Elective Home Education: school duties

1. Parental notification

If a parent decides to home educate their child, they must notify the headteacher in writing. This applies to children registered at a mainstream school. The parent does not need permission to home educate, nor are they required to give a reason.

2. Removal from the school roll

Under Regulation 9(f) of The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024, the headteacher must remove the child from the school roll once written notification is received from the parent stating that the child will be educated otherwise than at school.

For children attending a special school, parents must obtain local authority consent before the child can be removed from the roll.

3. Informing the local authority

It is the school's legal duty to inform the local authority when a child is removed from the school roll to be home educated. This ensures the child is not considered missing from education and allows the local authority to fulfil its safeguarding and monitoring responsibilities.

4. Encouraging dialogue

Schools are encouraged to discuss the decision with parents, especially if the withdrawal is due to unresolved issues such as bullying, unmet needs, or dissatisfaction. This gives the school an opportunity to address concerns or offer support before deregistration.

Please contact the Elective Home Education Officer at the earliest opportunity to discuss and organise a 3-way meeting in school to ensure that parents are making an informed decision and that it is a life choice for the family.

5. Flexi-schooling

Flexi-schooling (part-time school, part-time home education) is not a parental right. It is at the discretion of the headteacher, who may agree to such an arrangement but is under no obligation to do so.

Deregistration letters, received by schools, must state that the parent is intending to home educate their child and cannot simply state that the child will not be returning to school. Schools must not supply deregistration letters for parents or provide them with the means to access templates online. To do so could be constructed as off-rolling.

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and if there are safeguarding concerns, it is the responsibility of the school to pass these on to the local authority and follow appropriate procedures.

Please contact CAAS if you have any questions, concerns or the EHE Officer.