Everything You Need to Know About Homeschooling in the UK

Homeschooling has become increasingly popular in the UK in recent years, with more and more parents opting to educate their children at home. There are a variety of reasons why families choose to homeschool, from concerns about the quality of education in schools to a desire for a more personalised learning experience. Whatever the motivation, homeschooling is a legal and viable option for parents in the UK.

Reasons for Homeschooling in the UK

There are many reasons why parents in the UK may choose to homeschool their children.

One common reason is dissatisfaction with the quality of education in schools. Many parents feel that their children are not getting the individual attention they need to thrive in a school setting. They may also be concerned about the impact of large class sizes, rigid curriculum requirements, and overcrowded schools on their child’s education.

Another reason parents may choose to homeschool is the desire for a more personalised learning experience. Homeschooling allows parents to tailor their child’s education to their individual needs, interests, and learning styles. They can provide more one-on-one attention and create a curriculum that aligns with their child’s passions and goals. This can lead to a more engaging and rewarding educational experience for the child.

Religious or philosophical beliefs are also a common motivation for homeschooling. Some parents feel that the values and principles taught in schools do not align with their own beliefs, and they wish to provide their child with an education that reflects their worldview.

What Are Homeschooling Requirements in the UK?

Homeschooling in the UK offers parents considerable freedom in choosing the best educational pathway for their children, but it also comes with certain legal obligations and requirements to ensure a child receives a suitable education. Here’s a comprehensive overview of the homeschooling requirements in the UK:

Compulsory School Age

• A child becomes of compulsory school age at the beginning of the term following their 5th birthday, depending on the month they were born. They remain of compulsory school age until the last Friday in June of the school year in which they turn 16.

Legal Right to Homeschool

• Parents in the UK have the legal right to educate their children at home, either full-time or part-time, without the need for formal qualifications or the obligation to follow the national curriculum. This right is upheld provided the child is not under a School Attendance Order.

Notification Process

• If the child is already enrolled in a school, parents must inform the school of their decision to homeschool. This is typically done in writing to the headteacher, requesting the child’s removal from the school register.
• For children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) attending a special school, permission from the local authority is required to deregister.
• Parents do not need to notify the local authority if the child has not started school or if they have not applied for a school place.

Educational Standards

• The education provided must be “suitable” considering the child’s age, ability, aptitude, and any special educational needs they may have. It should be “efficient” and “full-time,” although there is no legal definition of “full-time” education in the homeschooling context, allowing parents flexibility in how they structure their child’s education.

Local Authority Interaction

• Local authorities have the responsibility to identify children not receiving a suitable education. While they do not routinely monitor homeschooling, they can make informal inquiries about the education provision.
• Parents are encouraged to cooperate with the local authority, which may request evidence of the educational provision, such as samples of work or a report on the child’s progress. However, there is no statutory duty for routine inspections or evidence in a prescribed form.

Special Educational Needs

• Children with an EHCP can be homeschooled, with the local authority obligated to arrange education if home education is specified in the EHCP. If the EHCP does not name home education as the provision, the local authority must be satisfied that the parents’ alternative arrangements are suitable.

Homeschooling in the UK is characterized by a balance of freedom and responsibility. While parents have significant leeway in designing their child’s education, they must ensure it is comprehensive, suitable, and effective. Engaging with the local authority can provide additional support and ensure compliance with legal requirements, making homeschooling a viable and potentially enriching educational path.

Homeschooling Regulations in the UK

Homeschooling is legal in the UK, but there are regulations in place that parents must follow in order to provide their child with a suitable education. The Education Act 1996 requires parents to ensure that their child receives an education that is appropriate to their age, ability, and aptitude, and that takes into account any special educational needs they may have.

Parents who choose to homeschool must register their child with their local council and provide regular updates on their child’s progress. They must also ensure that their child receives a broad and balanced education that covers a range of subjects. These include English, mathematics, and science. Homeschooled children are also expected to have opportunities to develop their social skills and participate in cultural activities, such as music and art.

The regulations also require parents to keep records of their child’s education, including details of the subjects covered and the progress made. This information may be requested by the local council, and parents must be able to demonstrate that their child is receiving a suitable education. Failure to provide a suitable education can lead to legal action by the local council.

Recent changes to the regulations have focused on improving oversight and support for homeschooled children. In 2019, the government announced plans to introduce a new registration and monitoring system for homeschooled children, which would require parents to provide more detailed information about their child’s education and allow for more regular inspections by the local council. However, these proposals have been met with mixed reactions from the homeschooling community, with some concerned about the potential impact on parental choice and privacy.

Homeschooling Curriculum in the UK

There are a variety of curriculum options available to parents. While homeschooled children must cover the same basic subjects as those in traditional schools, homeschooling allows parents to tailor their child’s education to their individual needs and interests.

One popular option for homeschooling in the UK is to follow a structured curriculum that is aligned with the National Curriculum. This ensures that homeschooled children cover all the necessary subjects and meet the same standards as their peers in traditional schools. There are a number of homeschooling curriculum providers in the UK, including some that offer online courses and support.

However, many parents choose to create their own curriculum for their homeschooled children. This allows them to incorporate their child’s interests and passions into their education. Parents may choose to focus on particular subjects or areas of study, such as art, music, or foreign languages. They may also incorporate real-world experiences, such as travel or volunteer work, into their child’s education.

Homeschooling provides opportunities for children to explore their interests and passions in more depth than they might be able to in a traditional school setting. For example, a child who loves music may be able to take more advanced music lessons than they would in a school, or a child who is interested in history may be able to study a particular historical period in more depth.

Pros and Cons of Homeschooling in the UK

Pros of Homeschooling in the UK

📌 Individualised Education. Homeschooling allows parents to provide a highly individualised education that is tailored to their child’s interests, strengths, and learning style.

📌 Flexibility. Homeschooling provides flexibility in terms of scheduling, allowing families to create a routine that works best for them. This can also allow for more time spent on extracurricular activities, travel, or family time.

📌 Personalised Attention. With a smaller student-to-teacher ratio, homeschooling can provide more personalised attention to each child.

📌 Safe and Controlled Environment. Homeschooling allows parents to control the environment in which their child learns, ensuring that it is safe, nurturing, and free from distractions or negative influences.

Cons of Homeschooling in the UK

📌 Limited Social Interaction. Homeschooled children may have limited opportunities for social interaction with peers, which can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness.

📌 Limited Resources. Homeschooling can be expensive, with parents often needing to purchase their own resources and materials, as well as paying for any outside lessons or activities.

📌 Limited Exposure to Diversity. Homeschooled children may have limited exposure to diverse viewpoints and cultures, which can limit their understanding of the world around them.

📌 Limited Oversight. While homeschooling is legal in the UK, there is limited oversight, which can lead to some parents struggling to provide their children with a suitable education.

Free Resources for Homeschooling in the UK

There are so many free homeschooling resources available online that your main difficulty will be choosing which ones to use! The UK government website on home education should be your first stop for all your questions about homeschooling and the law. This page has links to information about the National Curriculum and how to find help from your local council.

Here are some other great resources you can use for homeschooling in the UK:

📌 Home Education UK

They have articles covering many useful topics related to homeschooling like socialising and how to deregister your kid from school in addition to offering links to other handy resources like lessons, worksheets, and books.

📌 BBC Bitesize

This site offers a wealth of free homeschooling resources, including quizzes, videos, and activities designed for the different curriculums of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

📌 BBC Teach

It is aimed at teachers, and also offers the kind of free homeschooling resources parents need as well, including curriculum-related video content for primary school kids in many Key Stage subjects.

📌 GetRevising

They have a lot of free tools that are great for managing your homeschool life. You can use its smart timetable to quickly design a customised learning plan. You and your child can easily create mind maps, flashcards, or quizzes for any subject then your child can use the site’s testing features to time their progress and assess their understanding.

📌 Oxford Owl

It is aimed at kids between 3 and 11 and focuses on reading skills, but it does include some stuff for maths. It’s basically a children’s library of activity books, picture books, fiction, non-fiction, and dictionaries completely free!

📌 Oak National Academy

for early-year students to Key Stage 4, this site has more than 40,000 free slides, videos, worksheets, and quizzes related to the National Curriculum!

📌 STEM Learning

They provide lots of content to help you teach your child science, technology, engineering, and maths. It offers podcasts, video lessons, projects, interactive activities from primary school all the way up to A-Level as well as tips and advice for parents.

📌 Seneca

A wonderful resource that covers all sorts of subjects for KS2, KS3, GCSE & A-Level courses.

📌 Twinkl

They have a vast amount of beautifully designed free materials available for KS1 to KS4.

Conclusion

In conclusion, homeschooling is a viable option for parents in the UK who are dissatisfied with the quality of education in schools or wish to provide a more personalised learning experience for their children. Homeschooling regulations require parents to ensure that their child receives a suitable education that covers a range of subjects, including English, mathematics, and science, and provides opportunities for social and cultural development. Homeschooling offers flexibility and the ability to tailor a curriculum to a child’s individual needs and interests. However, homeschooling may also limit opportunities for social interaction with peers and require a significant financial investment.

If you are considering homeschooling, it is important to carefully consider the pros and cons and to ensure that you are able to provide a suitable education for your child. If you need help with homeschooling, you can go for tutoring on Edumentors. These tutors have recently done their GCSEs and A-levels and are now studying at prestigious universities in the UK. They can easily connect with children and help them achieve their dreams!