A very large percentage of parents send their child/children to school, but are you aware that you do have the right to educate your child at home? As a parent, you must ensure your child receives a full-time education from the age of five.
The facts about home education in ENGLAND & WALES are:
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you do not need to be a qualified teacher to educate your child at home
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your child is not obliged to follow the National Curriculum or take national tests, but as a parent you are required by law to ensure your child receives full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude
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any special educational needs your child may have must be recognised
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you do not need special permission from a school or local authority to educate your child at home, but you do need to notify the school via a de-registration letter in writing if you're taking your child out of school.
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you will only need to notify the local authority if you are removing your child from a special school
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you do not need to observe school hours, days or terms
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you do not need to have a fixed timetable, nor give formal lessons
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there are no funds directly available from central government for parents who decide to educate their children at home
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some local authorities provide guidance for parents, including free National Curriculum materials
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The role of your local authority
Local authorities can make informal enquiries of parents who are educating their children at home to establish that a suitable education is being provided. If your local authority makes an informal enquiry, you can provide evidence your child is receiving an efficient and suitable education by:
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writing a report
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providing samples of your child's work
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inviting a local authority representative to your home, with or without your child being present
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meeting a local authority representative outside the home, with or without your child being present (representatives have no automatic right of access to your home)
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If it appears to the local authority that a child is not receiving a suitable education,
then it might serve a school attendance order.
Find out more about home educating
Many local authorities have information online about educating your child at home. The following link will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to the relevant page on your local authority's website. Find out what your LEA has to say about educating your child at home.
In order to actually commence home education you need to de-register your child from his/her school, this is usually done by a letter either hand delivered or posted recorded delivery for your peace of mind. The letter is a simple one and sample can be found here along with a quote from and a link to ‘The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006’.
What usually follows is contact from your local education authority via a few forms/questionnaire asking you the reasons and your intentions, although you are under NO obligation to complete these forms it is wise to acknowledge them (refer to ‘The role of your local authority in previous paragraphs). Stuck? Confused? Visit our ‘Steps to consider’, and If in doubt, make contact.
Many local authorities have information online about educating your child at home. The following link will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to the relevant page on your local authority's website. Find out what your LEA has to say about educating your child at home.
In order to actually commence home education you need to de-register your child from his/her school, this is usually done by a letter either hand delivered or posted recorded delivery for your peace of mind. The letter is a simple one and sample can be found here along with a quote from and a link to ‘The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006’.
What usually follows is contact from your local education authority via a few forms/questionnaire asking you the reasons and your intentions, although you are under NO obligation to complete these forms it is wise to acknowledge them (refer to ‘The role of your local authority in previous paragraphs). Stuck? Confused? Visit our ‘Steps to consider’, and If in doubt, make contact.
The Law regarding Home Education In England & Wales:
Education Act 1996 (Para. 7)
The guidelines issued to our Local Authorities you can find here
Useful links:
Child Benefit & Tax Credits & EMA
A Useful PDF file ‘Child Benefit for young people aged 16 or over’
Every Child Matters and Ofsted