Parents are taking their children out of Oxfordshire schools to educate them at home, writes Madeleine Pennell.

And the top reason given for the drastic step is classroom bullying.

The number of children taken out of schools in the county has risen by more than 40 per cent since September. Now, 125 pupils are being educated at home.

A national parents' support group, Education Otherwise, says the main cause is bullying. Oxfordshire co-ordinator Wendy Plested said: "It is probably 75 per cent of the cases. For the other 25 per cent, it may be because they feel their children are under-achieving or it may be for moral or religious reasons." Julia Cresswell, 49, of Wentworth Road, Oxford, took her ten-year-old son Alexander out of school three months ago because he was being bullied. Now she and her husband, Philip, teach him at home.

She said: "Boys would stand behind him kicking his chair while he was trying to work.

"They tripped him up in the corridor and hid his shoes. They have thrown stones at us while I have been out walking with him. Since I took him out of school, I have a much happier boy and much happier family. He was so depressed he was talking about suicide and he was crippled by chronic headaches. The school tried to help but they were not equipped to cope.

"There was an emphasis on the child being bullied changing their behaviour. Sometimes they told me the children doing the bullying were just joking." John Mitchell, education spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council, said: "We were not aware of this because parents are not required to give a reason when they withdraw their child. If it is true, we need to be told where bullying is taking place. People must raise it with the school because schools need to be addressing it."

Under the 1996 Education Act, parents or guardians must ensure the education of children aged five to 16. This can be done by attending school or "otherwise".

Parents who want to withdraw their child from school must give formal notice. The school then contacts the local education authority, which monitors home educators with annual inspections.