Key Facts
| Legal basis | Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, Article 45(1) |
|---|---|
| Deregistration | Signed, dated letter to the principal with the start date; removal on the day after last attendance (DE Circular 2017/15); form SA1 |
| Guidance | Education Authority Guidelines for Elective Home Education |
| Concerns | Three-step process; information normally requested within 14 days; School Attendance Notice under Schedule 13 to the 1986 Order |
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Home education in Northern Ireland is legal, and leaving school is a matter of notice: a parent writes to the school principal, and the school cannot legally prevent or delay the child's removal from the register once it has been formally notified. The parent's duty comes from Article 45 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, and the Education Authority's guidelines for elective home education set out how the Authority works with families. Below are the duty, how to deregister, what the Education Authority does next, special educational needs, exams and what happens if a concern is raised.
The parent's legal duty
Article 45(1) of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 requires the parent of every child of compulsory school age to ensure the child receives efficient full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise. The Department of Education confirms that "otherwise" includes elective home education.
The Education Authority's guidelines recognise that there are many valid approaches to home education. They describe characteristics the Authority may reasonably expect, such as consistent involvement from parents, and they note that school hours and terms are not a useful measure, since home education often involves close to continuous one-to-one contact.
Deregistering a child from school
If the child has never attended school, there is no legal requirement to contact the Education Authority, although the Authority invites families to get in touch for advice on the curriculum, exams and any later return to school.
If the child is at school, the parent writes to the principal. The guidelines say the notification must be in writing, give the date home education will start and carry the parent's signature. The school should check that the letter comes from someone with parental responsibility, and where two people with parental responsibility disagree, they are expected to resolve it between them.
| Step | Who | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parent | Writes to the principal with the start date and a signature |
| 2 | School | Removes the child from the register on the day after the last attendance |
| 3 | School | Completes a Certificate of School Attendance (form SA1) giving the reason as elective home education |
| 4 | Education Authority | Records the form and the parent's letter, contacts the principal about any transition support, and sends the family its guidelines |
Without a letter, the child stays on the register and each day is recorded as an unauthorised absence, which can lead to contact from the Education Welfare Service. The guidelines also say that at a selective or oversubscribed school, families should be told a place may not be available if they later want the child to return.
A template letter is in the deregistration guide, and the details can be adapted to the Northern Ireland requirements above.
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The Education Authority's Elective Home Education Team contacts home-educating families each year with updates on available support, changes to the guidelines and an offer of advice. The team will also advise any family that asks, whether or not the child was ever registered at a school.
If the Authority asks about the education, families can show it in many forms. The guidelines list examples including an educational philosophy or report by the parent, assessments, samples of work and workbooks, reports of educational visits, projects, diaries of activity and periodic plans.
If a concern is raised
The Education Authority has a duty to make enquiries if a concern is raised about the suitability of a child's education, and its guidelines describe a three-step process:
- Exploring the concern with the parents. The team contacts the family, usually in writing, and asks for information about the education, normally within 14 days. If there is no concern, the family is told and no further action follows.
- Continued engagement. If concerns remain, or the family does not respond, the team continues to work with the parents to resolve them.
- The statutory process. If it still appears that a suitable education is not being provided, the Authority sends a written report of its concerns and can issue a School Attendance Notice under Schedule 13 to the 1986 Order, and then a School Attendance Order. A parent can appeal against a refusal to revoke an order to the Department of Education.
The guidelines stress that most concerns are resolved at the first stage, and that a family can move back through the steps as concerns are addressed.
Special educational needs
Parents can home educate a child with special educational needs, with or without a statement and whether or not the child attended a special school. The deregistration process and the parent's duties are the same as for any child, and the guidelines advise parents to engage with the relevant statementing officer at the Education Authority. A home-educating parent can also ask the Authority to carry out a statutory assessment, which it considers within the same timescales as any other request.
Since much SEN support is school-based, the guidelines suggest discussing with doctors, therapists and Education Authority officers how support will continue before deregistering. The home education with SEN page compares the position across the UK.
Exams and qualifications
Parents are responsible for finding an approved centre that offers the qualification they want and is willing to accept a candidate who is not enrolled there. Northern Ireland has an open qualifications market, so GCSEs from AQA, OCR, Pearson, Eduqas and CCEA are all available, with one exception: GCSE English Language must include a speaking and listening component in the grade, which in practice means the CCEA specification. The guidelines warn that this can make it harder to find a centre willing to enter independent candidates for English Language.
Many home educators choose IGCSEs, which have no coursework requirement and are graded in the same way as GCSEs, and parents pay a fee for each exam. Candidates with special educational needs may be eligible for access arrangements under the Joint Council for Qualifications rules. The exam centres for private candidates page explains how to find a centre and what to ask.
Using school facilities
Some families arrange to use local school facilities, such as sports halls. The guidelines say all costs of such use, including insurance, are borne by the party using the premises.
Related guides
- Home schooling in the UK: the law, deregistration and how to start
- Home education in England
- Home education in Scotland
- Home education in Wales
- GCSEs for home-educated children
- Home education curriculum by age
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Families in Northern Ireland who home educate often bring in a tutor for the subjects a parent prefers not to teach, particularly once a child starts working towards GCSEs or IGCSEs as a private candidate. More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and tutors who work with children hold an enhanced DBS check, and most are registered on the DBS Update Service.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is home schooling legal in Northern Ireland?
- Yes. Article 45 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 lets parents meet their duty by school attendance or otherwise, and the Department of Education confirms this includes elective home education.
- How do I take my child out of school in Northern Ireland?
- Write to the principal with the date home education will start and sign the letter. The school cannot legally prevent or delay the removal once it has been formally notified.
- Do I need to tell the Education Authority?
- If your child has never attended school, there is no legal requirement to contact the Education Authority. If your child leaves school, the school informs the Authority, whose Elective Home Education Team then contacts you.
- Can home-educated children in Northern Ireland sit GCSEs?
- Yes, at an approved centre that agrees to accept them. GCSE English Language must be the CCEA specification, which can make a centre harder to find for that subject.
- Does the Education Authority check home education?
- The Elective Home Education Team contacts families each year with updates and offers advice. It makes enquiries only if a concern is raised, following a three-step process.
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