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Home education is legal in every part of the UK. Parents must make sure their child receives a suitable education, and they don't have to follow the National Curriculum.
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 will add a register of children not in school in England and Wales, but its home education measures are not in force yet. This guide covers the rules in each nation, how to take your child out of school, exams, costs and university.
Yes, in all four nations. Each one sets its own rules for taking a child out of school and for how far the council gets involved.
| Nation | Main law | Taking your child out of school | Permission needed | Council involvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | Education Act 1996, section 7 | Write to the head teacher. The school must remove your child from the roll. | Only if your child attends a special school or is at school because of a school attendance order | Informal enquiries, usually once a year, and a school attendance order if the education seems unsuitable |
| Wales | Education Act 1996, section 7 | Write to the school. It must tell the council within ten days of removing your child's name. | Only if your child attends a special school | The council follows statutory Welsh Government guidance on contact with home-educating families |
| Scotland | Education (Scotland) Act 1980, sections 30, 35 and 37 | Ask the council for consent before withdrawing your child from a state school. | Consent to leave a state school, which the council must not refuse unreasonably. None if your child has never attended one. | The council must act if it is not satisfied that your child is getting an efficient and suitable education |
| Northern Ireland | Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, Article 45 | Write to the principal. | Not needed to leave a mainstream school | The Education Authority's home education team contacts families and offers support under its guidelines |
In England and Wales, section 7 of the Education Act 1996 makes parents responsible for their child receiving efficient, full-time education suited to their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs. That education can happen at school or otherwise. Scotland and Northern Ireland set out a similar duty in their own law.
None of the four nations requires you to follow the National Curriculum, hold a teaching qualification or keep school hours. You do take on the cost, including exam entries, as the House of Commons Library's briefing on home education points out.
The Department for Education's autumn 2025 figures show about 126,000 children in England were being home educated on 2 October 2025, around 1.5% of school-age children. Welsh councils knew of 7,176 home-educated children in 2024 to 2025, up from 2,517 in 2018 to 2019.
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. Its home education measures cover England and Wales, and none of them are in force yet.
Read the Act on legislation.gov.ukCouncils in England and Wales will keep a register of children of compulsory school age who are not on a school roll. Parents will have to provide information for it, including details of the education their child receives.
Tutors, online schools and other settings that meet criteria set in regulations will have to tell councils about the children not in school they teach.
The council will have to consent before a child who is subject to child protection enquiries or a child protection plan can be taken out of school to be home educated. Schools will check with the council before they remove a child's name from the roll.
Councils will be able to ask to meet the family and to see and speak with the child. A refusal can lead to the school attendance order process, and councils will have to consider the home and other learning environments when deciding whether a child should attend school.
You still choose what and how your child learns. The measures do not require the National Curriculum or a set timetable, and they do not apply in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
The first step depends on where you live and whether your child is on a school roll.
Read the GOV.UK guidanceYour address decides the process, and so does the type of school your child attends. A special school, a school attendance order or a state school in Scotland each changes what you need to do first.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, write to the head teacher or principal to say you are taking your child out of school to home educate, and keep a copy. In Scotland, write to the council for consent before you withdraw your child from a state school. An independent school will also have a notice period in its contract. If your child has never been on a school roll, there is nothing to withdraw from, and under current law you don't have to tell the council, though the Scottish guidance encourages it.
The law asks for an education that suits your child's age, ability and aptitude, and any special educational needs. You choose the curriculum, the hours and the approach. If your child will sit GCSEs or International GCSEs, start planning subjects and exam boards at least two years before the exams.
Councils in England are advised to contact home-educating families at least once a year to ask about the education. You can reply in writing with a description of what your child is learning and some examples of work. Under current law the council has no automatic right to enter your home or see your child.
Keep samples of work, reading lists, notes on trips and projects, and details of any tutors or courses. They make council questions easy to answer, and they will help once the new register starts in England and Wales.
Home-educated children sit public exams as private candidates at centres that accept them. Centres set their own fees and deadlines, often months before the exams, and places for subjects with practical work can be hard to find.
