Key Facts
| Legal basis | Education Act 1996, section 7 (parent's duty), section 436A (identifying children not in suitable education), section 437 (notices and school attendance orders) |
|---|---|
| Deregistration | Regulation 8(1)(d), Education (Pupil Registration) (Wales) Regulations 2010; council consent for local-authority placements at special schools under regulation 8(2) |
| Guidance | Welsh Government elective home education guidance, first published 12 May 2023, last updated 21 March 2025 |
| Council meetings | At least once a year; report within 10 days of the meeting |
| Section 437 notice | At least 15 days for the parent to respond |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
Home education in Wales is legal, and in most cases a family starts by writing to the school to say they will educate their child at home, after which the school must take the child off the roll. The parent's duty comes from section 7 of the Education Act 1996, which applies in Wales as in England, and the Welsh Government's statutory guidance sets out how local authorities should work with home-educating families. The Welsh guidance differs from England's in several practical ways, notably in its expectation of a meeting at least once a year and its agreed offer of support, including access to an exam centre. Below are the duty, deregistration, contact with the council, additional learning needs, exams and the support on offer.
The parent's legal duty
Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 requires the parent of every child of compulsory school age to cause the child to receive efficient full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude and to any additional learning needs, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise. The Welsh guidance puts it plainly: in Wales, education is compulsory and attending school is not.
Parents do not need any qualifications to home educate, and the guidance recognises that home education can sit anywhere between a formal, structured, timetabled approach and an autonomous, child-led one, and that it can change over time and between subjects. There is no legal definition of full-time education, and the guidance notes that the hours a school timetable uses are not always relevant to home education, where much learning happens one to one.
Deregistering a child from school
For a child at a mainstream school, the parent writes to the school saying that they intend to home educate. Regulation 8(1)(d) of the Education (Pupil Registration) (Wales) Regulations 2010 then requires the school to remove the child's name from the admission register. No agreement from the school or the council is needed, and a template letter is in the deregistration guide.
For a child placed at a special school by the local authority, the position differs. The parent writes to the school, and the child's name cannot be removed without the council's consent under regulation 8(2). If the council refuses, the parent can refer the matter to the Welsh Ministers.
| Child's school | What the parent does | Consent needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Mainstream state school | Writes to the school giving notice of home education | No |
| Special school, placed by the local authority | Writes to the school; the school informs the council | Yes, the council's consent |
| Independent school | Gives notice under the school's terms | No |
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Under section 436A of the Education Act 1996, councils must make arrangements to identify children in their area who are not receiving a suitable education. The Welsh guidance expects councils to see and communicate with home-educated children as part of satisfying themselves that the education is suitable, while leaving each council to decide in each case whether it needs to meet the child.
According to the guidance, a meeting should take place at least once a year, and more often if the council has concerns. The meeting does not have to be in the home and can take place at a mutually agreed location. Councils may send a questionnaire beforehand, and at the meeting they should ask to see examples of learning, giving weight to the parent's knowledge of the child's progress and to the child's own views. The council should prepare a report within 10 days of the meeting, saying whether the provision is suitable and why.
If a family refuses a meeting without a genuine reason, the guidance says the council may not be able to satisfy itself that the education is suitable, which can lead to the formal process described below.
When the council has concerns
If it appears to the council that a child is not receiving a suitable education, section 437 of the Education Act 1996 requires it to serve a written notice asking the parent to show that the child is receiving one, within a period of at least 15 days. If the parent does not satisfy the council, and the council considers that the child should attend school, it can serve a school attendance order naming a school. The guidance expects councils to work informally with families first wherever possible.
Additional learning needs
Parents can home educate a child who has a statement of SEN or an individual development plan (IDP). Under the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018, if it appears to the council that a home-educated child for whom it is responsible may have additional learning needs, it must decide whether the child has ALN, and if so, prepare and maintain an IDP. Where the council maintains an IDP, it must secure the additional learning provision the plan describes. That does not always mean delivering it directly, since it can agree with the parent who will provide it, and the IDP is reviewed at least annually.
The home education with SEN page compares the position in each part of the UK.
Exams and qualifications
Parents who home educate take on the full cost of education, including public exams. Exams must be taken at an approved centre, and the guidance says all local authorities in Wales have agreed to accept independent candidates from home-educating families at an identified examination centre for WJEC exams. Councils should also direct families to schools and centres that accept external candidates, and further education colleges are encouraged to open their facilities for exams.
Families choosing GCSEs or IGCSEs from boards outside Wales need a centre that offers those specifications, and the exam centres for private candidates page explains how to find one and what to ask. Choosing subjects and boards is covered in GCSEs for home-educated children.
The support on offer
The Welsh Government has agreed a wider package of support with local authorities so that families receive a consistent offer across Wales. Its guidance lists support councils might provide, including:
- a dedicated home education page on the council website and a named contact at the council;
- access to an identified exam centre;
- access to council counselling services and Careers Wales;
- advice on additional learning needs;
- access to Cadw sites and to Hwb, the Welsh Government's digital learning platform, where possible;
- use of council community and sports facilities on the same basis as school pupils, and youth services.
Families are under no obligation to accept any support, and the guidance describes it as an offer. The home schooling funding guide covers what financial help exists across the UK.
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 Northern Ireland
- Flexi-schooling guide
- Home education curriculum by age
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Families in Wales 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 as an independent 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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Read more about our home education tutors, or send an enquiry and we reply with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- Is home schooling legal in Wales?
- Yes. Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 lets parents meet their duty to educate a child by school or otherwise, and the Welsh Government's guidance says education is compulsory in Wales and attending school is not.
- How do I deregister my child from school in Wales?
- Write to the school saying you intend to home educate, and the school must remove your child from the roll. If your child is at a special school under council arrangements, the council's consent is needed.
- Does the council visit home-educated children in Wales?
- The guidance expects a meeting at least once a year to discuss the education, which can take place at a mutually agreed location and does not have to be in the home.
- Can home-educated children in Wales sit GCSEs?
- Yes, as independent candidates at an approved centre. All Welsh councils have agreed to accept home-educated candidates at an identified centre for WJEC exams, and parents pay the exam costs.
- What support do councils in Wales give home educators?
- Councils have agreed a wider support offer that can include a named contact, exam centre access, counselling, Careers Wales, ALN advice, Hwb access and use of community facilities. Families can accept or decline it.
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