Home Schooling in the UK: The Law in Each Nation and How to Start

Home schooling is legal in every part of the UK: the law in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland puts the duty to educate a child on the parent, and that duty can be met at home instead of at school. The rules for leaving school differ by nation, and the biggest difference is in Scotland, where a parent usually needs the council's consent to withdraw a child who has been attending a state school. Home education is the legal name, and in England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is often called elective home education. The sections below set out the position in each nation, the steps to start, and where to find the detail on exams, costs and planning.

Is home schooling legal in the UK?

Yes. Each nation's education law requires parents to make sure their child receives an efficient, full-time education suitable to the child's age, ability and aptitude, "either by regular attendance at school or otherwise", and home education is the "otherwise". None of the four nations requires a parent to hold a teaching qualification or to follow the national curriculum.

Home education in England

In England, parents give the school written notice and the school removes the child from its roll once the date given has passed, with no permission needed except for a council-arranged special school place or a school attendance order. The council can make informal enquiries to check that the education is suitable, and can move to a school attendance order if it is not satisfied. Thehome education in England guideexplains the legal duty and how the Department for Education interprets it, thederegistration guidehas a template letter, and thelocal authority guidecovers council enquiries and education reports.

Once the government brings them into force, the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act adds registers of children not in school and new consent rules for some children in England and Wales.

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Home education in Scotland

In Scotland, a parent whose child has attended a state school must ask the council for consent to withdraw the child, under section 35 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. The council must not unreasonably withhold consent, and the Scottish Government's guidance says councils should aim to decide within six weeks. Consent is not needed if the child has never attended a state school, is leaving an independent school, or is between primary and secondary school. Thehome education in Scotland guidecovers the consent process, a template request and SQA exams.

Home education in Wales

Wales follows the same section 7 duty as England and the same written-notice route out of school, with the Welsh Government's statutory guidance setting out how councils should work with home-educating families. Thehome education in Wales guidecovers deregistration, the council's role, support and WJEC exams.

Home education in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, parents write to the school principal with the date home education will start, and the school cannot prevent or delay the removal once it has been formally notified. The Education Authority's Elective Home Education Team then contacts the family with its guidelines and offers support. Thehome education in Northern Ireland guidecovers the process, the Education Authority's role and CCEA exams.

How do you start home schooling?

Starting well depends on doing a few things in order, and most of them are the same wherever you live.

1. Check the rules for your nation and situation,including whether you need consent (Scotland, special schools and school attendance orders).
2. Plan the education before you leave school.Decide the main subjects, resources and weekly pattern; thehome education curriculum guidesets out what to cover at each age.
3. Write to the school or the council,using the template for your nation, and keep a copy.
4. Tell the council you are home educating,even where there is no legal duty, so you can use any advice and support it offers.
5. Decide how exams will workif your child will sit GCSEs, IGCSEs or A-levels, since entries go through an exam centre that accepts private candidates.
6. Keep a simple recordof what your child studies and examples of their work, which makes any council enquiry straightforward.

Planning what to teach

Parents decide what and how to teach, and approaches range from a structured course in every subject to child-led learning. Thecurriculum guideshows how families plan by key stage, theresources guidelists free and low-cost materials, and theonline homeschooling guidecompares online schools with tutor-led home education.

Exams and qualifications

Home-educated children can sit the same qualifications as children in school, as private candidates at an exam centre that accepts external entries, and the family usually pays the fees. TheGCSEs for home-educated children guidecovers subject choice and planning from Year 9, theexam centres for private candidates guidecovers finding a centre, fees and access arrangements, and theA-levels guidecovers the options at 16.

Costs and funding

Parents who home educate meet the costs themselves, and there is no general grant for home education anywhere in the UK. Thehome schooling cost guidebreaks down the main costs, and thefunding guidecovers the exceptions, including discretionary council support and part-time college places for 14 to 16 year olds in England.

Home education and special educational needs

Parents have the same right to home educate a child with special educational needs, and in England a child with an education, health and care plan at a mainstream school can be withdrawn without consent. The council's duties under the plan change once suitable home education is in place. Thehome education with an EHCP guideexplains how.

Flexi-schooling

Flexi-schooling is a part-time arrangement in which a child stays on a school roll and is home educated for the rest of the week, and it needs the head teacher's agreement. Theflexi-schooling guideexplains how it works in each nation and how to request it.

Is home education right for your child?

Home education suits some children and families better than others, and the decision affects time, money and the routes to exams and further study. Thepros and cons of home educationsets out what families usually weigh up before deciding.

Related guides

• Home education in England: the law and your duties
• How to deregister your child from school
• Home education curriculum by age
• Exam centres for private candidates
• Home schooling funding and grants
• Flexi-schooling

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Families who home school 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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