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When you take your child out of school, the responsibility for their education becomes yours. You don't need a classroom, a timetable or a bookcase full of expensive curriculum. But it does mean you need to think about what your child needs to learn and actually provide opportunities for them to learn it.
What does the law actually say?
In England, the Education Act 1996 says that parents must provide their child with an efficient, full time education suitable to their age, ability and skills - and to any special educational needs they may have. That's the legal requirement.There isn't a list of subjects that every home educator has to teach, You don't have to follow the national curriculum, you don't have to teach for the same hours as school. You don't have to give formal lessons, mark work or write detailed lesson plans.
(Just because I'm saying you don't have to do these things, doesn't mean you cant do them either. That's the freedom. You do what works for you.)
The Department for Education's guidance specifically says that none of these things are legal requirements for home educators.
So what do you have to teach?
That's where things get a little more interesting. You need to provide a genuine education. Home education can look very different from school but it should still be recognisably education.For example, if your child is eight years old, you might be teaching them to read confidently, work on their writing, maths skills or learning about the world around them. If you have an older child, you may be working towards GCSE's or studying subjects in further depth.
You don't need to cover every traditional school subject, you could follow your child's interests and develop them into a project! But you should have a reasonable idea of what your child needs to learn and how you're going to help them learn it.
No, watching YouTube all day isn't home education. Ignoring your child, letting them sit on screens all day, calling it learning...does not count.
This is something I feel quite strongly about. There is a tendency in some home education discussions, even in the news, where people describe almost anything a child does as 'learning'.
Yes, children learn from everyday life, absolutely! They can learn from games, discussions, television, books, cooking, hobbies, playing outside and exploring their interests. But that doesn't mean you can remove a child from school, let them spend 6 hours a day watching TV and call it an education.
Watching a documentary as part of a science topic? Absolutely.
Watching a history programme and then discussing what you've learned? Great.
Using Minecraft to explore architecture, engineering or history? Brilliant.
Spending an afternoon researching something your child is fascinated by? Of course.
But YouTube is a resource, not an education. The same goes for gaming, social media, going for walks or simply following a child's interests.
These things can be part of a home education. They shouldn't be used as an excuse for providing no education at all.
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Do I have to follow the National Curriculum?
No. This is one of the biggest differences between home education and school. You are not required to teach the National Curriculum, and you don't have to copy the subjects and standards used in schools. You can choose your own curriculum and resources, combine different approaches or create your own. You might follow school-style maths and English while taking a completely different approach to science and history. You might use textbooks, or online resources. You might teach through projects or spend a lot of time outdoors - you might do a mixture of all of these. The important thing is that your child's education is suitable for that particular child.There isn't a simple checklist. As I mentioned above, guidance states that a suitable education means that it needs to take into account the childs age, ability and any special educational needs. It also needs to prepare them for adult life.
I'd ask yourself:
* Is my child learning new things?
* Are they making progress?
* Am I teaching things that are appropriate for their age and ability?
* Am I taking account of what they're particularly good at or struggle with?
* Are they developing the knowledge and skills they'll need as they grow up?
* Am I giving them enough variety rather than repeatedly doing the same thing?
* If they wanted to return to school, college or further education later, would their education have left those options open?
A full time education doesn't mean you need to sit at a desk for 6 hours a day. A home educated child can have much more one to one teaching than a child in a classroom, and that learning can happen throughout the day. Education should occupy a significant part of your child's life, rather than being something that happens occasionally when you remember.
You don't need to become a qualified teacher.
You don't need to know everything yourself.
You don't need to teach exactly what your child's old school would have taught them.
And you don't need to spend hundreds of pounds on resources.
You do need to take responsibility for your child's education.
That means choosing what they're going to learn, finding ways to teach it, noticing where they're struggling, helping them make progress and gradually building their knowledge and independence. For some families, that will look very much like school. For others, it will look completely different. Both can be genuine home education.
The freedom is huge — but so is the responsibility. You don't have to recreate school at home. You just need to make sure you're actually educating your child.
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Where to go next -
I've broken the rest of this guide into smaller, practical posts so you can work through one question at a time.My Child Has Never Started School — How Do I Homeschool From the Beginning?
What to do if you're choosing home education instead of sending your child to school, including compulsory school age, Reception, early learning and getting started.
How to Deregister Your Child From School for Homeschooling
Exactly what to do if your child is already at school, including a copy-and-paste deregistration letter and what happens after you send it.
Does the Council Check Homeschoolers?
What happens after you start home educating, including council contact, informal enquiries, reports, home visits and the new legislation.
What Do You Actually Have to Teach When Homeschooling?
What "suitable education" means and how to make sure you're providing a genuine education without recreating school at home.
Do Homeschoolers Have to Follow the National Curriculum?
No — but what can you do instead?
→ Read: Do Homeschoolers Have to Follow the National Curriculum? -
🍁 Coming Soon 🌿
How Many Hours a Day Do You Have to Homeschool?
What "full-time education" actually means and why home education doesn't need to look like the school day.
→ Read: How Many Hours a Day Do You Have to Homeschool? - 🍁 Coming Soon 🌿
How to Plan Your Homeschool
Curriculums, resources, routines, timetables and actually putting your first few weeks together.
→ Read: How to Plan Your Homeschool -🍁 Coming Soon 🌿
Or find the full 'Starting Homeschool' series here.
If you have enjoyed reading this post, and found it interesting or helpful, you can say thank you and support Whimsical Mama by buying me a coffee! I'd really appreciate it! ☕☕
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