Big decisions about educating your child at home are easier when the law, the local authority’s role, and the EHCP implications are clear. This guide covers your right to home-educate in England, what the LA can and cannot do, and what to do if you want your child to return to school.
Get help quickly if: the school is refusing to take your child off the roll, the LA is threatening a School Attendance Order without engaging with your EHE evidence, your child wants to return to school but no place is available, or an EHCP review is overdue. Put every request and response in writing and keep a timeline. See Education rights and EHCPs for next steps.
EHE means choosing to educate your child at home instead of sending them to school. Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 gives parents the duty to cause a child of compulsory school age to receive “efficient full-time education suitable to his age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.” “Otherwise” includes home education. You do not need a teaching qualification, you do not need to follow the National Curriculum, and there is no prescribed number of hours.
If your child is on a school roll, deregister by writing to the headteacher. The school must remove the child from the roll and inform the LA. If your child has never been registered at a school, you do not have to inform the LA, but it is usually better to do so. The LA has a duty to identify children not receiving suitable education and may make informal enquiries — it cannot demand to see your child or enter your home without lawful authority.
“Suitable” means education that meets your child’s age, ability, aptitude and any SEND. There is no statutory definition of “full-time” hours. LAs often look for a plan, evidence of learning, and progress over time. Keeping a simple evidence folder — work samples, photos, a diary, reading lists — is usually enough to answer informal enquiries and protects you if the LA escalates.
If your child has an EHCP, the LA must maintain it while they are home-educated, and must review it at least annually. Section I of the plan names a school or type of school; if you choose EHE, the LA is no longer required to arrange the special educational provision in Section F as long as you are providing it yourself. If your child’s needs cannot be met at home without LA-arranged provision, you can ask the LA to keep it in the plan. The LA must consult you about any changes. See the EHCPs guide for the review and appeal process.
EHE families do not automatically get LA-funded therapies, SEN support workers or access to school facilities. Some LAs offer limited support — library cards, exam access, occasional clinics — but it is discretionary. Socialisation is usually arranged through local home-ed groups, sports, clubs and community activities. Educational psychology input is still possible through the LA’s SEN services in some cases. This page does not endorse paid providers; for SEND-specific home-ed communities, see the official charities listed in Useful links.
You can return your child to school at any time. Apply through normal in-year admissions. If your child has an EHCP, contact the LA’s SEN team — the named school may still be on the plan, or you may need an annual review or amendment to name a new placement. Give the new school what helps and what makes things harder, recent reports, and any EHCP or SEN Support notes. See the Transitions guide for what to bring to a new setting.
