Congratulations
on making the decision to home educate!
I am ready to home educate, what now?
​
If your child has never been enrolled at a school, you are under
no legal obligation to inform the local authority that he or she is being
home educated, or gain consent for this. ​
However, If your child has been enrolled at a school I would recommend
de - registering them from that school to make it official and then enjoy quality time
together until you know the path that you would like to take next. Take some time out and maybe consider de-schooling for a while, which is a period of unwinding where you gradually ease yourself into your new lifestyle choice of home educating. School run has more detailed information
How do I de-register my child?
Write a letter to the headteacher explaining that you have decided to home educate your child and that you would like to remove your child from the register. The head teacher will then be responsible for informing the local authority.
This applies to England and Wales but in Scotland you would need to get permission. You do not normally need permission to home educate your child but there are a few exceptions. If your child has special need and attends a special school, you will need to get the council’s permission to educate them at home.
Will someone check up on me?
The local authority will be informed that you have chosen to home educate and you should expect them to get in touch.
They are able to make informal inquiries but they do not have a right to enter your home if you do not want them to. You could write them a letter explaining how you intend to teach your child and remember you do not have to follow the National Curriculum.
There are a few other home education sites that you may want to visit for more information.