To invoke the ‘otherwise’ option for school absence?

[KuanKaKu]

AIBU to send this letter in and request temporary de-registration?
WWYD if you are a Headteacher and received this?
Dear Headteacher,
I am writing to inform you that for the period xxx 2026 to xxx 2026 inclusive, my children, [Child’s Name(s)], will be receiving their education otherwise than at school, in accordance with Section 7 of the Education Act 1996, which places the legal duty for securing a suitable education on me as the parent.
Section 7 states that:
“The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable to his age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.”
During this period I will be exercising the “otherwise” option. As such, my children will not be attending school between these dates. You may therefore treat them as temporarily deregistered for this period, as their education is being lawfully provided by me.
This is not a permanent withdrawal. My intention is for them to return to school-based provision on xxx 2026.
For clarity:
Parents are the duty-holders under Education Act 1996 s.7 with the right to elect for education “otherwise”.
Elective Home Education does not require the school’s permission (DfE Elective Home Education Guidance, 2019).
Temporary periods of home education are legally valid where the parent is providing suitable education under s.7.
Compulsory school attendance requirements under s.444 apply only where the parent is relying on school attendance to discharge the s.7 duty, which is not the case during this period.
Please confirm receipt of this notification for your records.

No but you can de register and the go straight back on the waiting list / reapply if spaces ?

how long are you planning to do this for and why ?

As soon as you de register the school will offer the place to the first person on the waiting list (if there is one).

Just take your kids on holiday and pay the fine. No need to be a knob about it. They will see right through you and you’ll be a laughing stock.

Please send the letter so the Head can have a laugh. No actually, don’t, they’re much to busy this time of year for this shit.

I expect the School will de- register your child and have a hefty fine for you. Despite what your letter says. Good luck OP.

It’s interesting as I’m in Scotland and this happens. There were a couple of kids in my eldest class who spent half the year being educated in Belgium as mum worked ( moved out there) post brexit. More recently a kid spent four months in Spain. There’s another whose only in 4 days as they home educate one day a week.

I suppose they could de register but guaranteed a place in catchment school.

If you are going to try this make sure you can provide evidence of home education from the day after you de register. If you are going to use the legislation you also need to comply with it.

😂 That’s an extreme sense of entitlement you have there! Do you honestly believe that the school should save a space for you and make someone on the waiting list wait longer just so that you can get around term time absence rule? Just do what you want to do, own it, and accept the consequences. Don’t take the piss.

Temporary deregistering isn’t a thing. You would make yourself look extremely daft, risk your child’s school place and you would also be expected to provide them with a suitable full time education as soon as you remove them and the LA will want to be satisfied that thsi is happening,
You also may endure the things that sometimes happen when people actually deregister including being referred to social services.

I am a lawyer, and was shielding during Covid: we looked into this idea in detail at the time, as we wanted to keep our kids at home while I was shielding but then be able to send them back in to the same lovely school once it was safe.

It just does not work. The school has no obligation to keep the space open for you, in any circumstances. If your child is on the roll the school receives funding for them, is responsible for them, and is responsible for dealing with issues of non-attendance. If the child is off the roll they are absolutely nothing to do with the school anymore, and the school has a legal obligation to offer that space to whoever is next on the waiting list.

I do wonder if temporary deregistration would be possible if you were being educated offsite so if you were a child actor or enrolled in a sports programme and they were providing professional teaching off site. We did a tv thing for a day and had to fill a lengthy LA form to get permission.

Looks like ChatGPT wrote that letter for you…
It doesn’t always get it right you know.

You want to deregister and the school not to offer a place to the first child on the waiting list which they are legally obligated to do so you can come back. Meanwhile the other child doesn't have access to education because you are having a holiday

Or you want to deregister and let the school take the other child whilst you have a holiday and then kick the other child out again.

Let me spell this out. It's not all about you and your child. It is also about other children who might want to go to school and get an education rather and don't complain that they are getting fined for going on holiday because they just want to go to school.

Your actions impact others.

I think there is some clause that allows head teachers to keep the child registered but not on-roll, designed for medically unwell children and siblings (eg undergoing cancer treatment some distance away from home) but you could explore if you could make use of this?

Oh Op, you & your kids might love the "otherwise" education that you will provide.

How can you be so sure when it will end?
😂

I'm sorry I'm not quite sure whether you would classify as being otherwise, from reading others responses
Maybe The Family Rights group might be able to confirm for you? Wishing you&your Children the utmost best 💚

This doesn't work legally. You can absolutely deregister. However the school is not required to hold a place open for you and will not hold the place open for you. It will be offered to any child who needs it.

Yup!
This will definitely be the talk of the staff room …

Your child is either registered or de-registered, there is nothing temporary about it. Your child is either registered and you are potentially fined for keeping them off school or your child will be automatically deregistered. If you de-register you go to the back of the queue to get them registered. There is no other legal way around this.

There’s no right to do what you are suggesting. If you withdraw you will lose your child’s place. Is it a popular school? The pla
may still be available if not. How long is the proposed absence?

As PP had said, the only exemptions I’ve seen where places were held were for children belonging to the travelling community. DC had traveller kids in her class who would stop attending after May half term and return after October half term, no questions asked. Both girls were permanently removed from school after may half term in yr5.

Lol!!! The audacity of this. To think that they would not get any funding for your child, and potentially keep a different child out of education, to save you a space. No of course they won't do this!

If there are less than 30 as it is you could risk it.

Is the school over subscribed? Falling birth rates where we live mean that, in KS1 at least, all of the primary schools have places and there just aren’t waiting lists. It is totally different to how it was even a few years ago. So here, whilst I don’t think I’d want to go to the hassle of de-registering, re-registering and demonstrating that I was providing an education, I don’t think that there is much risk of there not being a space in the same school when you eventually decide that it fits in with your diary.

When you took school place you agreed to followthe rules....
Whatcare the dates covering? A holiday of 2 weeks? 3 ? 6 months?
Or two months travelling?
Yes you can withdraw but
Either way no it will not work if you trying to avoid a fine ... de register and go back on wait list/re apply asmid year application if you want to come back after 6 weeks etc

also school fines come from the Local Authority and the LA will want to ensure that you are indeed offering an education - so would definitely be aware if it was a holiday