While parents must make sure that their children receive education, by law, this does not necessarily mean sending them to school. While most 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 their right to home educate, 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
- a wish to deal with a child’s additional support needs in a particular way.
You are not required to seek consent to home educate if:
- your child has 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- your child is being withdrawn from an independent school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 but has not yet started secondary education
- the school your child has been attending has closed
It would be helpful for parents to inform the Executive Director of Children and Families Service that they intend to home educate even if permission is not required. Please contact ASN@dundeecity.gov.uk.
You are required, by law, to seek Local Authority consent to home educate if your child is already in attendance at a school.
If I want to home educate and need consent, what should I do?
Request consent to withdraw your child from school by contacting Audrey May, Executive Director of Children and Families Service in writing by email to audrey.may@dundeecity.gov.uk. Your request should be made as early as possible and, where reasonably practical, well in advance of the date you wish to withdraw your child from school. The request should include your 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. An Officer will contact you to discuss your request and to go through the consent process with you.
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 also be satisfied that an efficient education is being provided and staff will remain in contact by meeting with you and your child, usually once per year, with your agreement.
Carol Shaw, Principal Teacher, Additional Support, is the Dundee City Council Officer who supports Home Education requests and programmes. She can be contacted via ASN@dundeecity.gov.uk.
Please note that Council staff may offer advice to families, but other forms of support such as equipment, books or expendable resources will not normally be made available.
Further information on Home Education:
If you require any further information or support, please contact: