What to do first in Scotland

You may have no idea what to do first, throughout our website we try to explain everything you need to know.

Once you have made your decision to Home Educate, legally you need to deregister/withdraw from school (if they are registered at a school).

Make sure you check the menu for the process of deregistration/withdrawal (see the menu) as it is different between UK countries.

If your child has never been to school then there’s no requirement (or benefit) to inform the LA.

You could have planned to Home Educate before the children were born, it could be a decision made when deciding on a school, or as a last resort due to bullying, or special needs not being met. Sometimes the school system just isn’t right for you or your child, and sometimes families choose to Home Educate because they like the idea of it. There is no right or wrong reason. It is a legal option, and one we can take at any time. School does not have to have failed, you do not have to have kept fighting. 

You should find everything you need to know on our site, if in doubt you're welcome to contact us.

Whilst legally, the education must be suitable from day one, this does not mean recreating school at home, many children need time to recover from school and to settle in, to find their way of learning etc. Our styles section explains more.

Now, this may seem pedantic, but terminology is important. In the UK the correct term is Home Education rather than Home Schooling. This is because Home Schooling happens when the child is still registered at school but receives an education at home via school/LA due to being ill or suspended for example. The correct terminology affects your searches for groups and resources as well as the response from professionals and others.

It can be scary… but knowledge is power, and we are here to share that knowledge.

Making the decision to Home Educate can be daunting, but be assured we have your back. 

Here’s our step by step guide on what to do:

Checklist:

Read this page
The FAQ
Deregistration
Home Ed styles
Dealing with the LA
Teens 
Exams
Blog and news page
And the rest of the site, it's got everything you ever need. 

And make sure you have signed up to our newsletter so you are informed of any legal changes, plus lots of helpful stuff. 

Then join your local Facebook group, by searching for ‘Home Education your town’.

We would like to point out that making the choice to Home Educate can be made at any time, it also doesn’t have to be a ‘forever’ decision, nor does it have to be a last resort where all other options are exhausted. 

And join us on our socials. 

If you are feeling too overwhelmed to take all of this in, then have a read of our 'Home education for dummies', it is a very simplified explanation, but do read our site for full info.