Parents have a legal right to educate their child at home and are not required to have any qualifications or training to provide their children with a suitable education. The 1996 Education Act clearly states that it is a parent’s duty to ensure child receives suitable education in accordance with section 7³. In addition, the Act provides that, generally, children are to be educated in accordance with the wishes of their parents.

Parents are not required to inform the London Borough of Bexley that they intend to elect, or have elected, to home-educate although they are strongly advised to do so, so the borough can better ensure parents are making an appropriately informed decision. They are not required to seek approval from London Borough of Bexley unless the child has an Education, Health and Care Plan and attends a special school.

Parents whose child is enrolled at a school are advised to write to the Headteacher to inform them that they elect to home educate, unless:

• the school is a special school named on the child’s Education, Health & Care Plan, in which case parents are required to seek approval from London Borough of Bexley first
• a child is enrolled at a school in accordance with a school attendance order, when London Borough of Bexley must revoke the order (or amend it to replace the school with a different school) before the child can be removed from the roll

Schools cannot de-register a child for the purpose of elective home education without notice from parents in writing that they are accepting responsibility for their child’s education. Until such notice is received, a school will continue to record a child’s absence which may lead to penalty fines or legal action related to school attendance.

Parents whose child is not enrolled at a school have no obligation to inform London Borough of Bexley that they are home educating their child, however London Borough of Bexley encourages contact from all home educating families and may make enquiries with parents.

Although parents must provide education in accordance with section 7 of the Education Act 1995, the type of educational activity can be varied and flexible.
Recommendations parents may consider, but are not required to:

• have a timetable
• set hours during which education will take place
• observe school hours, days or terms
• give formal lessons
• teach the national curriculum
• mark work completed by their child
• formally assess progress or set development objectives
• reproduce school type peer group socialisation
• match school based, age specific standards
• have premises equipped to any particular standard
• have any specific qualifications

Parents may arrange for other people to tutor their child, though parents themselves continue to be responsible for the education provided. It is recommended that parents ensure such people are qualified and suitable, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.

Parents who elect to home educate assume full financial responsibility for their child’s education, including the costs of private tuition, courses and public examinations. However, colleges can claim the cost of course fees directly from the Education Skills Funding Agency on an individual basis for home educated young people under 16 (when parents and colleges are able to reach suitable individual arrangements). These individual arrangements are not brokered by London Borough of Bexley but directly between parents and colleges and are typically only available for home-educated children of academic ages 14 and 15. London Borough of Bexley's EHE Officers can advise parents of colleges with such provision.

³ Section 7 of the 1996 Act requires parents to provide an efficient, full-time education suitable to the age, ability and aptitude of the child and any special educational needs which the child may have