Home education

Parents can choose to home school - also known as elective home educate (EHE) - their child at any age, whether they have been enrolled at school previously or not.

If your child has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, the right to home educate still applies.

The reasons families choose home education can be a lifestyle choice aligning with philosophical or religious beliefs or a preference for a more personalised education. Some opt for EHE to avoid the pressures of an exam-based system whilst others are concerned about their child's mental health or dissatisfied with the school environment.

We recommend parents considering educating their child at home speak to the Surrey Elective Home Education Team who help and support parents looking at home education. It is a big decision and requires careful consideration. To help with your decision we recommend you read:

You can also refer to the Surrey County Council Elective Home Education Policy and Procedure (PDF) document.

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Can a child with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) or Special Education Needs (SEN) plan be home educated?

Yes. The right for a parent to home educate their child applies regardless.

If your child already has an EHC plan in place, the provision agreed within the plan will still apply even if the child is being educated at home.

The local authority (Surrey County Council) will still hold an Annual Review of your child's EHC plan to make sure that your child is making progress towards the outcomes set out in Section E of their EHC plan, and that the plan is still appropriate. Professionals providing therapy, if stipulated within the EHC plan, will be invited to contribute to the Annual Review.

Your rights to appeal to a Special Educational Needs (SEN) Tribunal still apply.

Parents can home educate if their child has SEN but does not have an EHC plan. If you feel your child may have special educational needs whilst being home educated, you can still request Surrey County Council carry out a statutory assessment.

Who do I need to notify?

Please refer to the How to Register your child as Home Educated page for more information.

  • If your child attends a mainstream school, then you will need to write to the Headteacher of the school to notify them of your intention to home educate. We recommend you also inform your case officer.
  • If your child attends a specialist school, you will need to write to the Headteacher of the school to notify them of your intention to home educate and you must also seek the agreement of the local authority (Surrey County Council) before removing your child from school.
  • If you child attends a Unit or Resourced Provision in a mainstream school then they will be receiving specialist support within a mainstream setting, we strongly recommend you seek the agreement of the local authority before notifying the Headteacher of your intention to remove your child from school.

You may like to use the draft letters on the Education Otherwise website, as a guide to communicating your plans to home educate your child to the school or local authority, via your case officer.

If your child has an EHC plan the Local Authority will then re-issue the plan, changing Section I to state:

"The Local Authority's recommendation is for a [type of school/ college e.g. mainstream/ specialist] placement. However, parents have made their own arrangements under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996"

In order for the Local Authority to assess whether home provision is suitable for the special education needs of the child, parents will be asked to provide information regarding the home education provision. Surrey County Council will only be relieved of its duty to arrange the provision specified in the child's EHC plan, if it is satisfied that the parents' arrangements are suitable. Once agreed, the local authority will continue to have a duty to maintain and review the EHC plan annually until: it decides to cease the EHC plan; or the EHC plan automatically lapses; or the EHC plan is transferred to another Local Authority.

Is there a structure to home education that I need to follow?

By home educating, you are committing to making sure your child receives full-time education at home. How you deliver this education is up to you!

You may want to educate in a structured manner like a lesson in a school, or you may feel that you want to teach your child in a more informal way, with a flexible schedule. There is no obligation to follow the national curriculum or sit exams. Parents duty is to provide a suitable education. Refer to the guidance: Providing a suitable education for your child at home.

Parents who choose to home educate take on full financial responsibility. There is no specific government support for home education. This means you will be responsible for any tutors, online schools, digital learning support, learning materials you choose to use including any public examination fees.

Note

You will no longer have access to the Council's support services which includes Educational Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Speech, Language Therapist, Specialist Teachers etc. but access to all health services will remain in place.

For example, if your child has an EHC plan which details any therapy provision which was previously provided through school, parents will now be required to provide this either; by accessing it from their GP or make their alternative arrangements at their own expense.

Where can I receive advice or support with home educating?

If you are considering educating your child at home, we recommend you speak to the Surrey Elective Home Education Team.

The following groups may also be helpful:

  • Education Otherwise a membership-based organisation that provides support and information for families whose children are being educated outside school.
  • Home Education Advisory Service is a national home education charity that is dedicated to the provision of advice and practical support for families who wish to educate their children at home.
  • SEND Advice Surrey can offer advice and support to parents who are considering, or have chosen, to educate their child at home in Surrey. They provide a confidential Helpline for parents. You can Call 01737 737 300 or email sendadvice@surreycc.gov.uk

Educated Other than at School (EOTAS)

Some children or young people cannot be educated in a formal educational setting. This is called Educated Other than at School (EOTAS), and can be for lots of different reasons, for example health. In these cases, the child or young person may be educated outside of a formal education setting, for example online schooling or hospital schooling.

EOTAS is not the same as elective home education, If you choose to home educate, parents are responsible for making their own suitable arrangements for the child's educational provision. The educational provision for a child receiving EOTAS is still the responsibility of the Local Authority and can only be agreed with the Local Authority via an EHC needs assessment, a reassessment of needs or at the EHC plan annual review.

The Local Authority must consider a request from the parent/ carer and decide if EOTAS is appropriate. If you are considering requesting EOTAS, please discuss this with your child's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and your SEND Case Officer.

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