The short version
In England, you do not need permission to home educate. The legal duty sits with you as the parent under section 7 of the Education Act 1996: to give your child an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs, at school 'or otherwise'.
To take a child out of a normal maintained school or academy, you give the school written notice that you are educating them at home. The school must then remove your child from its register. You do not need the local authority (LA) to agree.
One important exception: if your child is at a special school under arrangements made by the LA, the rules are different. We cover that below.
This guide is for England, and is general information rather than legal advice, so it's always worth checking the current guidance on gov.uk. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different rules, so if you live there, please check your own nation's official guidance.
Who to send the letter to
Address your deregistration letter to the head teacher of the school your child currently attends. They are the person responsible for the admission register.
Send it by a method that gives you a record. Many parents hand it in and ask for a dated receipt, or email it and keep the sent copy, or post it and use a tracked service. The point is simply to have proof of the date you gave notice.
- Send to: the head teacher (not the LA, and not the class teacher).
- Keep proof: a dated receipt, a saved email, or a tracked-post slip.
- Optional: you can copy in the LA as a courtesy, but you are not legally required to.
What the letter needs to say
Keep it short and clear. You are stating a decision, not asking a question. You do not need to explain your reasons, justify your choice, or describe your plans.
A good letter includes a few simple facts so the school can act on it without coming back to you.
- Your child's full name and date of birth.
- Your child's class or year group.
- A clear statement that you are educating your child at home from a stated date, and that you are therefore withdrawing them from the school.
- A request that the school removes your child from the admission register and notifies the LA.
- Your name, signature and the date.
A letter you can adapt
Here is a simple template. Change the details in brackets to suit your situation. Plain wording is fine; you don't need formal or legal language.
Dear [Head teacher's name],
I am writing to inform you that I am withdrawing my child, [child's full name], date of birth [DD/MM/YYYY], from [school name] in order to educate them at home. Please remove [child's first name] from the school's admission register and notify the local authority. This takes effect from [date]. Yours sincerely, [your name and signature].
That's genuinely all that's needed. If you have more than one child to withdraw, you can name them all in the same letter or send one per child, whichever feels clearer.
The special-school exception
There is one situation where the simple written-notice route does not apply on its own. If your child attends a special school and was placed there by the LA, you cannot deregister by letter alone. You need the LA's consent first.
This is a legal difference, not a judgement on your choice. If consent is refused, that decision can be challenged, and it's worth getting specialist support.
For SEND-related help, organisations such as IPSEA and SOS!SEN offer guidance and can talk you through your options. If your child is at a special school, speak to them before you send any letter.
Independent and academy schools
Academies and free schools follow the same admission-register rules as maintained schools, so written notice to the head teacher works in the same way.
Independent (private) schools are different. They are not bound by the same register rules, and your obligations are usually set by the contract you signed and the school's notice terms, for example a term's notice or fees in lieu.
If your child is in an independent school, read your enrolment agreement first and write to the head to confirm the leaving process, rather than assuming the standard deregistration route applies.
What happens after you send it
Once the school receives valid written notice for a child at a maintained school or academy, it must remove your child from the register and inform the LA. From that point, the legal responsibility for your child's education sits with you.
The LA will often get in touch. In England this is usually through 'informal enquiries' to check the education being provided is suitable. There is no legal duty to meet the LA, allow a home visit, or report in any set format, though engaging politely tends to make things smoother.
If the LA isn't satisfied that suitable education is happening, it can issue a notice and, ultimately, a School Attendance Order. This is rare where a child is clearly learning, and it's not something to lose sleep over from day one. It simply means it's worth keeping a light record of what your child does.
Keeping a simple log of activities, outings and progress makes any LA contact far less daunting. (An app like Flybrite can do this quietly in the background, turning everyday moments into a tidy, LA-friendly record, but a notebook or a folder of photos works just as well.)
Settling into home education
After deregistration, there's no rush to recreate school at the kitchen table. You don't have to follow the National Curriculum, keep school hours, deliver a broad and balanced timetable, or give formal lessons. You can teach in the way that suits your child.
Many families find their feet by tapping into what's already around them: libraries, museums and galleries (often free), nature reserves and parks, local home-ed groups and meet-ups, sports clubs, and online communities for advice and friendship.
It's also worth thinking ahead about exams if that's your path. Home-educated young people usually sit GCSEs or IGCSEs as private candidates at registered exam centres, and you'll pay the entry fees yourself. IGCSEs are often more practical for private candidates because many specifications avoid coursework and controlled assessment. There's no automatic government funding for home education in England, so it's wise to plan exam costs in good time.
Take the first weeks gently. Deregistering is the paperwork; the learning grows from there.
Frequently asked questions
How do I deregister my child from school to home educate?
In England, for a child at a maintained school or academy, you write to the head teacher stating that you are educating your child at home and withdrawing them from the school. The school must then remove your child from the register. You do not need LA approval. The special-school exception applies if your child was placed at a special school by the LA, where you need LA consent first. As this touches the law, it's worth checking current gov.uk guidance too.
Do I need permission to take my child out of school in England?
No. You do not need permission from the school or the local authority to home educate a child at a mainstream maintained school or academy. You give written notice and the school removes your child from the register. The exception is a child placed at a special school by the LA, which needs LA consent.
What should a deregistration letter say?
Keep it short. Include your child's full name and date of birth, their class or year, a clear statement that you are educating them at home from a stated date and withdrawing them from the school, and a request to remove them from the admission register and notify the LA. Sign and date it. You don't need to give your reasons.
Who do I send the deregistration letter to?
Send it to the head teacher of your child's current school, as they hold the admission register. Use a method that gives you proof of the date, such as a dated receipt, a saved email, or tracked post. You can copy the LA in as a courtesy, but you don't have to.
Can I deregister my child from a special school?
Not by letter alone if the child attends a special school under arrangements made by the local authority. In that case you need the LA's consent to deregister. This is different from a mainstream school. For support, specialist SEND organisations such as IPSEA and SOS!SEN can help you understand your options.
What happens after I deregister my child?
The school removes your child from the register and informs the LA, and the duty for your child's education becomes yours. The LA often makes informal enquiries to check the education is suitable. You don't have to meet them, allow a home visit, or report in a set way, though engaging helps. Keeping a simple record of learning makes any contact easier.
A note on accuracy. This guide is general information, not legal, medical, or professional advice about your situation. Education law and guidance differ across the UK and change over time — always check the current guidance from your government (gov.uk, gov.scot, gov.wales, or the relevant NI source) and speak to a specialist (such as IPSEA or SOS!SEN for SEND) for advice on disputes, EHCPs, or tribunals.