Home schooling in the UK and the law
November 5th, 2019Last updated: January 23rd, 2020
One of the first things to think about when considering home schooling is the law: what are the legal requirements for home schooling and who is responsible for monitoring home education? This blog gives a brief overview of the current UK laws around home schooling.
What is the law on home schooling?
One of the first questions that people ask when considering home schooling is: what is the law? Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 states:It is the duty of parents to secure education of children of compulsory school age. The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable— (a) to his age, ability and aptitude, and (b) to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.
According to UK law, all parents have the right to educate their child at home. The Education Act does not define ‘efficient’ education, nor does it stipulate how many hours is considered ‘full-time’. As most children attend school for approximately 25 hours a week, parents and carers who home educate often use this as a guide. Parents have the option to home school full-time or part-time. Upon deciding to withdraw a child from school, parents must write to the head teacher. If a parent requests to withdraw their child in order to home school full-time, a head teacher must accept the decision. However, if the parent wishes to withdraw their child part-time, the head teacher has the right to refuse. This is because it can be disruptive for a class if students attend part-time. If a child attends special school under a Statement of Special Educational Needs or Education Health and Care Plan, parents must also inform the local authorities that they are removing the child from school.
Start the discussion!