Register your child for elective home education
There are many reasons parents consider educating their children at home, such as:
- a philosophical view point about education
- being unhappy with the school system
- a short term plan because a child is unable to go to school, or while awaiting a place in a preferred school
- to develop the parent/child relationship
- to meet a child’s complex or special needs
- religious considerations
Discuss your decision with the headteacher
Whatever the reasons, if you are considering withdrawing your child from school, contacting the school at an early stage is advisable. You should discuss any concerns you may have about your child’s education and your consideration of the option to elect to home educate with the head teacher or senior staff member.
They will be able to talk with you about:
- your child’s experience in school
- the curriculum offered by the school
- any concerns you may have about your child’s education
Contact us if you are still considering withdrawing your child
If you are still considering withdrawal you may wish to contact the elective home education service for an informal conversation with a member of the team. They will be able to discuss the responsibilities and expectations for home educating parents.
You may also wish to contact the Education Welfare Officer for the school who will:
- talk with you and the school to see if any concerns can be resolved
- further explain the process of withdrawing the child from the school roll
- offer advice on the expectations for providing education at home
If you decide to home educate your child
If you decide that home education would best suit the needs of your child you must inform the school in writing so that they can remove your child from the school roll. While they remain on the school roll, failure to send them to school can result in prosecution for non-attendance.
Parents need to be aware that there is no guarantee that the child’s school place will still be available if they later decide to return to school.
Fill in the withdrawal school notice
Informing the school in writing is a simple process and we would ask you to use the withdrawal from school notice, complete it electronically and email it to the school. Alternatively you can print it out and fill it in by hand before posting or delivering it to the school.