Elective Home Education

It is a parent’s responsibility to ensure their children receive a suitable full-time education if they are of *compulsory school age, but this does not mean all children are educated in a school setting.

Elective home education is a term used to describe a choice by parents to provide education for their children at home or in some other way they desire, instead of sending them to school full-time.

This is different to education provided by a local authority other than at a school, for example for children who are too ill to attend school. Click to view EOTAS information.

Although children being home educated are not normally registered at any school or college, you may choose to make arrangements for your child to receive part of his or her education at a school (‘flexi-schooling’) – or at an FE college or other 16-19 provider if the child is aged 14 or above.  Please note schools and colleges are under no obligation to agree to such arrangements, but some are happy to do so.

*Compulsory school age

To find out more about compulsory school age visit IPSEA Compulsory school age | (IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (External link)

If you choose to educate your child at home you are responsible for ensuring your child is properly educated – not the state.

There is no specific legislation. However, Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 provides that:

“The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable –

(a) to his age, ability and aptitude, and

(b) to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.”

Elective home education is a form of ‘education otherwise than at school’ and this piece of legislation is the basis for the obligations of parents. It is also the starting point for local authorities’ involvement. Click to view EOTAS information.

For information about what compulsory school age is see Compulsory school age | (IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (External link)

What is a full-time education?

There is no legal definition of “full-time” in terms of education at home, or at school. Children attending school normally have about five hours tuition a day for 190 days a year, spread over about 38 weeks. However, home education does not have to mirror this.

If you are home educating you are not required to:

• have a timetable
• set hours during which education will take place
• observe school hours, days or terms

What does ‘suitable’ in the Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 mean?

It must be age-appropriate, enable your child to make progress according to his or her particular level of ability, and should take account of any specific aptitudes (for example if a child is very good at mathematics, it might focus more on that than some other subjects).

There are no legal requirements for parents educating your child at home to do any of the following:

• acquire specific qualifications for the task
• have premises equipped to any particular standard
• aim for the child to acquire any specific qualifications
• teach the National Curriculum
• provide a ‘broad and balanced’ curriculum
• make detailed lesson plans in advance
• give formal lessons
• mark work done by the child
• formally assess progress, or set development objectives
• reproduce school type peer group socialisation
• match school-based, age-specific standards

The decision to educate your child at home should not be taken lightly. It is a large commitment of your time, energy and money. It is important that you consider the nature of the education you intend to provide for your child before you begin to teach at home. Think about the curriculum you would provide:

Will it allow your child to reach their potential – now and in the future?

Do you want your child to access public examinations such as GCSEs?

Is home education in your child’s overall best interests, including social development?

Other things to think about:

1. What are your reasons for thinking of educating your child at home?
2. What does your child think about the idea?
3. Do you have the time, resources and ability to teach your child properly?
4. Is your home suitable for undertaking teaching and learning, in terms of noise, space and general environment?
5. What support do you as parents have from others? What would happen if you were unable, perhaps through illness, to provide teaching for your child for a period of time?
6. Can you provide social experiences, access to cultural and aesthetic experiences and physical exercise, to help your child develop?
7. Do you envisage educating your child at home for the whole of their time of compulsory school age, or only temporarily? What are your long-term intentions for the education of your child?

A school should never pressure you into home educating your child to avoid a formal suspension/exclusion or because your child is having difficulty with learning or behaviour. This practice – sometimes called ‘off-rolling’ – is unacceptable, and if pressure of this sort is put on you by any state-funded school you should inform the local authority.

Should you genuinely believe that your child’s current school is not suitable, discuss this with the local authority before taking any decision to home educate your child.

See North Yorkshire Council’s webpage Elective Home Education (EHE) Local Offer | North Yorkshire Council

If you remove your child from a school in order to educate at home, but then change your mind, there is no guarantee that a place would still be available at the school; an application would have to be made in the usual way through the local authority’s process for in-year admissions – or if applicable, direct to the school.

Visit Changing schools | North Yorkshire Council

If your child has an EHC Plan which is being maintained by the local authority, you may need to request the LA to hold an early annual review.  Contact your SEND Casework Officer to discuss.

If you feel your child may require significant support when returning to a school from home education you may want to consider requesting the LA to carry out an EHC needs assessment also see Currently Electively Home Educating but considering your child attending school | North Yorkshire Council

It is strongly recommended that you do notify your local authority of your intention, in order to facilitate access to any advice and support available.  Visit North Yorkshire Council’s local offer about this – Elective Home Education (EHE) Local Offer | North Yorkshire Council.

If your child is currently on the roll of a school you do not have to inform the school that your child is being withdrawn for home education or gain consent for this. However, it is sensible to do so, in order to avoid subsequent misunderstandings as to how you intend to fulfil your parental responsibility for your child’s education. The school is obliged to inform the local authority of children removed from its admission register and will give home education as the reason.

The above points also apply to children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan attending mainstream schools. However, if your child attends a special school and this was arranged by a local authority, then the permission of the local authority must be obtained before your child’s name can be removed from the admission register.

At any stage should you find, you can no longer provide your child with a suitable education you should contact the local authority as soon as possible with a view to securing a suitable school place for your child and minimising any interruption to studies. If your child is of compulsory school age, the local authority must find a suitable school place – or ensure that education is provided in some other way. However, this may not be in a school of your choice.

You have a right to educate your child at home even if your child has special educational needs. This right is irrespective of whether your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC plan) or not.  Neither does the local authority have any right of entry to your home to check home education suitability just because your child has special educational needs.

If your child has an EHC Plan the LA must maintain the Plan, but the LA is not under a duty to make the provision set out in the EHC Plan.  The LA must review the plan annually to assure itself that the provision continues to be appropriate, and the needs of the child continue to be met. However, the local authority should fund the SEN needs of home-educated children where it is appropriate to do so. For provision to be funded by the local authority consideration would need to be given to education other than in a school. Click to view EOTAS information.

For more information on the local authority’s role you may wish to refer to SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (External link) (see 10.30 to 10.38 pg 214 & 215).

Elective Home Education (EHE) Local Offer | North Yorkshire Council

Elective Home Education – guidance for parents and carers | North Yorkshire Council

Home schooling and ‘education otherwise’ | (IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice  (External link)

Home Education and children with special educational needs – UK (he-special.org.uk) (External link)

Home education – childlawadvice.org.uk (External link)

Educating your child at home – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (External link)