Choosing a school / setting

If you choose to educate your child at home, this is known as 'elective home education'.

It is also commonly known as 'home schooling'.

General information

For general information about educating your child at home, including:

• what to think about when you make your decision, and
• how the Council makes sure that the child / young person's education is suitable

There are different arrangements if your child / young person has Special Educational Needs (SEN), or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP):

If your child / young person has SEN

All parents and carers have the right to choose if their child is home educated.

This includes those with special educational needs (SEN).

If you decide to educate your child at home, the Council does not have any duties to provide special education support / provision.

If your child / young person has an EHCP

If your child has an EHCP you should contact the SEND Services Team.

They will discuss with you the reasons why you would like to home educate your child.

If you feel that the support / provision in the plan is not supporting your child to achieve their outcomes, then it may be helpful to have a review of the plan.

If you decide that you would still like to educate your child at home, the SEND Code of Practice states that the Council no longer has a duty to make the special educational support / provision set out in the EHC Plan.

We are still required to review the plan annually to make sure that:

• the support / provision in it is still appropriate, and
• the child or young person's Special Educational Needs are still being met.

Letting the school / setting know

• Mainstream school / setting, or additional resource base
  You should tell the SEND Services Team as the child / young person's EHCP will need to be amended. You will also need to write to the current school / setting to let them know.
• Specialist setting
  You must write to the Council for permission to educate your child at home. If we agree, we will provide you with some information about home education. You will be contacted by the SEND Services Team and they will discuss this with you.

How the Council makes sure the education provided is suitable

As the Council has a duty to make sure that children are receiving a suitable education, we may contact you to request a meeting.

This will involve you demonstrating how your child is making progress towards their education.