Home Schooling (Elective Home Education) - WNC

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) support the rights of parents to educate their child at home.

Where children are educated at home, WNC works in partnership with parents to ensure the child receives a suitable education that takes into account their age, ability, aptitude, and any special educational needs they may have.

What Should I Do if I Want To Educate My Child at Home?

You should inform the headteacher of your child's school in writing. The school are then required to inform WNC.

If your child is not on a school roll, for example if they have never attended school or have just moved into Northamptonshire, please email [email protected].

Home Schooling a Child With SEND

All children have the right to be educated at home regardless of any special educational needs or disability.

Children With Education, Health, and Care (EHC) Plans

If your child has an EHC Plan, the local authority will contact you to arrange a review. You can decide where to hold the review but it cannot be in a public place. 

After the review, the EHC 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 EHC Officer about how to do this.

Parental Responsibilities

There is no requirement for parents to follow the national curriculum or to have premises equipped to any particular standard. However, you must inform the local authority of how you plan to educate your child.

Complete an Elective Home Education (EHE) Plan

If you live in West Northants (Daventry, Northampton, or South Northants), you will need to complete a Home Education Plan form within four weeks of commencing home education:

See the website for more details

The Role of the Local Authority in Elective Home Education

WNC must satisfy itself that parents are fulfilling their educational duties to their child. If you don't provide evidence of this, they will make informal enquiries before considering the need for further action.

Where these informal enquiries are not successful and it appears that a child is not receiving a suitable education, WNC may serve a notice on the parent. This notice requires the parent to satisfy the authority that the child is receiving suitable education.

If this order is not complied wwithin the timescale, WNC will serve a School Attendance Order on the parent, naming a school at which the child must attend.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

•  What happens if my 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 my 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.

•  Will I get any funding for my child?

No, when you decide to home educate you take on responsibility for all the costs. WNC may be able to help with some services but you would need to discuss it with them. 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 WNC provide some tutoring at home until they are well enough to return but this is not the same as elective home education (EHE). 

•  What about therapies and equipment?

Often families find their child’s needs for therapy change when home educating. If your child has a medical need then these therapies should continue but they are not arranged by WNC. 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.

•  Is it possible for my child to have their special educational needs assessed?

WNC 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 WNC if you would like to discuss this.

Please Note: Elective Home Education (EHE) should not be confused with Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS).