Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is home education? Home education is quite simply the education of children outside the school system, using the home as the base from which to explore the world. 2) Why do people choose home education? People choose to home educate their children for various reasons. These include: bullying, religious or moral beliefs, dissatisfaction with the school system, children not being suited to a school learning environment, seeing learning as a wider concept than just school, parents wanting to provide a tailored approach to learning. They also recognise the many benefits of home education, such as their child having room to grow and develop their own personality, develop good learning habits, and not see their natural inquisitiveness squashed or limit their discovery of the world to an arbitrary curriculum. 3) Is it legal? Home education is perfectly legal. The 1996 Education Act states that children should receive full-time education ‘either by regular attendance at school or otherwise’. The education also has to suit the child’s ‘age, ability and aptitude’, and ‘any Special Educational Needs he/she may have’. It has long been recognised that the freedom to decide what to learn and how to learn it, is a fundamental right in any free society. As Ivan Lewis, a recent Minister for Education, and other people have observed, education is compulsory, school is not. 4) Do I have to inform the LEA? The LEA only have to be informed of your decision to home educate if you are withdrawing your child from a school (the school must inform them). If your child has never attended a school, there is no requirement for you to contact the LEA. 5) Do I have to follow the National Curriculum? No, you don’t have to follow the National Curriculum. It is entirely up to the parents and children how and what they choose to learn. Some people prefer to follow a formal or structured method by sticking to set timetables, planned topics or subjects etc., and some people take an autonomous approach, following their child’s interest and natural sense of enquiry – exploring different topics at different times. Many people start out quite structured but often become more relaxed and flexible as their experience of home education grows. Conversely, as a child gets older, they may wish to pursue exams, and consequently follow structured learning programmes in some areas. But approaches vary a lot. 6) Would my child have to take any tests or exams? Home educated children do not have to take any tests or exams, but they can if they want to. There is a wide range of approaches to exams – some don’t take any, some take them later in life, some take them early, some take just a couple which they feel they really need or are keen on, some miss out GCSEs and go straight to A levels, some go straight to University without any formal qualifications. 7) Can a child with Special Educational Needs be educated at home? Yes. The personal attention, flexibility and adaptability of education at home can be very useful for children with special needs. Indeed, many people home educate because they recognise that every child has unique needs in one way or another. Only if your child is a registered pupil at a special school under arrangements made by the LEA, is the LEA’s consent required to delete the child’s name from the register of the school. This consent, however, should not be unreasonably withheld. Otherwise, the usual approach to de-registration applies, ie. simply inform the school in writing. If your child has a statement of special needs, the LEA are still under a duty to review the statement at least annually, until such time as they cease to maintain it. Where a child is established in elective Home Education they may not require any extra help (often the extra help is needed to cope with the school environment) and it would be reasonable for the LEA to conclude that it is no longer necessary to continue to maintain the statement. Parents who no longer seek provision from the LEA could ask them to cease to maintain the statement. Children with special educational needs have as much right to be educated at home as anyone else if the provision is 'suitable'. Given some support from the LEA via a statement, the home environment is often both practical and very appropriate. Parents sometimes feel that it can be hard to get the necessary help. For more information see the HE Special website – see the page of links. 8) Do I have to be a teacher? No, you don’t have to be a teacher, anyone can home educate a child. It doesn’t matter how intelligent you are, it’s more a case of finding out where to look for information. There are all sorts of ways to gain information - the internet, libraries, TV, other people. 9) Can I withdraw my child from school to be home educated? Yes, you can withdraw your child from a school in order to home educate them. You will need to officially de-register by writing to the headteacher or board of governors. It must be done formally or you could be seen as 'truanting'. See EO and other websites for details. The school may not refuse to de-register your child and do not have to seek permission from the LEA. They do have to inform the LEA however. Only if your child is a registered pupil at a special school under arrangements made by the LEA, is the LEA’s consent required to delete the child’s name from the register of the school. This consent, however, should not be unreasonably withheld. 10) What contact will I have to have with the LEA? None, if your child has not been to school and the LEA are unaware of you. Parents who have de-registered their child from a school, and any home educators that the LEA become aware of will probably have some contact with the LEA. The LEA have a duty to act if it appears that an education suitable to the child’s age, ability and aptitude is not being provided. They will probably ask you for some information about your provision so that they can form a judgement about whether this is the case. It’s a good idea to respond or they can assume you are not providing a suitable education. The information does not have to be in any particular form or via a specific method. The LEA often suggests a visit from one of their School Improvement Officers as their preferred way of gaining this information. Some parents do find visits helpful but others prefer to provide information in alternative ways, such as meeting at the LEA’s office rather than in the home, (with or without your child), writing a report about your approach and what you do, or any other method. The LEA cannot insist on a visit to your home. If, after trying to work with the parents, the LEA concludes that a suitable education is not being provided, they can take formal steps which may ultimately result in a School Attendance Order. Failure to comply with an SAO can land you in court where you would have to prove that you were providing a suitable education. This only occurs in extremely rare cases because the vast majority of parents want the best for their child, which is why they are prepared to devote the time and effort to home education. The LEA in Cumbria are broadly supportive of home-education and most interactions are fine. Occasional problems arise primarily because alternative approaches to learning can appear quite different and challenge long held assumptions based on school methods. Experienced local HE'ers can offer support if you are unsure about how to deal with their enquiries. 11) How much does home education cost? Unfortunately, despite paying taxes, there is no financial assistance available to home educated families, however home education does not have to be expensive, and there are people from all backgrounds that home educate successfully. There are a lot of learning resources that are free of charge, such as the internet and libraries, so home education is as expensive as you make it! You will also get to know other people who home educate, and this allows you to share books etc. Don't forget that discussing and thinking are free! Often the main 'resource' needed is an engaged adult to share ideas about the world and answer questions as they arise. CHECK OUT THE WEBSITES ON THE LINKS PAGE FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION. There is a lot of information and experienced advice available on the internet - there are email discussion lists available where you can ask questions and talk with others about a wide range of issues. Check out the EO and HE-UK sites for details. (see links page)