Parents or carers currently Electively Home Educating

Guidance for parents or carers who are currently electively home educating.

Guidance for parents or carers

If you are a parent/carer who is considering electively home educating your child we recommend you read the ‘What you need to know’ document which has been published by the Department for Education.

The Government has produced guidance to help parents understand their obligations and rights in relation to elective home education.

If you feel your child has special educational needs and may need an education health and care assessment. Find more information and guidance on making a Education Health and Care Assessment request. 

Other guidance

Guidance for local authorities and schools about children educated at home

Read our Elective Home Education newsletters

Our Elective Home Education guidance for parents

Read our Elective Home Education guidance for parents

Read our Elective Home Education Policy and Procedures

Resources for Elective Home Education

Resource pack

These sites and services can help support you with your child’s home education. Parents and carers have recommended these services and sites.

Home education

  • GOV.UK: Home education - provides some information for all aspects of education, including a section dedicated to elective home education
  • Curriculum Information - contains information on both primary and secondary curriculum subjects
  • Home Education Advisory Service - PO Box 98, Welwyn Garden City, Herts. AL8 6AN, Telephone: 01707 371854, Email: enquiries@heas.org.uk
  • Home education in the UK - lots of information and guidance for new and continuing Home Education Families including exams, blogs, de-schooling
  • Home-Education - contains links to free resources and information for parents and carers around Home Education
  • He-exams - information regarding exams whilst home educating
  • A Home Education - articles on every question you could think of surrounding issues impacting your child's home education - A Home Education was created to provide you with an accurate reference point where you will be able to read advice and information that you can trust
  • Education Everywhere - this is an information sharing service staffed by a highly experienced team of volunteers - they help anyone with a query about alternative approaches to education other than going to school. Telephone: 01942 897779.
  • Educational Freedom -  a non-profit organisation with the primary purpose of ensuring all Home Educators have access to free information and support
  • Home Educating Families’ Festival - Home Education Festivals is a non-profit organisation which runs home education events in the UK, most notably they organise and run the Home Education Families’ Festival every summer and more recently the Winter Home Educating Families' Festival event
  • Cambridge iGCSE information - a wealth of information about home schooling
  • Kids on the Net – invites children to submit their own writing, plus lots more to explore
  • Topmarks Education - teaching resources, interactive resources, worksheets, homework, exam and revision help
  • Writing Fun -  helping kids with how to write using text organizers - an interactive writing resource

Useful website for learning

KS 1 and 2 (ages 4 to 11) & KS 3&4 (age 11 to 16)

  • Teachit English Key Stages 3,4 and 5 (membership required)
  • Home Schooling Ideas - whether you're just about to start home-schooling, or you're ready for a change - there ARE ways to organize exciting home school schedules and regain happy, motivated children
  • The Khan Academy - a free personalized learning resource for all ages
  • Open University, Open Learn - free online courses available through the Open University’s Open Learn website, including languages, maths, the sciences and the social sciences
  • Maths Key Stage 1-4, Emaths - providing free resources for mathematics teachers and students since 2004
  • MyMaths - MyMaths is a fully interactive, online mathematics learning solution for children of all ages and abilities (subscription required)
  • School History - KS3, GCSE, IGCSE & A-Level History Revision Resources, History lessons, resources and online history revision courses for KS3, GCSE, IGCSE, IB and A-level curriculum
  • BBC Bitesize - learn and revise all subjects Key Stages 1-4
  • Ed Place, Helping Children Succeed - subscription site covering English, maths and science
  • Sparkle Box - free online primary school teaching resources.
  • Twinkl - instant access to a complete range of award-winning teacher-created, engaging and inspiring teaching, planning and assessment materials
  • Reading Eggs  - Reading Eggs makes learning to read interesting and engaging for kids, with great online reading games and activities
  • The Royal Institution, Science Lives Here - discover the range of educational activities and resources provided by the RI throughout the year
  • Learn Chemistry - Learn Chemistry has everything for students of chemistry and the chemical sciences from primary to higher education
  • Creative Chemistry - gull-colour worksheets and teaching notes for fun activities suitable for a chemistry club, and around three hundred pages of question sheets and practical guides for GCSE and A Level chemistry
  • Literacy Planet - comprehensive and engaging online programme to develop literacy skills
  • iXL - IXL is an immersive learning experience that provides comprehensive, curriculum-aligned maths and English content for reception to year 13
  • Steiner Home Education - offering a wonderful and unique home education system delivered right to your door - Waldorf inspired home schooling takes a personal approach to educating your child by offering teaching plans balancing head, heart and hands based on the Waldorf/Steiner Curriculum
  • Duolingo - learn languages for free
  • Oxford Owl - Oxford Owl is packed with expert advice, top tips and activity ideas so you can help your child with reading and maths
  • Exemplar Education - maths and English tuition (a subscription is required)
  • Get My Grades - online learning platform covering KS3/4 maths, English, biology, chemistry, and physics (subscription required) 
  • Corbettmaths - free resources for primary to GCSE
  • Sumdog - maths and English free resources, KS1/2/3
  • White Rose Maths – maths planning and resources linked to the National Curriculum (EYFS – KS3)
  • Numerise  - structured maths learning (subscription required)
  • Tagtiv8 Active Learning Approaches Teach Maths and English – physically active learning
  • The Literacy Shed - inspiration for creative writing tasks
  • Mathsframe maths games for KS2: designed by a teacher for teachers – online maths games and resources for KS2
  • Scratch - For Parents (mit.edu) - free online programming resource for KS2 upwards for those interested in computer programming at a younger age

Websites offering GCSEs and iGCSEs

  • Interhigh Virtual Schooling - InterHigh School delivers a fully interactive, accredited British education to the comfort of your home or wherever you may be
  • National Extension College - NEC is an award-winning online distance learning college covering GCSEs and A-Levels
  • Online Learning College - The Online Learning College offers a range of home study courses to students in the UK and overseas
  • Cambridge Assessment International Education - the four stages lead seamlessly from primary to secondary and pre-university years: each stage – Cambridge primary, Cambridge lower secondary, Cambridge upper secondary and Cambridge advanced – builds on the learners’ development from the previous one, but can also be offered separately
  • ECHO (Educating Children at Home and Otherwise) iGCSEs - Key Stage 3 and IGCSE Courses and tutoring - for home educators, by home educators 
  • Cloud Learn – GCSE and A-Level distance learning specialists
  • Open Study College - a range of GCSE courses open to adult learners and to school age pupils who would do better outside of a traditional school environment - these courses can be completed entirely from home at a learner's convenience and come with learning materials and dedicated personal tutor support

Books

  • CGP revision guides and practice papers - English, Maths, Science, History
  • WH Smith Challenge English/Maths/Science series
  • Letts KS2/3/4 Study guides
  • Letts Monstrous maths series; stupendous spelling, Success in Maths/English/Science at KS2
  • Letts Premier ICT at KS2
  • Hodder: English Gold KS3
  • Atlas of exploration (+ CD-ROM)
  • Collins: Practice with basic skills KS2/3
  • Collins: Complete Woodworkers’ Manual
  • Dorling-Kindersley: covering a wide range of subjects. for example, Dinosaurs, Eyewitness Shakespeare, etc.

Examination Boards

If parents would like to purchase copies of past national curriculum test papers:-

QCA Order line - PO Box 29, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 1GN
Tel: 08700 606015
Email: orderline@qca.org.uk

QCA Publications -  PO Box 99, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 6SN          
Tel:  01787 884444

The BBC also sells past national curriculum test papers.  These are available from some bookshops and stationers.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Other helpful websites

Elective Home Education ID badge and letter

We are able to offer an Elective Home Education authorisation card, which can be carried and used to confirm your child’s Elective Home Education status.

Examination information

Electively home-educated children and young people are eligible to sit public examinations. This can be done through a variety of ways.

The following criteria allow a home educated child or young person to sit exams at school when it has been:

  • previously agreed at the time of leaving to commence elective home education; an agreement is made by the Headteacher that the child or young person may return to access exams by commencing flexi-schooling
  • previously agreed at the time of leaving to commence elective home education that the school will:
    • provide information on the examination board recognised by the school enabling parents/carers to access syllabuses ensuring the correct material is covered for the exam
    • monitor module/course work, facilitate the exam process by providing a place for the exam to take place and cover all costs incurred (this place must be confirmed with the school before February of the academic year of sitting the exam)
  • previously agreed at the time of leaving to commence elective home education that the school will provide information on the examination board recognised by the school enabling parents/carers to access syllabuses ensuring the correct material is covered for the exam and provide a place for the exam to take place (however, the parents/carers must cover all costs incurred) - this place must be confirmed with the school before February of the academic year of sitting the exam

The following criteria allow home educated children and young people to sit exams as external candidates when:

  • a college accepts children and young people under the age of 16 when accompanied by an appropriate adult where both adult and children and young people  have enrolled on an adult learning course - both candidates will be entitled to sit the exam of the chosen subject by private agreement and cost
  • a college accepts children and young people under the age of 16 by private agreement and cost
  • parents have contacted the examination board of their choice to access syllabuses ensuring the correct material is covered for the chosen subject - the board will then secure a place at a given venue for the children and young people to sit the exam such as a college or adult education centre by private agreement and cost

Examination Boards

Examination centres have discretion to decide whether to allow external candidates to use their centres and you would need to contact the centres directly to find out if they will do this. You will also be responsible for any costs associated with your child sitting the examination for example, entry fee, administrative costs etc. You will be able to find out where the examination centres are from the relevant examination board. You may also want to talk to other home educators in your area, as they may be able to tell you from their experience which centres accept external candidates.

The internal assessment component of many standard qualification courses such as Standard Grades, National Qualifications and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) can restrict the choice available to home educated students.  On the other hand, the examining board Edexcel has made their International GCSE’s (with coursework-free option) available to home educated children. 

Board Web address Telephone
AQA (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) website 01483 506 506 (Guildford)
01423 840 015 (Harrogate)
01619 531 180 (Manchester)
City & Guilds City and Guilds website 08445 430 033
Edexcel Edexcel website 08456 180 440 
OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations) Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations website 01223 553 998

Private candidate support grant

Find out about the government private candidate support grant.

More information

Find more information from the Home Education UK Exams and Alternatives Facebook page.

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Read our one minute guide to accreditation routes.

Access to college for 14-16 year olds

Further education colleges and sixth-form colleges (colleges) are able to enrol and receive funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for students aged 14 to 16 years old. Colleges sometimes admit children aged 14 or 15 who are being electively home educated. They can only be enrolled and funded for part time courses.

Child employment

Children aged between 13 and 16, while they are still of compulsory school age, can legally work. Only certain types of work and certain hours of work are allowed. Employers must obtain a work permit for school age employees. Find out more about child employment. 

Work experience placements

Find more information about work experience placements from NYBEP Education and Business in Partnership.

Careers advice

The National Careers Service is a free careers service for adults and young people aged 13 and above in England. Advice and guidance can be accessed via the telephone and online. The National Careers Service provides confidential advice and guidance to help your child make decisions on learning, training and work opportunities.

Alternative Provision

See further information about alternative provision in North Yorkshire. 

Read our one minute guide about employing tutors and using alternative providers.

Post-16 Providers in and around North Yorkshire

See guidance and information on preparing for adulthood with SEND.

The following provide post 16 education in and around North Yorkshire.

Supported Internships Providers

E-safety

The internet is an excellent tool for learning, particularly for children and young people who are experiencing education is an environment outside of school. However, it is essential that sites accessed by the child are checked by an adult on a regular basis. The main reason for this is to protect the young person from undesirable materials, but it is also necessary to make sure the site’s content is relevant to the child’s needs.

This list of websites, contacts and publications has been compiled to save parents/ carers time in finding suitable sites. Further advice on e-safety can be found at:

Support available

Healthy Child Team

The Healthy Child Team works with children ages 0-19 to promote and protect their health and wellbeing. They offer advice and information and conduct health checks.

See more information about the Healthy Child Team.

Your child’s vaccinations

Childhood infections like measles and whooping cough are rising, with outbreaks across the country. Such infections can have a huge impact on your child’s life. They can miss out on learning time because they are unwell, be hospitalised, and even experience life-long complications and disability. If your child isn’t vaccinated, they’re not protected.

It is important for you to take up the offer of the NHS’s free childhood immunisation programme as soon as you are offered it to ensure your child has the best protection. However, if you or your child have missed a vaccine, it is never too late to check if you can catch up. You can check your child’s red book to see if they have missed any vaccines, or check with their GP if you are unsure. The School aged immunisation service (SAIS) is available for all children of school age, irrespective of their education setting. Home-schooled children can attend local SAIS clinics to receive vaccinations, including catching up on any missed vaccinations and the seasonal flu vaccination. Your child’s GP surgery or the local authority public health teams will be able to provide contact details of your local SAIS. 

Mental health and wellbeing

Find out about mental health and wellbeing support services for children and young people, including CAMHS, Compass Phoenix and Kooth.

Early help

Early help is the term used by all agencies to describe North Yorkshire's approach to providing early support to families at any stage of a child's life when a problem or difficulty first arises. Early help supports children, young people and their families to be happy, healthy and safe, as well as helping them to achieve their potential and increasing their ability to manage life's challenges.

To find out more, visit our Early Help Offer page. You can also  read the Early help strategy (pdf / 1 MB) which sets out our ambitions for Early help services across North Yorkshire.

Children's social care

Find out about social care for children and the options available.

SENDIASS North Yorkshire

SENDIASS North Yorkshire is a service for parents and carers of young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and /or disabilities (SEND) as well as young people themselves. It is impartial, which means it is not bias and gives confidential information, advice and support that is arms length to the Local Authority.

Find out more about SENDIASS North Yorkshire.

For further information about how we processes your personal data, please see our Elective Home Education Privacy Notice

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