Deregistration from mainstream school in Wales.

The process of deregistration from mainstream school in Wales is simple. (For Special School keep reading)

Ensure you understand what Home Education entails and what the Local Authorities duties are before you deregister.

• We suggest you provide your reason for Home Ed in writing at the point of deregistration, keep it positive. We suggest giving reasons such as enjoying the flexibility Home Ed gives, the ability to learn more than is taught in school, ability to have many more outings.

• The EHE guidance puts quite a but of emphasis on stepping in and stopping families from deregistering if they are not doing it for good reasons. Therefore if you definitely want to Home Educate even if school was awful, we suggest only giving a positive reason.

• You MUST send a deregistration letter or email to school. It must state that you no longer need the school place as you are taking responsibility for your child’s education by Home Educating. Our template ensures it is worded correctly, there is no need to add any more to is. It can be typed or handwritten and only needs one parent's signature.

• Get a postal receipt, ask for a receipt from school or an email acknowledgment. This is so they can not claim to have not received your deregistration.

• You are not obliged to give any notice. You can take the letter in as you pick your child up on their last day, or on the morning of the first day they don’t attend. Giving notice can lead to the school talking to your child without your agreement, or attempts to make claims that are not true.

• Please be aware that once you have sent the deregistration letter your legal duty is complete. You are not obliged to chase the school up for confirmation or to inform the LA of your intent.

• Home Education must take place from day one. To understand what this means please read our What to do first section.

• Many schools will not acknowledge or respond to your letter. Do not panic, it is bad mannered but very normal.

• The school MUST remove the child’s name immediately use our failure to deregister letter if they attempt to delay.

• The school will pass your details to the EHE team at the LA.

• Sometimes schools do not understand Home Education and may try to convince you it is a bad idea.  Some may say things like ‘it will be detrimental to the child’, or that it ‘is illegal’.  Please feel confident that it is legal and in most cases it will not harm your child’s development. 

• You are not obliged to discuss your decision with the school. There are no legal requirements or reasons to meet with school if you are confident in your decision to Home Educate.

• Being in a mainstream school with an EHCP does not affect the deregistration process. Though some schools will try to tell you otherwise.

• If your child attends a special unit attached a mainstream school you should deregister with the mainstream dereg letter.

• Deregistering usually triggers an EHCP review, this is normal. You do not have to allow the EHE person to be present at reviews.

• If your child has never been enrolled in a school you need not inform anyone of your decision.

• If your child is due to start/already enrolled in Nursery or Reception you must inform the school that you do not need the place any more, you are not obliged to inform them as to why.

• If your child is under 5 years old and registered at a school, you should inform the school you no longer require the place. No reason is needed except that your child is not of compulsory school age and you have decided not to utilise the place.

• If your child attends a fee paying school you do not have to deregister, you do however have to inform the school the date the child will stop attending (make sure you are in-line with any contract/agreement you have agreed with regards to fees).

• If the school refuse to remove your child’s name then they are breaking the law.  You have fulfilled your legal duty by sending the deregistration letter, but if you wish to you can send our failure to deregister letter explaining the law to them.

• If you are considering deregistering a teenager, please read this page.

• Ensure you have read through all of our website (look at the menu) so that you understand what Home Education is and isn’t. Remember you do not have to create school at home, you are responsible for ALL of the education, including costs and sourcing materials exams, and that the role of the LA is one of ensuring the provision is suitable, not one of support or advice.

• Remember to join local and national Home Education groups on Facebook.

Deregistration from Special School

It is important to remember that the process to deregister from special school requires consent.

• You NEED consent for your child's name to be removed from special school, you can not just stop sending your child.

• Consent is not needed if the child is in mainstream with an EHCP, please follow the mainstream deregistration process.

• Use this template letter to request consent.

• You are expected to write to the LA, asking for consent for your child to be removed (deregistered) from the register of a special school.

• It is recommended that in the letter you describe how Home Education will cater for their special needs. Referring to their EHCP section B and how you will meet their needs is helpful. You are likely to need to go into quite a bit of detail, this is because LAs have a duty to provide for any special needs that you can not, such as SALT or Occupational Therapy.

• Your child must continue to attend until consent is given to deregister, if your child is too ill to attend then we advise you seek a doctors note.

• You are not likely to continue to receive support such as a laptop, or other aids, you will become financially responsible for your child’s education.

• Depending on your child’s needs, it can be possible to be allocated a personal budget through the LA, this is usually only done if the LA agree there are no suitable school places available.