Home education and special educational needs

SEND and home education

If your child has special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) you have an equal right to home educate.

However, if your child currently attends a special school their name cannot be removed from the roll of that school without the agreement of the local authority.

• If a child who is home educated has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the local authority remains responsible for ensuring that the child’s needs are met and are under a duty to maintain the child’s EHCP and to review it annually.
• It may be appropriate, once it is established that a child’s special educational needs are being met without any additional support from the County Council, to review the EHCP.
• If the home education which the parents are providing falls short of meeting the child’s needs, as identified in the EHCP, then this education would not be deemed suitable.
• If, after a period given to address the concerns, the education is still considered not suitable, you will be asked to send or return your child to school.
• If you fail to do so a School Attendance Order may be served.
• If you are educating your child at home and feel they have special educational needs you may ask the County Council to carry out a statutory assessment (or reassessment) for an EHCP.