Homeschooling in the UK is legal and actually pretty simple to start. You don’t need special qualifications or permission from the local council in most situations.
You can teach your child at home full-time or part-time. You don’t have to follow the national curriculum, but you must provide a suitable full-time education from age 5. If your child already goes to school, you’ll need to let the school know. After that, you can choose your own educational style and start taking on the responsibilities as a home educator.
Michelle Connolly, founder of LearningMole and a former primary teacher with over 15 years of classroom experience, says, “home education gives families the freedom to tailor learning to their child’s interests and pace, but it also requires commitment and organisation.” LearningMole, a UK educational platform, shares curriculum-aligned video resources and teaching materials to help home educators with children aged 4-11 in core subjects like maths, English and science.
If you’re thinking about homeschooling or planning to withdraw your child from mainstream school, knowing the legal requirements, curriculum choices and practical stuff will help you decide what’s best. This guide covers getting started with homeschooling, managing costs, supporting children with special needs, and finding other home educating families around the UK.
Key Takeaways
Home education in the UK means you teach your child at home instead of sending them to a traditional school. Parents have the legal right to choose this path, and thousands of families across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland educate their children outside the mainstream system.
Elective home education (EHE) means you’ve decided to take on your child’s education rather than use state or private schools. You can teach your child at home full-time or part-time, but schools can refuse part-time options.
“Education otherwise” means the same thing. It comes from the legal right to educate your child in ways other than school attendance.
When people mention homeschooling, home schooling or home education in the UK, they’re talking about this same practice.
You don’t need teaching qualifications to home educate. There’s no need to follow the National Curriculum, stick to school hours or teach certain subjects in any set order.
Your approach can be as structured or relaxed as you like.
Parents choose homeschooling for different reasons. Some worry about local schools, bullying, or just want a different educational style. Others find home education works better for a gifted child who needs more challenge.
Children with special needs often do much better with home education because you can adjust the pace and methods to suit them. Medical conditions or anxiety also lead families to choose this route.
Other reasons include:
Home education gives you the freedom to change your daily routine, take holidays during term time, and spend extra time on tricky subjects.
Home education is completely legal across the UK under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996. The law says you must make sure your child gets an education suited to their age, ability and needs, including any special educational needs.
If your child goes to school, just write to the headteacher to say you’re withdrawing them for home education. The school has to take your child off their roll and can’t refuse.
If your child has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and goes to a special school, you need permission from your local council before you start home education. You’ll also need council permission if there’s a school attendance order in place.
Local councils might ask about your educational approach or resources. They may request to speak with your child, but you don’t have to agree to a meeting.
Home education is fully legal in the UK. You don’t need teaching qualifications or council permission in most cases.
You must provide full-time education from age 5, but you can design your own curriculum and don’t have to follow the National Curriculum.
You have the legal right to educate your child at home in the UK, either full-time or part-time. This is called elective home education.
If your child attends school, you need to tell the school in writing that you’re going to home educate. Once you’ve done that, the school must remove your child from the register, unless there’s a school attendance order.
You don’t need any teaching qualifications. You don’t have to follow the National Curriculum or keep to school hours.
However, you do need to make sure your child gets a suitable, full-time education from age 5.
The requirements are pretty clear. Your child’s education must be efficient, suitable for their age, ability and needs, and right for any special educational needs they have.
You can teach at home, in libraries, or mix it up with other locations and ways of learning.
Your local council might make informal enquiries to check your child is getting suitable education. These checks are voluntary, and you choose how to respond.
Many parents send a written report, share some work samples or meet with council officers if they want to.
The council can’t demand to see your child or come into your home without your permission. If they believe your child isn’t getting proper education, they can serve a school attendance order. This means you’d have to register your child at a named school unless you show that home education is suitable.
If your child has special educational needs and attends a special school, you need council permission before home educating. If your child has an education, health and care plan at a mainstream school, you don’t need this permission.
The government gives elective home education guidance that explains your responsibilities and what councils can and can’t do.
This guidance says education must be full-time, but there’s no set number of hours. It should get your child ready for life in the UK.
You can pick your own curriculum, teaching methods and resources. Lots of families mix structured curricula with child-led learning.
Platforms like LearningMole have free curriculum-aligned videos for maths, English and science, which can help, especially for children aged 4-11.
The guidance also explains how councils should check on home education. They should give you notice before visiting and respect your choices on how you show your child’s education.
You don’t have to make lesson plans, follow a timetable or formally assess your child.
To start home education in the UK, you need to formally withdraw your child from school, complete the deregistration process, and let your local authority know.
You can remove your child from school at any time to start home education. Just write a letter to the headteacher saying you plan to home educate.
Once the school gets your letter, they must remove your child from the register.
You don’t have to give a reason for your decision. The school can’t refuse your request if you’re withdrawing your child completely from mainstream education.
If your child is at school because of a school attendance order, you need permission from your local council first. This applies if the council has required your child to attend school due to concerns about their education.
The deregistering process is simple when learning how to homeschool. Send a written letter to your child’s school confirming your intention.
Include your child’s full name, date of birth, and when you’ll start home education.
The school will remove your child’s name from the register within a few days. They have to tell the local authority when a child is removed for elective home education (EHE).
You don’t need council permission if your child goes to a mainstream school, even if they have an education, health and care plan. If your child is at a special school, you do need council permission before home educating.
The school will tell the local authority about the deregistration automatically. You don’t have to contact them yourself, but some families like to introduce themselves directly.
The council might check in to see that your child is getting a suitable education at home. You don’t have to follow the national curriculum, but you must provide full-time education from age 5.
Your local authority can’t tell you how to teach or what curriculum to use. They can only check your child is getting a proper education. If they have concerns, they might serve a school attendance order.
Children with special educational needs can thrive with home education when parents know their rights and get the right support. The process is a bit different from mainstream homeschooling, especially for Education, Health and Care Plans and withdrawal steps.
You can home educate your child if they have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The local authority must agree to change the plan to show home education instead of school-based provision.
The EHCP stays in place during home education. Your local authority will keep doing annual reviews to check your child’s needs are being met.
You’re responsible for providing or arranging the special educational provision listed in Section F of the plan.
If you can’t provide certain therapies or support services yourself, the local authority still has to arrange them. This might include speech therapy, occupational therapy or educational psychology services.
It’s a good idea to talk with the authority about which services they’ll keep providing before you take your child out of school.
Homeschooling children with special educational needs might feel tough at first, but many families find the flexibility helps. The local authority can’t force you to send your child to school just because they have an EHCP.
Withdrawing a child from a special school works differently than it does for mainstream schools. If Section I of your child’s EHCP names the school, you need the local authority’s consent before you remove them.
You should formally ask the local authority to remove the school from the EHCP and approve home education. The authority will consider whether you can meet your child’s special educational needs at home.
They might ask about your plans for therapy, specialist equipment or adapted learning materials.
If your child attends a special school but doesn’t have an EHCP, you can follow standard withdrawal steps. Write to the headteacher to let them know you plan to home educate.
The school will then notify the local authority.
Home education gives you the freedom to adjust learning to your child’s specific needs. You can shorten or lengthen lessons, use multisensory approaches and weave in practical life skills with academic work.
Teaching strategies for children with learning differences often include breaking tasks into smaller steps, using visual timetables and adding movement breaks. Baking, for example, can teach maths, reading and science all at once.
Useful resources include:
Learning doesn’t have to stick to a strict timetable. You might spend extra time on tricky topics or move quickly through areas your child finds easy.
Play-based learning teaches skills like problem-solving and teamwork. Some families mix home education with part-time school or specialist tutoring.
You can connect with other parents through local home education groups who understand the ups and downs of supporting children with special educational needs.
Families succeed with different methods, from strict timetables to flexible, interest-led learning. Your child’s learning style, your family’s schedule and your confidence all shape what works best for you.
This approach sticks closely to a traditional school model. You set lesson times, use textbooks and follow a clear curriculum plan.
You can follow the National Curriculum or pick alternative programmes that cover core subjects step by step. Many parents feel this method is easier at first because it brings routine and clear progress.
You might use full curriculum packages or build your own timetable using LearningMole, which has video lessons and activities for primary children in maths, English and science.
Key features of structured homeschooling:
This method suits children who like routine or families planning for GCSEs and A-levels. It also helps when you need to show educational progress to your local authority.
Unschooling lets your child’s interests lead the way. You provide resources and opportunities, but your child decides what, when and how they learn.
Children are naturally curious, so unschooling trusts they’ll pick up what they need when they’re ready. A child obsessed with dinosaurs might learn to read through dinosaur books, do maths by measuring fossils, and pick up geography by looking at where fossils come from.
Unschooling usually means:
You’ll need patience and confidence here. Sometimes learning looks nothing like school. Trips to museums, nature walks and hands-on projects often become part of the routine.
Flexi-schooling mixes part-time school attendance with home education. Your child might go to school for certain days or subjects and learn at home the rest of the week.
You need the school’s agreement for this, as they don’t have to offer flexi-schooling. Some schools are open to it, especially for children with special educational needs or if you want to add extra subjects or activities.
Benefits of flexi-schooling:
Each school sets its own rules for flexi-schooling. You’ll need to agree on attendance patterns, which subjects your child will study at school, and how you’ll cover the rest at home.
Parents in the UK have full freedom to design their own homeschool curriculum. You don’t have to follow the National Curriculum.
You’ll need to decide which subjects to teach, find quality resources that fit your budget, and set goals that suit your child’s age and ability.
You don’t have to follow the National Curriculum if you homeschool. The law only asks that you provide a full-time education suitable for your child’s age, ability and any special needs.
Some families stick loosely to Key Stages to prepare for GCSEs or keep the door open for returning to school. Others choose full flexibility, building a curriculum around their child’s interests or religious beliefs.
Building a good homeschool curriculum often means finding a middle ground. You might teach core subjects like maths and English according to Key Stage expectations, then explore other topics more freely.
Some parents use the National Curriculum as a checklist to avoid gaps. Others ignore it and focus on practical skills, projects and trips.
Most families in the UK cover English, maths and science as core subjects. You can add history, geography, languages, art, music or computing based on your child’s interests or your own priorities.
Free resources like LearningMole offer curriculum-aligned videos for primary children in maths, English, science and history. BBC Bitesize and Oak National Academy also have structured lessons for free.
You can choose formal distance learning providers like Wolsey Hall Oxford, who offer full courses with tutor support. These usually cost between £1,000 and £2,500 per year and include all materials and marked work.
Many families combine printed workbooks, online platforms and hands-on activities. CGP books, Khan Academy and library visits keep things balanced. Online platforms like EdPlace or Atom Learning charge £10 to £30 a month and track progress for you.
Decide what you want your child to achieve each year. Are you aiming for GCSEs? Do you want to focus on creativity, independence or exam results?
Break goals down by subject and term. For a Year 5 child, you might want to cover fractions and decimals by Christmas, then move onto ratio and algebra.
Track progress with weekly logs, practice papers or simple checklists. This helps you spot any gaps and change your pace if needed.
Some parents check goals monthly, while others prefer termly reviews. Getting started with homeschool planning feels easier when you write down your aims.
You can always adapt as your child grows, but having a written plan keeps you on track.
A dedicated space, the right materials and access to digital tools can make home education easier. You don’t need a fancy room or expensive kit.
Find a quiet area where your child can focus. It doesn’t have to be a whole room. A corner of the living room, a spot at the table or a tidy space in their bedroom works fine.
Good lighting matters, and a window with natural light is ideal. Make sure your child has a comfy chair and a table or desk at the right height.
Keep the space clear of clutter and distractions like toys or games. Some families put a simple timetable on the wall.
A bookshelf or storage box nearby helps keep things tidy. The area doesn’t need to look like a classroom. It just needs to feel right for learning.
Basic stationery is a must: pencils, pens, rubbers, a ruler, scissors and colouring pencils or crayons. Stock up on paper for writing and drawing, plus maths work.
A whiteboard and markers can help explain ideas or practise spellings. Exercise books keep subjects organised. Folders or ring binders store worksheets and finished work.
For younger children, add manipulatives like counting blocks or letter tiles. These make tricky ideas more concrete.
As you go, you might add a globe for geography, a calculator for maths or art supplies for creative projects.
Online homeschooling platforms offer structured lessons in lots of subjects. A laptop or tablet gives your child access to videos, interactive activities and virtual learning.
You don’t need the latest device. Any computer or tablet with internet access will do.
LearningMole has free curriculum-aligned videos for children aged 4 to 11 in maths, English and science. The platform follows the National Curriculum, which helps with lesson planning.
Set clear rules about screen time and internet safety from the beginning. Educational apps can support your teaching, but hands-on learning is still important.
Libraries often provide free access to educational websites and e-books if your internet is unreliable.
Connecting with other home educating families brings practical support and social opportunities for both you and your child. Local groups offer face-to-face meetups and activities. Online communities give you advice and resources from across the country.
Most UK counties have home education groups that organise regular meetups, activities and events for families. You can find these groups on Facebook by searching your county name with “home education” or “home schooling group”.
The homeschooling community in the UK has both formal groups and informal co-operatives. Many groups meet weekly in parks, visit museums or get together for sports.
Some groups run educational workshops so children can learn together. Your local library often has info about home education groups nearby.
Library staff might know families who home educate or have details of group meetings. Many groups run their own websites or use Meetup to share events.
Home education groups welcome families at any stage. You don’t have to attend every event, so just try one or two meetups and see if the group fits your family.
Online forums and social media groups give you round-the-clock access to advice from experienced home educators. Facebook has hundreds of UK homeschooling groups, from national networks to those focused on specific approaches like autonomous education or structured learning.
Home educating families across the UK share curriculum ideas, recommended resources and tips in these online spaces. You can ask about GCSE entries, day trip ideas, or anything that’s on your mind.
Many parents say online communities help a lot when starting out or facing tricky situations. Educational platforms like LearningMole offer curriculum-aligned videos for maths, English and science aimed at ages 4-11.
The platform has free teaching materials that work well with other home education resources. Reddit has active UK homeschooling threads where families chat about legal requirements and share what works for them.
WhatsApp groups connect local families for quick chats and last-minute activity plans.
Your child needs regular interaction with people outside the family. Structured activities like sports clubs, drama groups, Scouts or Guides offer steady social contact with peers.
Community centres and youth clubs welcome home educated children during term time. Swimming, music classes and art workshops help your child pick up new skills and make friends.
Many families set up weekly playdates or group activities with other home educating families. Libraries run free activities like reading groups, craft sessions and coding clubs.
Museums and galleries often host home education days with special workshops and tours for smaller groups. Volunteering can work well for older children.
Helping at food banks, charity shops or community gardens teaches social responsibility and introduces your child to people from different backgrounds. Home education groups often arrange group visits and cooperative learning days for regular peer interaction.
Home education in the UK means you need to plan your finances and make some lifestyle changes. Most families spend between £500 and £3,000 per year depending on their approach.
Distance learning and free resources can cut these costs a lot.
Home education itself doesn’t come with compulsory fees. You can find plenty of free resources and guidance like online curriculums, library books and YouTube channels.
You’ll still need to budget for materials and possibly lost income. Mainstream state school costs average about £1,000 per child each year, including uniforms, dinners, trips and stationery.
Homeschooling removes most of these expenses. The bigger financial impact often comes from reduced working hours.
If you work full-time, you might need to consider how a career break or part-time schedule affects your income. Single parents face extra challenges, though Universal Credit may increase if you reduce your hours.
Popular free resources include LearningMole for curriculum-aligned videos, library services, Pinterest lesson ideas and educational streaming. Distance learning platforms sometimes offer structured courses for free.
GCSE and A-level exam costs are often the biggest expense for home-educated teens. In 2021, the average GCSE cost £43.91 per qualification and A-levels averaged £105.12 per subject.
You’ll need to find an exam centre willing to take private candidates. Centres set their own fees, sometimes charging £100 or more for invigilation and admin.
Your child doesn’t have to take GCSEs or follow the National Curriculum. Many families pick alternative qualifications or focus on skills-based learning.
If your child wants to attend sixth form or university, they may need traditional qualifications.
You’ll need to set aside dedicated learning time but there’s no need to copy school hours. Mainstream schools run for five hours a day over 190 days a year, but home education usually takes less time thanks to one-to-one attention.
Set up a comfy study space at home. It doesn’t have to be a separate room, just somewhere your child can focus.
Try outdoor learning and arrange regular social time with other children. Your child benefit and Universal Credit won’t be affected by homeschooling.
At the moment, no funding covers day-to-day homeschooling costs, but your local council might have advice. If things change, you can return your child to mainstream school.
Hearing from families who homeschool helps you see what daily learning looks like at home. The right support network and expert guidance can make things less isolating and a bit easier to handle.
Many homeschooling families notice that learning happens most naturally during everyday activities rather than through formal lessons at a desk.
You might find that cooking turns into a maths lesson or a trip to the shop teaches budgeting. Portraits of home-educating families show all sorts of motivations.
Some parents choose homeschooling because their child struggles in school. Others want more freedom to travel or follow their child’s interests.
The reality includes good days full of nature walks and science experiments, and tough mornings when you run out of ideas by 9am. Most parents experience this mix.
They often say you don’t need to recreate a traditional school set-up at home.
Talking to families who already homeschool helps you understand the commitment before you start. Local homeschooling groups share practical knowledge about what works and how to deal with common challenges.
Education Otherwise gives legal advice and support for UK home educators. Wolsey Hall Oxford offers structured correspondence courses if you prefer a more formal curriculum.
Online forums connect you with experienced families and local events help you meet others face-to-face. LearningMole offers curriculum-aligned video resources for children aged 4-11, which many families use alongside their own teaching.
Having a support system, especially when you’re new, lets you ask questions and get tips from more experienced parents. That sense of community can make a big difference.
Parents thinking about home education often ask the same things about legal duties, curriculum choices and practical support. The UK lets you teach your child at home without a set curriculum, and homeschooled children can still sit public exams.
You have the legal right to educate your child at home in the UK. Parents must make sure their child gets a suitable full-time education, but you don’t need teaching qualifications or permission from the local authority to start.
If your child goes to a state school, you need to write to the head teacher to remove them from the register. The school tells your local authority.
Private school pupils need the head teacher’s permission before being removed. If your child has never been enrolled in school, you don’t need to tell anyone.
Education other than at school means the local authority arranges and pays for it in certain cases. Your local authority might contact you to check your child’s education, but they can’t enter your home without your say-so.
You can follow the National Curriculum if you want, but you don’t have to. The government describes suitable education as helping your child reach their potential and preparing them for adult life.
Many families use a mix of textbooks, online programmes and practical activities. LearningMole offers curriculum-aligned video resources in maths, English and science for ages 4-11, with both free and subscription options.
Libraries give free access to books, educational materials and sometimes home education sessions. Museums and galleries often have workshops that fit with home learning.
Online resources include BBC Bitesize, Khan Academy and subject-specific sites for older children. Some families use structured curricula from providers or make their own based on their child’s interests.
A well-rounded education covers academic subjects, physical activity, creative pursuits and social interaction. You can mix different types of home education like structured lessons, project-based learning and outdoor education.
Physical education can mean sports clubs, swimming, dance or just outdoor play. Many places offer daytime sessions for home educated children.
Social development happens through home education groups, sports, music, drama and community activities. Your child can make friends and develop social skills outside of school.
Cultural enrichment comes from trips to museums, theatres, historical sites and galleries. Many venues run educational programmes during term time when it’s quieter.
Homeschooled children can sit GCSEs, A-Levels and other public exams. You’ll need to register them as a private candidate with an exam centre that accepts external entries.
Finding a centre can take time since schools don’t have to accept private candidates. You should start looking at least a year before your child needs to take the exams.
You pay the exam fees yourself, which are usually higher for private candidates. Some subjects need coursework or practical assessments, which can be harder to arrange at home.
IGCSEs are sometimes easier for home educated students because they rely less on coursework. Many parents prefer online tutoring to help their children prepare for exams.
Local home education groups pop up across the UK. These groups offer meetups, activities, and a bit of peer support.
You’ll often find them on Facebook, through local authority websites, or just by searching online for your area. It’s surprising how many different groups are out there once you start looking.
National organisations also give home educators information, resources, and a sense of community. They run events, conferences, and online forums, so you can chat with families who’ve done this for a while.
Forest schools and outdoor learning groups welcome home educated children for nature-based activities. Sometimes libraries and museums put on sessions just for home educators during term time.
If you can’t find a group that fits, you might want to start your own support group. That way, you meet other parents in the same boat and organise group activities for the kids.
Write a formal letter to your child’s head teacher. Tell them you are removing your child from the school register to educate them at home.
You don’t need to give reasons. A clear letter usually helps the school process things quickly.
Chat with your child about the change. Get them involved in planning their home education.
Ask how they feel about it and what they’d like to learn. That way, you can shape a plan that actually fits your family.
You don’t have to copy school routines at home. Forget set hours or strict terms.
Many families take a few weeks to adjust. Try out different learning styles before you settle into a routine.
Think about practical stuff like costs, workspace, and how you’ll juggle your time. Before home educating your child, consider illness cover, your work situation, and how long you might keep going.
Join local groups as soon as you can. Building a support network really helps.
Other families can share resources and offer advice. Sometimes, just hearing their experiences makes things less daunting.
Leave a Reply