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main content Educating your child at home - FAQs (continued)

Can I educate my child part-time at home and part-time at school?

This is often called flexi-schooling.  Permission for this style of education is at the discretion of the head teacher and governors.  The child would be registered at the school with authorised absences and still be subject to the National Curriculum.

Who do I need to inform if I wish to educate my child at home?

If your child is of pre-school age then you need not do anything. However, by advising the Local Authority of your intention, you will support the LA duty to satisfy itself that your child is receiving an education. If you are withdrawing your child from school and he/she is of statutory school age, you are required to write to your child’s school stating your intention to educate your child at home. The school will then take your child off the school roll and have no further responsibility for your child’s education. You now assume full responsibility for your child’s education including any financial implications. Bromley has no discrete funding to support the home education of your child.

Section 13(3) of the “The Education (Pupils Registration) Regulations 1995” makes it a duty of head teachers to inform the Local Authority within 10 school days when a parent has confirmed in writing their decision to educate their child at home.

What will the local authority do and how will it ensure that the provision is satisfactory?

The Education Welfare Service will make contact with you within 10 days of being notified that you intend to educate your child at home. They will send you an information pack with a proposal form for you to complete and return. In line with Bromley’s Safeguarding Children Board's protocol for safeguarding children educated at home, you will be invited to complete a common assessment.

Between six and eight weeks later, an education advisor will make an appointment to visit you and check whether your arrangements are appropriate so that we can be sure your child is receiving a suitable education.

We would hope that you could describe a coherent educational philosophy showing your serious intent to educate your child, and could show us what you are doing and what your child is achieving in such a way that you would convince a reasonable person that your child is receiving efficient, full-time education suited to their age, ability and aptitude.

If the advisor is able to fully satisfy us at the first home visit, or from information provided by you, we will subsequently arrange to visit you at home or request information once each year to discuss your child’s progress. However, if the advisor expresses any doubts or other questions are raised, then the follow–up contact would be more frequent.

If we feel that the education you are providing does not offer your child an appropriate education, we will tell you why and give you the opportunity to address those concerns.

If after a reasonable time, we are still not satisfied that your child is receiving suitable education, the Education Welfare Service may insist that you register the child at a school. We would stress that this will only happen if we are convinced that you are not educating your child according to their age, ability and aptitude and we hope that, through detailed discussion, we will be able to show you exactly why this is so.

What if I don't inform anybody and just keep my child at home?

If your child has never attended school, no permission or notification is required.

However, if your child already attends school you must inform the head teacher of your decision in writing. Non-attendance at school without permission while still registered at the school may result in legal action being taken, as this would be classified as unauthorised absence.

Sections 437-443 of the Education Act 1996 confer a duty on the local authority to act if it appears that a child of compulsory school age is not receiving education suitable to age, ability, aptitude and special needs.

Clearly, we can only be sure whether or not we have to act if we know what educational provision is being made for children. Therefore we need to ask you for a home visit or written information or both so that we know what provision is being made.

What are Truancy Patrols?

Bromley Education Welfare Service, with uniformed police officers, carries out a programme of Truancy Patrols within the borough boundaries. During designated days, the patrols approach all children who appear to be of school age.  The parents or carers of children who are educated at home should reassure them about these patrols. The child should be told to explain that they are educated at home. The officers will, however, continue to collect details of the child for statistical purposes and to check the validity (and at the same time parents who can check the authority of the officers). Be assured that Education Welfare Officers will carry identity and the police officer will be in uniform.

Home-educated families can be confident that the data from these patrols is confidential to the Education Welfare Service and only statistical information will be published.