BCP Council has a duty to be satisfied that all children are receiving a suitable education and that includes those being electively home educated. The Government’s Department for Education provides guidance for parents and local authorities in relation to EHE:

Department for Education guidance for parents and local authorities

BCP Council's elective home education policy,

As a parent or carer, you are legally responsible for ensuring that your child receives an efficient, full-time education suitable:

• to his or her age, ability and aptitude
• to any special educational needs he or she may have

This can either by regular attendance at school or otherwise (section 7 of the Education Act 1996).

It may be helpful to consider the following questions:

• what does your child or young person think about home education
• can you provide them with an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, ability and needs
• do you have the time, ability and suitable space to educate your child at home
• will you be able to engage your child in learning
• can you take on the full financial responsibility
• what would happen if you are not available to provide suitable full-time education for a short or long period
• how will you choose what to teach your child and how to teach it?
• what is your goal for their education. will your child sit exams such as GCSEs?

For more information email: ehe@bcpcouncil.gov.uk, we will aim to help you make the right decision for you and your child, personal to your own circumstances.

If you are considering EHE and your child is at school, you should tell the headteacher in writing that you want to take them out of school to educate them at home, before you begin home educating. You should also inform the EHE team at BCP council, by email at ehe@bcpcouncil.gov.uk, as we have a duty to track the education of children in our area.

You will be contacted by BCP Council to check details such as your child's name, their date of birth, your contact details, together with a brief outline of your home education plan. The education you provide must be full time. and suitable for your child. The education plan should consider any special educational needs your child may have and learning style. This could involve a mix of structured learning, online resources, and everyday experiences. Providing everything is satisfactory, your child’s name will be deleted from the school’s admissions register.

If your child has an EHCP

The SEND team will schedule an annual review and as part of that process ask you for information about the education you are providing through EHE to make sure it continues to be suitable for meeting your child’s needs. Inform the SEND team at BCP Council if you move house or your child starts school, as soon as possible.

If your child does not have an EHCP

The EHE team will contact you each year to ask you for information about the education you are providing through EHE to make sure it continues to be suitable for meeting your child’s needs. Inform the EHE team at BCP Council if you move house or your child starts school, as soon as possible.

If you are home educating and wish to apply for an Education Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment, you can make the application yourself. Click here to find out more information. SENDiass4BCP have further information on EHC Needs Assessments for children and young people.

1. Think About Your Child’s Needs

• What does your child enjoy?
• Do they need extra help with anything?
• Do they learn better by seeing, hearing, or doing?

2. Make a Daily Routine

• Set times for learning, play, meals, and rest.
• Keep it simple and flexible.

3. Use Different Ways to Learn

• Structured Learning: Use books, worksheets, or lessons.
• Online Learning: Try websites, videos, or learning apps.
• Everyday Learning: Cooking, shopping, nature walks, or talking about the world.

4. Create a Good Learning Space

• Find a quiet place with a table and chair.
• Keep learning tools nearby (like pencils, paper, or a tablet).

5. Make Learning Fun

• Use games, songs, or crafts.
• Let your child choose some topics they like.

6. Check Progress

• Talk with your child about what they’ve learned.
• Celebrate small wins to keep them motivated.

7. Ask for Help if Needed

• Talk to teachers, other parents, or support groups.
• Look for local or online resources.

If your child has an EHCP and is at a special school, you will need to let the school know you wish to home educate your child. The school will inform your child's Education, Health and Care Co-ordinator (formally known as Case Offer), who will acknowledge receipt of the request and will ask you the following:

• who will be your child's main educator and what is their availability to deliver a full-time equivalent learning programme
• what subjects do you plan to teach your child and what resources do you plan to use
• considering your child’s needs as described in their EHCP, what approaches to learning will you take to ensure your child engages and progresses e.g how do you plan to deliver their learning in a way that will work for your child

Your responses will be sent to ehe@bcpcouncil.gov.uk and the team will review the suitability of your child's planned education. If BCP Council considers that the home education to be provided would meet your child's special educational needs and give their consent, your child's name will be deleted from the school's admissions register. Until consent is given, your child's name will remain on the school roll and your child must continue to attend school. If there are concerns, the SEND team will call an annual review and invite the home education team to attend in order to provide advice and guidance around the choice to home educate.

Your EHCP should set out the type of special educational provision that BCP Council thinks the child requires. It should state that parents have elected to home educate.

Annual Review

If there are concerns, the SEND team will call an annual review and invite the home education team to attend in order to provide advice and guidance around the choice to home educate.

See Annual Assessment for home educated children section below for more information.

All EHE children have the suitability of their education assessed annually. 

If your child or young person has an EHCP, this assessment is done as part of their annual review, so you only need to have to have one annual assessment.  This ensures that your child's EHCP reflects their needs are being met through their home education provision. The EHE home education Annual Review Process form and EHE with an EHCP Process needs to be completed and returned in advance to: ehe@bcpcouncil.gov.uk. If there are queries over the suitability of your child's education, the EHE team and your Education, Health and Care Co-ordinator (formerly known as Case Officer) will discuss with you what steps are needed to resolve any issues.

At any time, you can decide to stop home educating and send your child to a school for their education. However please remember there may not be a place immediately available at your chosen school. 

Without an EHCP

If you remove your child from school to home educate but decide that you'd like them to go back to school at a later date, you will need to contact the School Admissions Team and make an In Year application whilst you continue to home educate. We (the council) will consider your school preferences and if a space is available, will offer it to you.

If you inform us that you are no longer home educating, we will refer your child to the Children Missing Education (CME) Officer at cme@bcpcouncil.gov.uk and BCP Council will find your child a school place. However, you will not be guaranteed a place at your local or preferred school.

With an EHCP

If you remove your child from school to home educate but decide that you'd like them to go back to school at a later date, you will need to contact the EHC Coordinator. They will work with you to find appropriate provision for your child to name in Section I whilst you continue to home educate.

If you inform us that you are no longer home educating, we will refer your child to the Children Missing Education (CME) Officer at cme@bcpcouncil.gov.uk and your Education, Health and Care Co-ordinator (formerly known as Case Officer) will work with you to find appropriate provision for your child to name in Section I.

For more information on school admissions, contact the School Admissions Team

If you choose to teach your child at home ( Elective Home Education or EHE), you are fully responsible for their learning, health, and wellbeing. You also need to pay for any costs.

• if you decide to employ a tutor either as a paid service or through someone who volunteers to help – make sure they are safe to work with children e.g. they have a full Disclosure and Barring Service Clearance (DBS)
• make sure your child or young person has opportunities to make friends and socialise and look after their physical and mental well-being – joining activity clubs like sports groups or creative groups can help with this
• if you want your child or young person to sit an exam you will have to arrange this yourself – you can contact local schools, private tuition centres, or colleges to see whether they can help with this
• you can ask a school if your child or young person can be taught there part-time but schools do not have to agree to this.”
• if you want your child to have work experience, be aware that child employment regulations apply to children who are electively home educated
• apprenticeships are not available for compulsory school age children. .” For more information on apprenticeships and internships click here.
• if you fail to keep in contact through an annual review, or other requests for information, and BCP Council are unable to identify how your child is receiving their education, your child or young person will be referred to the Children Missing Education team (CME) at cme@bcpcouncil.gov.uk. This team will cease the period of elective home education and record the child as CME and they will then undertake checks, for example on council tax records.