Home schooling a child with SEND
Elective home education describes when parents decide to provide education for their children and young people at home instead of sending them to school. All children have the right to be educated at home regardless of any special educational needs or disability.
Local authorities have a legal duty to intervene if it appears that parents are not providing a suitable education.
Who to tell if you are educating your child from home
You must notify your child’s school of your intention to home educate a child.
The school will notify the local authority and we will contact you about the arrangements you are making for your child's education.
You will be allocated an elective home education support worker who will arrange a home visit to discuss your plans and arrangements.
Children with education, health and care (EHC) plans
If your child has an education, health and care plan, the local authority will contact you to arrange a review. You will be able to decide where to hold the review but it cannot be in a public place.
After the review, the plan will be updated to reflect any needed changes, including the place of education. The local authority has a duty to review the plan annually, and this will be best done with you.
You may choose to take control of the process and submit a summary report of the meeting. Please talk to your SEN Officer about how to do this.
What happens if your child has never been to school
If your child is not on a school roll, for example if they have never attended school or if they have just moved into Northamptonshire, please email [email protected].
What happens if your child is at special school
If your child is at a special school or unit, you will still need to inform the school, but your child will stay on their school roll for a short period of time. After being notified, the local authority, in most cases will give consent to the school to remove your child from their roll. Your child does not need to attend school during this period.
Funding for your child
When you decide to home educate, you take on responsibility for all the costs. We may be able to help with some services but you would need to discuss this with us. Some parents choose to fund private tuition for their child.
Some children may not be able to attend school due to a medical condition so we provide some tutoring at home until they are well enough to return but this is not the same as elective home education.
Therapies and equipment
Often families find their child’s needs for therapy change when home educating; each child is different. If your child has a medical need then these therapies should continue but they are not arranged by us.
If they stop because you’re home educating talk to the NHS service involved or, if you need a referral, approach your GP or child’s paediatrician.
Needs assessments
We will consider any request for a needs assessment regardless of the child's education arrangements.
Before requesting an assessment though it is worth considering why you might want one. Please get in contact with us if you would like to discuss this.
How to contact us
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Last updated 06 December 2023