented' children believe they would prosper with more personalised tuition

Bright but bored: parents with 'gifted or talented' children believe they would prosper with more personalised tuition Bullying: students are bullied by peers at mainstream schools

Bullying: students are bullied by peers at mainstream schools Sensory processing disorders: students without 'labels' who are struggling at school, and whose parents believe are not receiving the attention they need

Sensory processing disorders: students without 'labels' who are struggling at school, and whose parents believe are not receiving the attention they need High school: children who don't cope with the transition to high school and its often bigger class sizes, mix of teachers and large age range

High school: children who don't cope with the transition to high school and its often bigger class sizes, mix of teachers and large age range General lack of satisfaction with traditional schooling

General lack of satisfaction with traditional schooling Life choice: for parents looking for more flexible learning for travel, social or other personal reasons Source: Home Education WA

But why?

Among those deciding to homeschool are Chris and Kyla Marks at Ledge Point, north of Perth who have 11 children and run the family cafe.

At the Marks' family cafe, 10-year-old Jemima year old jumps up from her school work to greet a customer. After serving, it's back to the school books.

Her 14-year-old sister Faith, who aspires to be chef, is at work in the kitchen.

Her mum is next door with the youngest of the tribe — a 9-month-old. And Dad is making coffee for customers.

The Marks say having their children work in the cafe helps not only run the business but gives them skills for life.

For the Marks family, the decision to homeschool was based on dissatisfaction with a public school, and better adhering to their family values.

"Because of our family values and what we believe our children have been created for — how they're gifted and talented and to nurture their creative elements and the gifts within them — we believed homeschooling gave us more opportunity to … draw that out, rather than go through a traditional system that fit the general mould," Mr Marks said.

The 13-strong Marks family at Ledge Point home school their school-aged children while running the family cafe as a business. ( ABC Midwest and Wheatbelt: Samille Mitchell )

Lifestyle choice

Further up the coast in the regional township of Geraldton, mum Natalie Smith is gathering other homeschool families to form a 'co-operative' of homeschoolers.

In all, 10 families have joined in the few weeks since it started, with plans to meet fortnightly to ensure their children receive social interaction.

Ms Smith said she had decided to homeschool her children so her husband, who works night shifts as a nurse, could spend more time with them.

"It was a lifestyle choice… we chose to keep them home so we could have our 'weekend' on a Monday or a Tuesday or whatever day Dad has off," Mrs Smith said.

"That was the original reason and we just fell in love with it."

No to bullying

Home Education WA committee member Saani Bennetts said parents decided to homeschool their kids for many different reasons.

She said many parents started schooling their children after already trying traditional schools.

"Bullying is one of the biggest reasons parents decide to homeschool their kids," Ms Bennetts said.

"They find their kids are having a really hard time socially at school and parents are more conscious now about saying 'we're not going to put up with it anymore'."

Ms Bennetts denied home-schooled children lacked social interaction. She said most met with other home-schooled kids, and parents made a conscious effort to involve them in sports, arts or community groups which ensured contact with people outside the home.

What do the kids think?

Geraldton Year 6 student Sariah Smith is among a fast-growing group of children who are being schooled in the home. ( ABC Midwest and Wheatbelt: Samille Mitchell )

Chris and Kyla Marks said their children had mixed reactions to being homeschooled.

"Some love it, some enjoy it some don't really like it," Mr Marks said.

Their daughter Faith relishes the chance to hone her skills as a future chef, while also homeschooling.

"I do enjoy school," she said.

"It's not like 'oh school I have to do it'. But there's not much of a social side. Last year and this year I'll be learning business management so you can always tailor it to the things you like to learn."

In Geraldton Natalie Smith's daughter Sariah said there were pros and cons to both methods.

"If you homeschool you don't get to see your friends every day for six hours," she said.

"But you do get to stay in your own home and go to the toilet whenever you want, and have lunch whenever you want. And I think you probably get more work done because in the class room you have to go at the speed of the other students."

Meeting requirements

Home-schooled children are still required to meet Education Department of WA curriculum standards. The department provides a moderator to ensure standards are maintained.

But Ms Bennetts said home-school parents found it possible to meet such standards in much less time than required at school.

"There is set content that they have to follow but you can teach it in any way you like," she said.

"Homeschoolers are not bound to study for five hours a day — they find things happen a lot quicker when schooling at home."