Can I be educated at home?

By law, your parents must make sure you get an education between the ages of 5 and 16. Most parents do this by sending their child to school, but school isn’t the only option. If you and your parents both prefer, you can choose to be home educated instead. It means your parents can teach you at home.

If you are unhappy at school, it may be worth talking to your parents about home education.

What do I have to study?

Your parents don’t need to be qualified teachers or have any special qualifications, but the education you get must be ‘suitable’. This means, the education must be:

• Full time – but you do not need to have a timetable or follow school hours.
• Efficient – the education must do what it is supposed to, but you don’t need to sit exams.
• Suitable to your age and ability and any Special Educational Needs or disabilities that you may have.

The Local Authority has to check that your home education is suitable. As long as they’re happy that you’re getting the right level of education, they won’t make you go to school. But if they believe your education isn’t suitable, they might get a court order that requires you to attend school.

Guidance

Further information on home education can be found in the government guidance on Elective Home Education.