Once you have reached the decision to home educate and your child is of compulsory school age (term after 5th birthday), the first step is for you to withdraw your child from the school that he / she may be attending. Many parents like to start home education at the beginning or end of a school term, but if you wish you may start straight away. This is perfectly acceptable as long as you notify the school in writing immediately. If you do not inform the school of your child’s absences, this may be considered as an unauthorised absence which can lead to further enquiries from the Education Attendance Service.

You may wish to think about the following prior to reaching a decision :-

• Please consider the respective merits of both home and mainstream education when making a decision about your child’s educational future.
• Consider the costs involved. Parents who elect to educate at home are responsible for all associated costs.
• Consider the social aspects of your child’s development and the need for your child to be involved in social activities and contact with other children.
• Home education should not be considered as a solution to problems with reluctance to attend school. School staff and Education Attendance Officers will be happy to help with this problem.

The facts about home education are:-

• You will need to notify your child’s school in writing if you intend to withdraw your child from school.
• Your child is not obliged to follow the national curriculum or take national tests, but parents are required by law under section 7(1) of the Education Act 1996 to ensure that their child receives a full time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude.
• You do not need to be a qualified teacher, nor engage a qualified teacher to educate your child at home.
• Although children educated at home are not required to follow the National Curriculum, it is considered good practice, especially if the child being educated at home has a sibling attending mainstream school.
• When parents / carers elect to educate their children at home, they assume full financial responsibility for their child’s education. There are no funds directly available from central government for parents who decide to educate their child at home.