While parents have to make sure their children receive education, this does not necessarily mean sending them to school. While many parents fulfil their responsibility by sending their children to school, some parents choose home education.
There are several reasons why parents might wish to exercise this right, including:
- religious or cultural beliefs
- philosophical or ideological views
- as a short-term intervention for a particular reason
- dissatisfaction with the system
- a child’s reluctance to go to school
- a child’s problems when at school, eg bullying.
- geographical – due to remoteness, or mobility for work or cultural reasons.
- wish to deal with a child’s additional support needs in a particular way.
If I want to home educate or be considered for flexi-schooling, what should I do?
If your child is already in attendance at school, you should write to:
Additional Support Needs Manager (3-18)
Old Panbride School,
Panbride,
by Carnoustie,
DD7 6JP
or email Ruiz-FernandezO@angus.gov.uk
to request consent to withdraw your child from school:
- as early as possible and, where reasonably practical, well in advance of the date you wish to withdraw your child from school
- include initial proposals as to how you intend to provide an efficient and suitable education for your child
- you are not required to indicate the reasons for your decision, but may choose to do so.
You are not required to seek consent to withdraw if:
- your child had never attended a public school in the authority’s area
- your child is being withdrawn from an independent school
- your child has finished primary education in one school but has not started secondary education in another
- the school your child has been attending has closed
It would be helpful for parents to inform the Additional Support Needs Manager, who is also the key point of contact for Home Education for the local authority, that they intend to home educate.
Whether or not you had to seek consent to withdraw you are responsible for ensuring that your child/ren receive an appropriate education.
The local authority must be satisfied that the education being provided is both efficient and suitable to the child’s age, aptitude and ability and will request an update from home educating families.
Local authority staff may offer advice to families, but it should be noted that other forms of support such as equipment, books or expendable resources will not normally be made available.
Further information
Home Education Guidance: Scottish Government publication
Learning at home, home education and flexi schooling on mygov.scot
If you require any further information contact:
Additional Support Needs Manager (3-18) Ruiz-FernandezO@angus.gov.uk