Where to start with home education.

If you are looking to deregister your child from school, or have recently deregistered them and want to begin home educating but don’t know where to start, then read our clear and concise guide below.

We’ve compiled all the information that you need to know in one place to ensure you understand all requirements and can provide your child with the best education moving forward.

Please note this relates to UK schools only. 

Step 1 - Deregistering your child.

To deregister your child, you will need to write a clear letter or email to the Headteacher stating you are removing the child to home educate, including their name, DOB, and effective date, getting confirmation to prove receipt; this process is usually straightforward for mainstream schools but requires Local Authority (LA) permission if the child attends a special school or is under a School Attendance Order (SAO). 

The headteacher will then inform your LA about your deregistration and the LA will likely contact you to understand more about your education plans.

In Scotland, if your child goes to a public school, you must get consent from the local authority before withdrawing them:

• Write to them as early as you can with the date you wish to withdraw your child.

• Outline how you intend to provide “an efficient and suitable education” for your child.

• If you want to explain why you wish to home educate your child, you can, but you’re under no obligation to do so.

What if my child has never been to school?

If your child has never been enrolled at a school, there’s no legal obligation for you to inform the LA. However, the Department for Education (DfE) strongly recommends you do notify them, so you can access advice and support if you need it.

Step 2 - What’s next?

Once you’ve received confirmation of your child’s deregistration, the next stage is over to you. You’ll need to effectively plan your time and resources so you can provide an appropriate education for your child. If your local authority is happy with your home education set-up, they will continue to check in with you annually for safeguarding of your child.

For more information, please refer to the guidance provided by the government here. 

Here at The Phoenix Project we can help you deliver high quality home education for your child from KS2-KS4. 

If you are still unsure of your next steps, or want to talk to one of our team about how we can fit in to your home educating plans, contact us today.