Planning for EHE

Removing your child from school

Before making a decision to remove a child from school for elective home education parents may request a meeting with the headteacher so that any issues can be discussed. When parents have notified the school of their EHE decision Hampshire LA recommends schools offer parents a meeting to see if there is any support that can be offered.

We strongly advise you to write to the school confirming your intention to educate your child(ren) at home. If you simply remove your child from school without informing them in writing, you could be prosecuted for non-attendance. The school cannot remove a child from roll without receiving written notification about the parents’ decision to provide education otherwise than at school (Pupil Registration Regulations 2024). The school must inform the Local Authority of your decision. If your child attends a special school or is subject to a School Attendance Order you will need Local Authority consent to remove your child’s name from the school roll. Consent from the local authority may not be unreasonably withheld. The LA keeps a register of children who are resident in Hampshire and have been removed from school for elective home education.

If your child has never been registered at a school, there is no requirement to inform us of your decision to home educate, although it would help us if you did. Hampshire County Council wishes to work collaboratively with you and offer support.

If your child is registered at a school, then a decision to home educate may not be the best way to solve an issue with the school or to overcome difficulties with attendance. You may be able to resolve these issues with the headteacher or governors at the school, or through one of our services (listed in the ‘Useful addresses’ section). Our Elective Home Education Team Manager can provide advice if you feel that any pressure is being put on you to take your child out of school to home educate.

EHE registration form

The form is for:

children moving into Hampshire who will be EHE
children who have never been in school
when your child is not going on to another school at a transition phase such as: infant to junior, or junior to secondary school

You don’t need to use this form if your child is leaving a school or academy because the school must notify the Local Authority.

EHE registration form

You can save the word document version to your device, complete it, and save it. Then email it to [email protected]

Or if you prefer, print it and post it to the return address on the form.

Costs of elective home education

There is no funding available to help you with the costs of elective home education. Local authorities have no legal responsibility or obligation to fund parents who choose to home educate. You will need to look at the costs that elective home education could involve before you make your decision. These could include the cost of IT equipment and internet access, study materials, text books, exam fees and professional tuition.

Contact and help from the Local Authority

We will offer you an appointment with an EHE Visitor for each home educating family. This visit can be at your home or a suitable venue such as a local library or community centre. The visit is to offer advice and guidance on education, teaching and learning. We will provide you with a written report of the visit.

Qualifications to educate your child

You don't need formal qualifications and you do not need to employ a qualified teacher. How your child learns is up to you, as long as the education is efficient, suitable and full-time. There is no one form of education; children learn in different ways, at different times and speeds.

You need to consider how you will enable your child '...to participate fully in life in the UK by including sufficient secular education. This means that even if the home education is primarily designed to equip a child for life within a smaller community within this country it should not foreclose the child’s options in later life to adopt some other mode of living, and to be capable of living on an autonomous basis so far as he or she chooses to do so'. DfE Departmental Guidance for LAs 9.4.

Elective home education does not need to be identical to school education: no specific curriculum is laid down and you do not have to follow the National Curriculum. If you would like your child to go on to further education, or to take public examinations such as GCSEs or IGCSEs we would recommend that you follow the relevant curriculum. We recommend that you research the curriculum and exams before you begin studies so that you can decide which examination board and syllabus you wish to follow. You will also need to arrange for your child to take exams at a registered examination centre.

Using private tuition

You may use a private tutor to educate your child. You remain responsible for the welfare and education of your child. You may wish to:

check the tutor’s identity
check their qualifications
ask for appropriate references
ensure they have a recent Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate

We advise you to monitor your child's teaching and learning.

What to expect

Once registered, we will write to you providing information and offer of a visit from an EHE Visitor. We will ask you to complete a reply form and tell us about the education you are providing.

You must provide efficient, full-time education suitable for your child’s age, ability and aptitude. From time to time the LA will contact you to check that the education you are providing is suitable. The DfE Guidance for LAs has some information about this in section 7 of the online document. You do not have to follow a specific curriculum but some parents find the National Curriculum is useful.

Return to school

Some home educators later decide that their child should attend school. You will need to apply for a place at your preferred school which you can do at any time. It may not always be possible to get a place at your child’s previous school, even if it is your ‘designated’ catchment area school. By law, a school cannot ‘hold’ a place for you.

Information, advice and guidance on applying for a school place, and on the appeals process

Contact details for Hampshire EHE team and Special Educational Needs services

When a parent chooses to end elective home education and opts for LA provision, the LA will assume responsibility under their section 19 duty if the Child or young person (CYP) is considered medically unwell. Where the CYP is cited to be medically unwell, the LA will seek supporting medical information. The LA will act on the parents’ request for LA provision once the parent has made their wishes clear to the LA, and will be dated and recorded by the relevant team for example EHE or SEN.

The LA will support the family in seeking a place in a suitable LA provision and will liaise and support the family in accessing this provision. In the cases where a family does not willingly engage with a suitable offer made, the LA will draw upon the legal processes in place to challenge non-attendance, this may include a referral to the Legal Intervention Team.

The relevant team will record the wishes of the family and will direct the family concerned to the LA Admissions team, to support their application to a school. This is in accordance with the In Year Admissions Process and where necessary uses the Fair Access Policy (FAP). In the case of a child or young person with an EHCP the SEN team will be involved.

Help after compulsory school age

The law now requires all young people in England to continue in education or training until at least their 18th birthday, although in practice most young people continue until the end of the academic year in which they turn 18.

The raised participation age (RPA) does not mean young people must stay in school. They can choose one of the following post-16 options:

full-time education, such as school, college or home education
an apprenticeship
part-time education or training if they are employed, self-employed or volunteering full-time (which is defined as 20 hours or more per week)

Young people who have been educated at home may want to take further education college courses. It is important to know that many courses have specific entry requirements, such as GCSE passes. Your local further education college will be able to give you more information.

Hampshire County Council's Jobs, careers and volunteering website has information and advice for young people, including details of youth groups and other activities for young people.

GOV.UK's information for young people

Contact details for home education services and Special Educational Needs services

Concerns about education or welfare of a child

Complaints or concerns from members of the public about children’s education or welfare will be considered by the Local Authority. If you have concerns about a child’s safety or welfare contact Hampshire Children’s Services.

Looked after children and EHE

DfE Statutory Guidance makes clear that the Virtual School Head Teacher is the educational advocate for looked after children just as parents are to other children.

Looked after children cannot be electively home educated without the agreement of the Local Authority (via the Virtual School Head Teacher) as Corporate Parent for that child.