This page offers information around what you can do if you want to educate your child at home and provides signposting to organisations who can help you.
A parent has the right to teach their child at home instead of sending them to school, this is called elective home education, home education or home schooling. If you choose to teach your child at home, you will take on full responsibility for providing them with a suitable and efficient full-time education.
The Department for Education (DfE) provides guidance around Elective Home Education.
What you should consider
Providing an education for your child at home takes a lot of time, effort and commitment but it can also be very rewarding.
If you decide to educate your child at home, you may wish to consider the following:
- are you equipped to provide your child with a suitable education?
- is there a space in the home for them to learn?
- making sure that your child is safe online
- are you aware of the costs below?
- books and other materials
- educational trips and visits
- private tutors if you feel you need them
- electronic equipment to support learning such as laptops
- exam fees
Removing your child from school roll
If your child is at school, you need to write to the headteacher to let them know you have decided to educate them at home.
The school will remove your child from the register and they will let us know. We will register your child as receiving home education.
If your child is on roll at a specialist setting, the setting will not remove your child from roll until the council approve it.
Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
You can still educate them at home even if they have an education, health and care (EHC) plan but you need to ensure your child's special educational needs are met.
If your child is on roll at a specialist setting, the setting will not remove your child from roll until the council approve it.
Contact the Wirral Attendance Service for information and advice.
SENDLO Wirral. Wirral's Local Offer of SEND Services provides services and support for children with special needs and disabilities.
What to teach
You don’t have to follow the national curriculum but you need to make sure what you’re teaching is suitable for your child’s age, ability and aptitude.
Examinations
You can arrange and pay for your child to take examinations as external candidates with an examination centre - there are a number of centres across the north-west.
Returning your child to school
You can send your child back to school at any time. You will need to apply for a school place in the usual manner via our online service, in most cases your child will return to the school they left.
Contact the school admissions for more information and advice.
Checking on your child’s education
We have a duty to act if it appears that a child is not receiving a suitable education. We will be in touch with you annually to make sure your child is getting the education to meet their needs.
Online safety
If you are educating your child at home, you should be aware of the risks and challenges of the internet.
Wirral Safeguarding Children Partnership has resources to help parents and children reduce the risk of online exploitation.
Support for parents
There are lots of places to get information and advice.
Support groups
You can contact national support groups for advice and guidance about elective home education:
Supporting your child’s emotional wellbeing and mental health
Looking after your child’s emotional and mental wellbeing is an important part of home education.
- Visit Children and Young People's Health and Wellbeing Services for more details
- Home Education Advisory Service (HEAS) advise parents who want to home educate their children
- Educational Freedom offers support, advice and information for home educators in the UK
- The British Council’s Learn English Kids provides free online games, songs, stories and activities for children to have fun and learn English too
- BBC Learning has free resources for primary and secondary school children
- Channel 4 Learning has free online resources for those who teach primary and secondary age children
- A little bit of structure is a blog by home educating parents for home educating parents
- SEN Teacher provides free printable resources for those who teach children and young people with special educational needs
- Primary Resources provides free lesson plans, activity ideas and resources in a number of subject areas for primary school children
- Ed Yourself provided updates on elective home education practice and policy
Post 16 support for young people
Children must be in education or training until they are 18. You and your child can decide how to do this after they turn 16.
- Wirral InfoBank provides information on post-16 options including staying in full time education, apprenticeships and part-time working with training
- GOV.UK has more about the school leaving age
- National Careers Service provides information and advice about post-16 options including further learning, training and work
- UCAS provide advice for young people and parents on how to access higher education courses
Examination boards
Legal advice
Children’s Legal Centre is a charity that promotes and protects the rights of children in the UK and worldwide.
Contact us
- email ehe@wirral.gov.uk
- phone 0151 666 3433 and leave a message