Your home education questions answered

My child is a young carer - can I still home educate?

Young carers can be home educated if you can provide a full-time and suitable education for them. For more about general support for young carers see Young carers and families. 

Can I home educate a looked-after child?

Looked-after children can't be home educated without agreement from the local authority. This comes via the Virtual School headteacher as corporate parent for the child. 

Department of Education (DfE) statutory guidance makes clear the Virtual School headteacher is the educational advocate for looked-after children, just as parents are to other children. 

If I have issues with the school my child attends, can I home educate?

If your child is registered at a school, sometimes the decision to home educate isn't the best way to solve the issue or overcome the problems with attendance. 

You could try to resolve any issues first with the headteacher or the school governors. 

Alternatively, support may be available via the SEND and inclusion support line on 0333 313 7165.

What should I do if the school suggests my child is better off being home educated?

Please contact us if you feel you're under pressure to home educate and don't want to.  

The DfE is clear that schools shouldn't persuade parents to home educate as a way to avoid an exclusion due to poor attendance. Ofsted refer to this as "off rolling" and it is not acceptable.