Deregistration to home educate – The Legal Stuff
The legalities around Home Education in the UK are different from country to country, as education is one of the things devolved to the different administrations. Most of what I write is aimed at an English audience, as that’s where I live and what I understand best. If your child has never been to school this isn’t relevant to you, but if they’re a school pupil, you need to know the process of deregistration to home educate to make sure you’re staying within the law.
If you’re looking for information on Scotland, the Scottish gov page is here, for Wales, the Welsh government page is here and for Northern Ireland, the government page is here.
In all cases, I strongly advise making contact with local home educators, they will be able to tell you about local resources, what the local government is like, and help you build a support network to make home education successful for you and your child. There are a lot of groups on facebook, including national groups, groups with a particular focus like SEN or neurodiversity, and of course many local groups.
In England, you have a right to home educate your child, and if they have never been to school, you just keep on parenting and educating as you always have. The bottom line is that your child must receive an education suitable to age, ability and aptitude and any special needs they may have, but there’s no specific required curriculum.
If your child is in school, it’s a little different. If they’re in a mainstream school, you need to deregister, by writing to the headteacher/ proprietor of the school. If they’re in a special school you have to seek permission, which should not be unreasonably withheld. If an EHCP (Education and Health Care Plan) is involved, then you have to jump through some hoops, but it’s still up to the parent to decide whether they want to home educate.
It’s best to get well informed around your rights if an EHCP is involved, a good starting point is the EdYourself website.
