How to start home education in the UK: a step-by-step guide

Education law is devolved, so England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own guidance. The broad picture is similar: home education is a legal choice, and parents don't need permission to home educate in general. The details of leaving school differ, especially in Scotland.

• England: The Department for Education publishes elective home education guidance for parents and for local authorities.
• Wales: The Welsh Government publishes elective home education guidance and a handbook for home educators.
• Scotland: The Scottish Government's home education guidance (January 2025) explains the law, including when you need your council's consent.
• Northern Ireland: The Education Authority (EA) publishes guidelines for elective home education, and the Department of Education has an overview page.

Our guides for each nation go into more detail.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you normally take your child off the school roll by writing to the headteacher (the principal in Northern Ireland) to say you will be home educating from a given date. A conversation alone is not enough — put it in writing, sign it and keep a copy.

• England: Under the 2024 pupil registration regulations, a school must remove a pupil from its register once a parent has told it in writing that the child will be educated otherwise than at school and the date given has passed, unless a school attendance order is in force. The school then tells the local authority.
• Wales: The Welsh guidance says you should notify the school in writing; simply keeping your child at home without written notice could leave you open to prosecution for non-attendance. The handbook includes a model letter.
• Northern Ireland: The EA guidelines say parents should deregister their child by letter to the principal. If no letter is received, the child stays on the register and is marked as an unauthorised absence.

Schools can talk with you about the decision, but a school should not pressure you either way.

There are some important exceptions where a letter to the head is not enough on its own:

• Special schools (England and Wales): If your child attends a special school under arrangements made by the local authority, their name can't be removed from the register without the council's consent (or, if the council refuses, a direction from the Secretary of State in England or the Welsh Ministers in Wales).
• School attendance orders: If there is a school attendance order naming the school, the council needs to revoke it before your child can come off the roll.
• Northern Ireland: The EA guidelines say a child with special educational needs can be home educated whether or not they have a statement or attend a special school. If your child has a statement, contact the EA early to discuss it.

If any of these may apply, contact your council's (or the EA's) home education team before you send your letter.

Scotland works differently. Under section 35 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, if your child attends a public (council) school, you need the education authority's consent to withdraw them. The authority should not unreasonably withhold consent.

Consent is not needed in some situations — for example, if your child has never attended a public school, or has never attended a public school in that council's area. The Scottish guidance lists all the exceptions, including some around moving between primary and secondary.

Keep your child attending school while you wait for the council's decision, and ask your council how its process works.

If your child has never been enrolled at a school, you don't deregister anyone — you simply begin by the time they reach compulsory school age.

• England: The DfE's 2019 parent guidance says parents are not currently required to register with or seek approval from the local authority to home educate.
• Wales: There is currently no general duty to tell the council, though the Welsh guidance encourages families to engage with their local authority.
• Scotland: You don't need consent if your child has never attended a public school, although councils can still make enquiries if they think education may not be suitable.
• Northern Ireland: The EA says its home education team works with home-educating parents whether or not their child has ever been registered at a school.

Rules are changing in England and Wales: see Step 5.

Wherever you live, the legal test is about the education itself: it should be efficient, full-time and suitable to your child's age, ability and aptitude (and any special educational or additional needs). You don't have to follow the National Curriculum or keep school hours, but you should be able to explain what your child is learning.

A simple written plan helps — where your child is now, what you hope they'll learn over the next year, the resources and approach you'll use, and how you'll notice progress. Councils may ask for information about the education you provide, and a short plan with some work samples makes that conversation much easier.

When a school removes a child from its roll it tells the local authority, so you may hear from your council's home education team. Councils have duties to identify children who are not receiving a suitable education, and they usually ask for information about your provision.

Responding helpfully is sensible. In England, the DfE guidance explains that if a council is not satisfied a child is receiving a suitable education, it can start the process towards a school attendance order. The other nations have similar powers. A short written report, a sample of work or a meeting are common ways families share information.

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. It requires councils in England to keep registers of children not in school and puts duties on parents to provide information, and it adds council consent requirements before some children can be withdrawn from school. The Welsh Government has said measures will also apply in Wales, including a duty on parents to tell the council when a child of compulsory school age is not on a school roll.

When we checked, these measures were not yet in force and the government had said it would consult on how the register will work. Check GOV.UK, the Welsh Government and your council for the current position before you start.