Home Schooling

Government guidelines for educating your child at home

The government website states that you can teach your child at home, either full time or part time. This is called Home Education, sometimes Elective Home Education or Home- Schooling.

You can also get help with Home-Schooling from your local council.

The government states that if you wish to teach your child at home you should inform the school. The school must accept if you are taking your child out of their system completely, they can only refuse if you want to send your child to school part time.

If your child is attending school because of a school attendance order, you must get permission from your local council before you can Home-School them.Download the Government guidelines for educating your child at home as a pdf document
Download our template letter for deregistration as a pdf document

Government guidelines for education quality and curriculum

Children from the age of 5 must receive a full-time education but do not have to follow the national curriculum.

The council can make an informal enquiry to check that your child is getting a suitable education at home. They can serve a school attendance order if they think your child needs to be taught at school.

Government guidelines if your child has special educational needs (SEN)

If your child has SEN and attends a special needs school you will need to get the council’s permission to educate your child at home. You do not need the council’s permission if your child attends a mainstream school, even if they have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. The Council can support parents financially if you have a child with special needs under section 319 or section 19 of the Education Act 1996 to make sure that the child’s needs are met.Download the Elective Home Education – Departmental guidance for parents pdf document
Download the Revised Funding Guidance pdf document
Download the Home Education – Education Reports pdf document

Putting your school on notice

A template letter will be provided for you to add the school’s details, so that you can withdraw you child/children from the school roll.

Withdrawing child/children from school

After the first step is completed you can withdraw your child/children from the state system. Notice is not needed beforehand but will help you maintain a solid paper trail should you need this at a later date.From the Government Website: https://www.gov.uk/home-education