Home Education in England: Is It Right for Your Family?
Home education in the UK, also called elective home education, is the choice to teach your child yourself rather than send them to school. It is entirely legal in England, more common than many parents realise, and it can suit families for all sorts of reasons: a child who is unhappy at school, particular special needs, health, faith, or simply a preference for a different kind of learning. This guide sets out your legal position, how to start, what the council can and cannot do, and the practical realities of exams and cost.
The law: your right to educate at home
Under section 7 of the Education Act 1996, parents must make sure their child receives an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, ability and any special needs, either "by regular attendance at school or otherwise". That "or otherwise" is home education. You do not need to be a qualified teacher, you do not need the council's permission, and you are not required to follow the national curriculum, sit national tests, or keep to school terms and hours.
How to take your child out of school
If your child is already at a mainstream school, you deregister them by writing to the head teacher to say you are withdrawing them to educate at home. The school must then take the child off its roll and notify the local authority. There is one important exception: if your child attends a special school under an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, you need the local authority's consent before removing them. If your child has never been to school, you simply do not apply for a place.
What the local authority can do
Councils have a duty to identify children not receiving a suitable education, so many will make informal enquiries after you deregister, often a letter or an offered visit. You are not legally required to meet them or follow a set format, but showing what your child is learning usually resolves things quickly. If the authority believes a child is not being suitably educated, it can serve a School Attendance Order requiring you to register the child at a named school. In practice this is a last resort where no suitable education can be shown.
Building a suitable education
Home education does not have to look like school at home. Families use a huge range of approaches, from structured curricula and online courses to project-led and interest-led learning. The test in law is whether the education is suitable for the individual child, not whether it copies a school timetable. Local home-education groups, libraries, museums and sports clubs all help fill out a rounded week, and many areas have active networks for meet-ups and shared activities.
Exams, GCSEs and moving on
Home-educated teenagers who want formal qualifications usually sit GCSEs or IGCSEs as private candidates at a registered exam centre, which parents arrange and pay for. IGCSEs are popular because they can be taken without teacher-assessed coursework. Plan ahead, as exam centres for external candidates can be limited and fill early. From there, home-educated students move on to college, sixth form, apprenticeships and university just as school leavers do.
Counting the cost
Local authorities are not required to fund elective home education, so the costs fall to you: resources, any tutors or paid courses, trips and exam fees. It can be done very cheaply with free online material, libraries and second-hand books, or it can become expensive if you buy in tutoring or premium curricula. Many parents also weigh the loss or reduction of income if one of them steps back from work to teach.
Where to get help
The Department for Education publishes elective home education guidance for parents, and long-running organisations such as Education Otherwise offer advice and local contacts. For the wider choices around schooling, see our guide to school admissions in England and our overview of grammar versus comprehensive schools, or start at the Schools Insight homepage. You can read the official rules at GOV.UK.
Frequently asked questions
Is home education legal in England?
Yes. Under section 7 of the Education Act 1996 parents are responsible for making sure their child receives a suitable full-time education, and that can be at school "or otherwise". You do not need permission or qualifications to educate your child at home, and you do not have to follow the national curriculum or keep to school hours and terms.
How do I take my child out of school to home educate?
For a child in a mainstream school, write to the head teacher asking to deregister; the school must then remove the child from its roll and inform the local authority. The one exception is a child at a special school named in an EHC plan, where you need the local authority's consent first.
Can the council stop me home educating?
The council cannot simply refuse. It can make informal enquiries to check the education is suitable, and if it appears a child is not receiving a suitable education it can serve a School Attendance Order. As long as you can show your child is learning appropriately for their age and ability, you are within your rights.
How do home-educated children sit GCSEs?
Home-educated pupils usually sit exams as private (external) candidates at a registered exam centre, and parents arrange and pay for this. Many families choose IGCSEs, which are designed to be sat without coursework. It is worth booking a centre well ahead, as not all schools accept external candidates.
How much does home education cost?
There is no set figure. You fund resources, books, any tutors or online courses, trips and exam fees yourself, as local authorities are not required to provide funding for home education. Costs range from very little, using free and library resources, to significant sums if you use private tutors or paid curricula.