The legal requirements around homeschooling vary from country to country. In this article we explain the legal homeschooling requirements in the UK.
Starting education
From age 5 all children in the UK must receive a full-time education. You can choose to teach your child at home, whether that’s full-time or part-time but you may need to get permission first. If your child currently attends a school (or is enrolled to begin), it’s advisable to notify the school if you plan to home educate. If your child is under a school attendance order then you need to consult with the local council to obtain permission. Parents of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) who attend a special school also need to get the council’s permission to home educate instead.
Your choices
Homeschooling parents are not required to adhere to school hours, days or terms. You just need to be able to demonstrate the amount of time you are educating your child for. On average, a child attending mainstream school has five hours of teaching per day for 190 days. This is spread over the academic year.
There is no set definition of a ‘suitable’ education, but it must be age-appropriate and one that enables your child to progress. While you do not need to follow the National Curriculum, many parents in the UK choose to do so. It helps to provide some structure and guidance and makes it easier to demonstrate what you are teaching. Children can also easily move into mainstream school later on if they wish. By following the National Curriculum students can obtain IGCSEs and A levels which are essential if they wish to go to university.
Wolsey Hall Oxford courses follow the English National Curriculum. They’re open to children of all abilities from all around the world. Wolsey Hall is a Cambridge accredited school so parents can feel reassured that if their child is receiving a top quality education. They can move seamlessly between stages and can join at any point in their education. Find out more about how our courses work.
You can find more information about homeschooling requirements in the UK in this document from the Department of Education.
