Educating your child at home

You can choose to teach your child at home for: 

• a fixed period
• a phase of education (for example, primary or secondary)
• your child's full education

This is known as home schooling, or 'elective home education'.

For ideas and guidance on how to get started with subjects you can teach at home, see subjects to teach.

For more information about resources that can help you with educating your child at home, see Resources, guidance and advice for Elective Home Education.

View the Elective Home Education Policy.

You don't need permission to home school your child if they attend a mainstream school, but you should let us know.

To get in touch contact Allyson Poole on 0191 424 6361 / 07866178880 or email CYPSYPReferrals@southtyneside.gov.uk and provide your:

• name
• email address or phone number
• child's name
• child's date of birth
• address
• child's school, and reason for leaving the school

You will be offered an informal chat to share the work that your child has completed. This isn't essential, but we do ask you to provide us with some information yearly, to see if any further support is needed.

If your child has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

If your child has a Education Health and Care Plan (ECHP) and attends a special school, you'll need to get permission off the Council to educate them at home. You can do this by speaking to the school's SEND coordinator (SENCO) or contacting your SEND officer.

Children who are educated at home should receive a full-time education, but these hours may be spread throughout the week.

You also don't need to stick to normal term times.

We have a responsibility to make sure children are safe and getting a suitable education. We keep a list of children being educated at home and will try to contact families throughout the year.

We will arrange suitable times to:

• talk with the family to check contact details are correct
• provide advice, guidance or support

If we believe a child isn't getting an appropriate education, we will contact parents to give them time to address and resolve any issues.

If issues aren't resolved, a school attendance order can be issued.

This means the child must attend a named school.

You can change your mind at any time and your child can return to school as soon as a place becomes available. We can't guarantee this will be at their original school. 

You will need to fill out an in-year transfer form before they return.

For more information on school admissions, see school admissions.

The school-leaving age for children in England is 16.

This means if your child will turn 16 by the end of the summer holidays, they can leave school on the last Friday in June.

They must then do one of the following until they are 18:

• stay in full-time education
• start an apprenticeship or traineeship
• spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training

In Year 11 they will be offered advice from a career's adviser on the next steps of their education, employment, or training.