Home Schooling Advice

[Sarahfayc]

Hi

I am looking for advice from parents who have decided to home school their children reaching the school age this term. I have decided to home school my child whose turning 5 years old in December. As I understand if a child has never been enrolled in a school I dont need to inform the council about my decision.

I am however feeling nervous (due to comments from a few other parents who are sending their children to school) that if there are any new rules regarding this that I am unaware of and also about if the council will contact me when the child reaches 5 years of age. I would really appreciate if someone can let me know please as to if and when does the council ask from a parent about a child not attending school. Thanks in advance.

Why not just drop your council a line?

what’s the worst? “ Yes you do have to formally notify us”

as an aside, I certainly hope that if someone choosing to homeschool from day 1 of compulsory education that there is at least some process whereby the parent has to notify the council!!

Why are you so keen to stay under the council’s radar?

If you want to home school, then… tell them. If you don’t need to, they will let you know.

I think there is a Home School section under Education on MN @Sarahfaycwhich might be useful?

Post again in the home ed section, you'll find it more helpful. I was abroad when I started home ed, but my understanding is that in the UK you don't have to notify.

I don't know if you have to notify,, but why are you so keen not to?

Are you planning on not educating your child? If not, what’s the big deal?
You have to write a yearly report about child’s progress?
Unfortunately I’ve encountered many children in home ed community suffering from educational neglect and they’re very proud to not be known. It’s a real problem and I don’t think the government know how big a problem it is. It’ll be a good thing once everyone has to write yearly reports, and I hope with a portfolio of work.
If you’re planning on educationally neglecting your child, I urge you to re-consider school. Just look at homeschool recovery on Reddit, almost all were unschooled or with a very religious upbringing.

You don't need to tell them anything. Home education is the default as you have to apply to go to school.

You don’t have to notify anyone. There is the possibility the law might change on this in the future - but this has been the case for years. If the LA find out about you then they may ask for information about the home education you’re providing and then you should give this.
There are lots of helpful home ed Facebook groups with more detailed information on this and also probably local ones that may have information about home education meet ups and groups in your area - so that’s worth a look.
We home edded our children all the way through to 16 ( they are now at uni/college) and were never contacted by the LA.

Agreed. Concerning

You need to report your own post to MN and ask them to move this to the Home Ed Board https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/home_ed

Many very informed people on there homeschooling their children.

Don't be nervous about the council contacting you. They have a duty of care toward children to make sure they are being educated and this doesn't need to be in a school. There will also be local groups to you of other home educated children where your child can socialise and you can make friends with other parents.

I'm glad you've had your post moved to a board where you can get advice from people who actually know about home education - though of course as Mumsnet forums are open to everyone, you will also get people wandering through who imagine they know about the subject when they don't!

@Pandorea is right. If your child isn't at school, you currently have no legal obligation to inform anyone when you start home educating. The LA may or may not happen to discover that you are home educating and contact you once your child reaches "Compulsory School Age" (which for your child is 1 Jan 2026, assuming you are in England or Wales? different in Scotland and NI) to ask for some information about how you are educating them.

If this happens, it would be wise to respond in some way. You don't necessarily have to give them exactly what they are asking for. Unfortunately a great many LAs use poorly trained staff who know nothing about home education and who make up the law as they go along. I would suggest that if and when the LA get in touch, you ask them to keep everything in writing. That gives you a chance to check with other home educators here or on another forum to see whether your LA are trying to lead you up the garden path regarding your obligations.

In answer to those posters who are wondering why you might want to avoid coming to the attention of the LA, this is why: it's a postcode lottery as to whether the staff who contact you will behave reasonably or misrepresent the law and harass you. Even if your LA does behave perfectly, it is rare for staff to be as well informed as the experienced home ed community, who as a whole are helpful and generous with their time. So the LA doesn't tend to have anything to offer you. At a minimum, being known to the LA will probably involve you in churning out a report once a year for people who don't really understand what you're doing. I'm sure you have better uses for your time!

Please follow the advice given by @Saracen and@Pandorea and ignore the posts you were receiving suggesting you contact the LA. That is absolutely unnecessary and will only negatively impact on the home education you provide. I promise you, contacting them will bring no positives and you will not get into any trouble for not doing so.

I strongly suggest you join the Facebook group HEFA - Home Education for All for far more accurate support and guidance than you will receive on MN.

(Home Educator for 12 years)

Definitely join HEFA group on face book lots of great advice. Also search on FB for a local group in your town / council for others to connect with.

As long as you are providing a good education you have nothing to worry about, and a good education may look very different to that at school but it should be high quality and provide them with the academic skills they need for the rest of their lives. Do be aware that where dc have specific learning requirements it can be hard as a parent, my dd1 was a breeze and was learning at secondary school level by 8 but my dd1 I just couldn’t get to learn basics and after re enrolling in school (we had an extended period abroad then upheaval moving hence homeschooling) dd2 was diagnosed with dyslexia, we got her a specialist tutor and she’s done very well but it was the school that diagnosed her