Updated October 2026: We’ve refreshed this guide with the latest numbers, new rules from the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, up-to-date exam costs, and extra advice on getting started, SEN, and what to do if your child wants to return to school.
Some families have been thinking about home education for years. For others, it comes after a tough term: a child who dreads Monday mornings, needs that aren’t being met, or worries that have just got too big to ignore.
Whatever brought you here, we’ve gathered the real pros and cons, what the law says right now, and some practical steps if you decide home education feels right for your family.
Is homeschooling legal?
In short: yes, homeschooling is legal in the UK. In England, parents must make sure their child gets a suitable, efficient, full-time education, at school or at home. You don’t need to be a teacher or follow the national curriculum, but you are responsible for your child’s learning, including exam costs.
It’s legal and growing. Around 126,000 children in England were home educated in autumn 2025.
Your main duty is to make sure your child gets a suitable, full-time education. You don’t need to be a teacher or follow the national curriculum.
The law is changing. A new register of children not in school was passed in April 2026, but it isn’t in force yet.
Exams take planning. Your child can sit GCSEs, but you’ll need to book and pay for them as a private candidate.
It isn’t a one-way door. More than 28,000 home-educated children went back to school in 2024/25.
Homeschooling or home education?
They mean the same thing. Most people say “homeschooling”, but the official term is “elective home education” (EHE). We’ll use both here, so you might see them used interchangeably.
Why more families are choosing home education
Home education is still a minority choice, but it’s growing quickly. In autumn 2025, local authorities in England knew of 126,000 home-educated children, up from 111,700 the year before. That’s about 1.5% of children aged 5 to 16.
Over the whole 2024/25 school year, 175,900 children were home educated at some point. When families gave a reason, the most common was mental health (16%), followed by personal or philosophical preference (12%). It’s also much more common for older children: over a third of home-educated children would otherwise be in Year 10 or 11.
Children with special educational needs are also a bit more likely to be home educated. In autumn 2025, 16% had SEN support and 7% had an EHCP, compared with 14% and 5% in all schools.
What the law says
Under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996, parents in England and Wales must make sure their child receives a suitable, efficient, full-time education. That can be at school or “otherwise”, which includes at home. The Department for Education explains what this means in its elective home education guidance.
So what does that actually mean for you and your family?
You don’t need a teaching qualification.
You don’t have to follow the national curriculum, keep school hours or set tests.
The education needs to suit your child’s age, ability and any special needs they have.
Your local authority can ask how you’re educating your child. If they’re not satisfied it’s suitable, they can use Section 437 of the Education Act 1996 to issue a school attendance order, which means your child would need to attend a named school.
What’s changing in 2026
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 became law on 29 April 2026. Once it comes into force, it will:
Require every local authority to keep a Children Not in School register.
Require parents to tell their local authority if they’re home educating, and share some basic information.
Require local authority consent before some children can be taken out of school, such as those at a council-arranged special school or where there are child protection concerns.
It won’t stop parents choosing home education. The register wasn’t in force as of summer 2026, but it’s expected to start later. It’s worth checking the GOV.UK home education page for the latest updates before you decide.
If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
Scotland: home education is legal under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. If your child attends a council school, you’ll usually need the council’s consent before taking them out.
Wales: the same Section 7 duty applies as in England, and the Welsh Government has its own home education guidance. Parts of the 2026 Act also apply in Wales, on a timetable set by Welsh Ministers.
Northern Ireland: parents have a similar duty to make sure their child gets a suitable education. Contact the Education Authority for local guidance.
The pros and cons of homeschooling at a glance
Pros
Cons
Learning at your child’s own pace
It costs money, and often one parent’s earnings
Time and space to recover from anxiety or burnout
It takes a lot of your time and energy
Support shaped around SEN or health needs
Friendships take more effort to arrange
Flexibility for the whole family
Some subjects are hard to teach yourself
Room to follow real interests
Exams need planning, booking and paying for
The pros of homeschooling in more detail
Learning at your child’s own pace
In a class of 30, the lesson moves on whether your child is ready. At home, you can spend an extra week on fractions, or jump ahead in a subject they love. For a child who’s lost confidence or fallen behind, that breathing space can make all the difference.
Time to recover
If your child has been struggling with anxiety, bullying or just can’t face school, stepping out can take the pressure off. Many parents find the first few months are less about lessons and more about helping their child feel safe and settled again. That’s completely normal, and it’s often what makes learning possible later on.
Support that fits their needs
If your child has dyslexia, ADHD, autism or another need, you can plan around it. That might mean shorter sessions, more movement breaks, or learning through talking instead of writing. You know your child better than anyone, and home education lets you put that knowledge to good use.
Flexibility and room for interests
There’s no timetable unless you want one. Days out to museums or the coast count as learning, and a child who’s obsessed with space or coding can really follow that interest.
The cons of homeschooling, and how families handle them
The cost
In most cases, there’s no government funding for home education, so you’ll cover books, resources, trips, and exams yourself. For many families, the higher cost is income, as one parent often works less. Free resources like BBC Bitesize and Oak National Academy can help keep day-to-day costs down.
Friendships
Your child won’t see friends every day by default, so you’ll need to make space for it. Many areas have home education groups, co-ops, and meet-ups. Clubs, sports, and activities outside school can help too.
Subject Knowledge
Few parents feel ready to teach GCSE chemistry or A level maths. Most families mix things up: online courses, local classes, swapping skills with other home educators, or bringing in a tutor for the trickier subjects.
Exams
This is the one families most often underestimate. We’ll talk about it in more detail below.
Is home education right for your child?
There’s no right answer for every family. These questions can help you think it through:
What’s not working at school right now, and has the school had a chance to fix it?
Have you asked about other options, like SEN support, a reduced timetable, or a move to another school?
What does your child want?
Can your family manage the time and the cost, including exams?
Who could help with subjects you’re less confident in?
How will your child spend time with friends?
Is this a short-term break or a long-term plan?
Some families also look at flexi-schooling, where a child is at school part of the week and at home the rest. It needs the headteacher’s agreement, and not every school offers it, but it can be a good middle ground for some.
How to start home educating
If you’re seriously considering homeschooling your child, here are some tips to help you get started:
Talk it through with your child, and if you can, with the school. Sometimes a frank chat opens up options you might not have known were there.
Check if you need permission. If your child attends a special school arranged by the local authority, you’ll need the council’s consent to take them out. If your child has an EHCP, speak to your local SEN team first.
Write to the headteacher. Say you’re taking your child out of school to educate at home. The school will remove them from the register and notify the local authority.
Expect to hear from the council. They may ask how you’re educating your child. A short written outline of your plans is often enough.
Start gently. You don’t need a full timetable on day one. Many families take a few weeks to settle in and figure out what suits their child best.
Find your people. Local home education groups and national organisations (see the resources below) can make a big difference.
Think about exams early. If your child is 13 or older, it’s worth starting to look into exam centres and subjects now, so nothing catches you off guard later.
GCSEs and A levels when your child is home educated
Home-educated children can take GCSEs and A levels. As there’s no school to enter them, they sit their exams as private candidates at an approved centre. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) publishes a list of these centres each year.
Things to know:
Cost. Fees vary a lot by centre and subject. In 2026, many centres charge around £200 to £320 per GCSE, with more for combined science. For example, Lincoln Minster School charges £250 per GCSE for June 2026 exams. Late entries can cost nearly double.
Deadlines. For summer exams, most centres want entries confirmed by early February.
Choosing subjects. Subjects with coursework or practical work, like art, drama, PE and design and technology, are hard to sit as a private candidate. Sciences need practical activities too. Many home-educated students instead choose international GCSEs (iGCSEs) from Cambridge International or Pearson Edexcel International, as some have fewer of these requirements.
Maths and English matter. Most colleges and sixth forms ask for Maths and English, so it’s worth putting those at the top of your list.
Results. Private candidates get their results on the same day as everyone else.
Not sure which subjects to choose? Our guide to GCSE options talks you through each one.
Home education and SEN: how it’s different from EOTAS
These two get mixed up a lot, and the difference matters.
Elective home education (EHE) is your choice. You take your child out of school, and you’re responsible for their education, including the cost.
Education otherwise than at school (EOTAS) is arranged by the local authority, usually through an EHCP, when school isn’t suitable for a child’s needs. The council remains responsible for the provision.
The SEND Code of Practice sets out how councils should support children with special educational needs, including those who are home educated. If your child has an EHCP and school isn’t working, ask about EOTAS before you deregister.
Once you choose home education, the support in the plan may change. Charities like IPSEA and Contact can give free advice on your rights if you need it.
Can your child go back to school later?
Yes. In 2024/25, 28,100 home-educated children in England went back to school. You’ll usually apply for a place through your local authority’s in-year admissions. Your child might not get a place at their old school, so it’s worth checking which schools have space before you apply.
Where tutors can help
You can home educate without a tutor, and many families do. Others bring one in for a subject they’re less sure of, to help with exams, or just to give their child someone else to learn with. Some use a tutor for a few weeks when they’re starting out, while others have a regular tutor.
If you’re wondering what it might cost, our guide to homeschool tutor costs breaks it down. And if you’re weighing up home education against an online school, we’ve got a guide on homeschooling vs online school too.
How online tutors can help with homeschooling
In the video below, Ash talks about how Tutorful helped her daughter. With GCSEs just around the corner, her daughter was finding science tough. The subject itself wasn’t the problem. Her confidence had taken a knock.
Ash got in touch with us for last-minute support, and we matched her daughter with Libby, a medical student who knows exactly what it feels like to face big exams.
Looking for support with GCSE maths at home?
Whether your child needs help with a subject you’re less confident in or wants steady practice ahead of private candidate exams, our tutors work around your family’s routine. Tell us what’s going on and we’ll find the right person.
Yes. In England and Wales, parents must ensure their child gets a suitable, full-time education, which can be at home. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules, but home education is legal there too.
How do I take my child out of school to home educate?
In most cases, write to the headteacher to say you’ll be educating at home. The school will remove your child from the register and tell the council. If your child is at a special school arranged by the council, you’ll need the council’s consent first.
Do I need to be a qualified teacher?
No. You don’t need any teaching qualifications to educate at home.
Do I have to follow the national curriculum?
No. The education needs to suit your child’s age, ability, and needs, but you can choose what they learn and how.
Do I have to register with the council?
Not yet. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 will introduce a Children Not in School register, but it isn’t in force yet and isn’t expected before 2027. The school will tell the council when you take your child out of school.
Does the council pay for home education?
Usually not. Some councils help with exam fees, especially for children with an EHCP, but it’s rare. Home-educated children aren’t eligible for free school meals.
Can my child go to college at 16?
Yes. Many colleges welcome home-educated students. Most will want to see GCSEs (or equivalents) in English and maths, so check entry requirements early.
