Parents are responsible for ensuring that their children receive a suitable education. Where parents have chosen to home educate, we want the home educated child to have a positive experience. We believe this is best achieved where parents and local authorities recognise each other's rights and responsibilities, and work together. The Department’s Guidelines for LAs on elective home education were published on 29 November 2007 to support local authorities in carrying out their statutory responsibilities. The guidelines also encourage good practice by clearly setting out the legislative position and the roles and responsibilities of local authorities and parents in relation to children who are educated at home.
Elective home education is the term used by the Department to describe parents’ decision to provide education for their children at home instead of sending them to school. This is different to home tuition provided by a local authority or education provided by a local authority other than at a school.
Further information for parents considering educating their child at home is available from the Education Otherwise and the Home Education Advisory Service websites.
