Home education

Before educating your child at home, consider:

• the time and energy you will need to invest to ensure your child gets a full and balanced educational experience
• the costs which may be involved in ensuring your child receives a broad range of educational experience
• the resources required to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum, such as science and design and technology equipment, books and ICT equipment
• what opportunities for socialisation your child will have

You should also talk to your child about their views on home education.

If you are currently educating your child at home, you can choose to admit them to school at any time. Contact us if you would like to talk about your child's return to school.

If your child is currently in school

You need to write to the headteacher of their school to tell them that you would like to educate your child from home. You should request that they remove their name from their register from the date of your letter.

The headteacher will tell us about your decision within 10 days.

If your child has Special Educational Needs (SEN)

If your child has SEN and attends a special school, you need our permission to educate them at home. Email SEN.section@stockton.gov.uk or call 01642 527145 at to find out more.

You do not need permission if your child has SEN and attends a mainstream school, even if they have an Education and Healthcare (EHC) plan.

Our role in home education

Once we know that you plan to educate your child at home, we will contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss your rights and responsibilities. This can be at your home, or an alternative place if you prefer. 

After you have been educating your child at home for a certain time, we will contact you to discuss the education you are providing for your child. We will discuss:

• our role as a local authority
• your child's education so far
• how your child feels about being educated at home
• the way you are teaching numeracy, literacy and personal and social development
• resources and support available to you

We will also arrange regular follow-up visits to ensure that you continue to meet the requirements of Education Act 1996 for Education Otherwise.

Contact us

If you have questions relating to educating your child at home, contact the Elective Home Education Officer.

• 01642 527155
• attendance.team@stockton.gov.uk
• Elective Home Education Officer
  EDC@SSFC
  Stockton Sixth Form College
  Bishopton Road West
  Stockton - on - Tees
  TS19 0QD