Educating your child at home
Elective Home Education is a term used to describe when parents and carers educate their children at home instead of sending them to school.
In Wales, as with the rest of the UK, education is compulsory, but school is not. As a parent you must make sure your child receives an efficient, effective and suitable full-time education from the age of five.
Who do I notify if I want to educate my child at home?
If you are taking your child out of school to educate them at home, then you must inform the headteacher of the school in writing, and ask them to remove your child’s name from the register with the intention to educate them at home.
The school will inform us, and your child’s name will be removed from the register. If you change your mind after this, you will have to re-apply for a school place, and places at the same school may not always be available.
Children with an Individual Development Plan or Statement of Special Educational Needs
If your child has an Individual Development Plan (IDP) or Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) and you would like to take them out of a mainstream school to educate them at home, then you will need to inform the headteacher of the school in writing, and ask them to remove your child’s name from the register. The IDP or Statement of SEN will need to be reviewed before your child comes off the roll.
However, if your child attends a specialist school, you will need to get permission from the Local Authority before removing them from the school roll.
Children who have not been registered at a school
If your child is about to reach compulsory school age and has never been registered at a school, you are not legally required to inform the local authority that you intend to educate your child at home, however, it is strongly recommended that you do, so we can get in touch to offer support.
If your child is about to reach compulsory school age and has never been registered at a school, you can email us to let us know that you intend to educate your child at home.
Help and support
The Local Authority has a duty to ensure all children or young person educated at home are receiving a suitable education. We will be in touch to offer support and guidance and provide opportunities to meet with you to discuss the education your child is receiving at home.
Resources for home education
There are resources available to help you educate your child at home.
Handbook for home educators
The handbook for home educators provides information for parents and carers who are educating their child at home and those who are considering doing so.
View the handbook for home educators (external website)
Welsh language support
There following websites provide help to learn the Welsh language:
Careers Wales
Careers Wales can give you information, advice and guidance to help your child plan their future.
Find out more about Careers Wales (external website)
Hwb
Hwb is a digital learning platform which hosts free learning resources to support the delivery of the curriculum for Wales.
Visit hwb.gov.wales for more information (external website)
Educational trips
The following websites provide information about educational trips:
Volunteering opportunities
You can find volunteering opportunities on the Volunteering Wales website.
Vist the Volunteering Wales website (external website)
Performing and creative arts
The following organisations can help young people explore and develop their performing and creative talents:
Sports
SportsAid’s mission is to encourage, enable and empower the next generation of athletes to achieve their ambitions in sport and life.
Visit the Sports Aid website for more information (external website)
Libraries
Your local library has a large range of resources that you can access for free.
Find your local library
Denbighshire Youth Service
Denbighshire Youth Service is for everyone aged 11 to 25 years old, and offers social activities and opportunities to develop interests as well as help and support for anyone that needs it.
Find out more about Denbighshire Youth Service