Home education in the UK: the law in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Yes. Education is devolved, so each nation has its own law, but all four put the duty on parents to make sure their child is educated – not on the child to attend school.

• England and Wales. Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 says the parent of every child of compulsory school age must cause them to receive efficient full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs, "either by regular attendance at school or otherwise".
• Scotland. Section 30 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 places a similar duty on parents to provide efficient education suitable to the child's age, ability and aptitude, either by attendance at a public school or "by other means".
• Northern Ireland. Article 45 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 requires parents to ensure their child receives efficient full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude, by regular attendance at school or otherwise.

None of the four nations requires parents to be qualified teachers, to follow the national curriculum or to keep school hours.

If your child has never been to school, you can generally just start – though councils encourage you to let them know. If your child is on a school roll, the route depends on where you live:

• England and Wales. Write to the headteacher saying you are home educating and asking for your child's name to be removed from the admission register. For most children the school must do this and tell the council; you do not need the council's permission. The main exceptions are children at a special school arranged by the council, and children subject to a school attendance order – for them, the council's consent is needed first.
• Scotland. If your child attends a council-run (public) school, section 35 of the 1980 Act means you must ask the council for consent to withdraw them, and consent must not be unreasonably withheld. Consent is not needed if your child has never attended a public school, or has never attended one in that council's area.
• Northern Ireland. Write to the principal to deregister your child. You do not need permission to home educate, but if your child is leaving a special school you must tell the Education Authority.

In every nation, keep a copy of your letter and the date you sent it. Until the school has removed your child from the register, they are still expected to attend.

Councils (the Education Authority in Northern Ireland) have duties to identify children who may not be receiving a suitable education. In practice this means they may make informal enquiries – a letter, a phone call, a request for a short report or work samples, or an offer of a meeting.

You can usually choose how to show that your child's education is suitable. If a council is not satisfied that a suitable education is being provided, each nation has a formal last step: a school attendance order in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or an attendance order in Scotland, which requires the child to be registered at a named school.

Wales goes further than England on routine contact: its statutory guidance expects councils to meet home educating families at least once a year. Scotland's guidance suggests at least one conversation a year about the child's progress, while saying it is not a legal requirement.

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026 and is now the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026. It changes home education law in England and – with the agreement of the Senedd – in Wales.

• Children not in school registers. Councils will have to keep a register of children of compulsory school age who are not in school, and parents of home educated children will have to provide information for it.
• Consent for some children to leave school. Council consent will be needed before certain children – for example those subject to child protection enquiries or plans, or attending a special school – can be taken off a school roll to be home educated.
• What does not change. The government has said the measures do not stop parents from home educating, and families can still choose their own methods and content as long as the education is suitable.

Important: these home education measures are not yet in force. As at October 2026, the Department for Education and the Welsh Government have said the register duties will only start after consultation, regulations and statutory guidance, and no start date has been confirmed. Until then the current rules described in this guide still apply. Check GOV.UK or gov.wales for updates before you act.

Home educated young people can sit public exams as private candidates. There is no public funding to cover this in most cases, so families usually pay the exam centre's entry fees.

• GCSEs and A-levels (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). You book through an exam centre that accepts private candidates. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) has a search tool for centres; always confirm directly with the centre, because its list is only updated once a year. Subjects with coursework or practical endorsements can be harder to arrange.
• Wales. All Welsh councils have agreed to accept home educated independent candidates at an identified exam centre, but parents are responsible for exam costs.
• Scotland. National 5s and Highers must be entered through an approved presenting centre such as a school or college. Qualifications Scotland replaced the SQA as the national awarding body in February 2026.

Each nation has its own guidance, contacts and rules for children with additional needs. Our nation guides go into the detail:

• England. Department for Education guidance for parents and local authorities, deregistration, SEND and EHCPs, and the new children not in school registers.
• Scotland. The Scottish Government's 2025 home education guidance, asking for consent to withdraw, additional support needs and Qualifications Scotland exams.
• Wales. The Welsh Government's statutory guidance and parent handbook, annual council contact, additional learning needs and exam centres.
• Northern Ireland. nidirect and Education Authority guidance, deregistering from school, statements of special educational needs and EA enquiries.