Educating your child at home

Most parents send their children to school, but you do have the right to educate your child at home. As a parent you must make sure your child receives an efficient and effective education from the age of five.

Who do I notify?

If your child is about to reach compulsory school age and has never been registered at a school, you are not legally required to inform the local authority that you intend to educate your child at home, although it is helpful if you do so.

If you are taking your child out of school to educate them at home, you must inform the headteacher of the school in writing, and ask them to remove your child’s name from the register. The school will inform us, and your child’s name will be removed from the register. If you change your mind after this, you will have to re-apply for a school place, and places at the same school may not always be available.

Help and support

We do not have a duty to monitor the quality of education your child is getting, but we do have to be satisfied that you are giving your child a suitable education. From time to time, we will contact you to arrange a visit to discuss this, and to offer you support and guidance.