Elective Home Education
Elective Home Education – sometimes referred to as ‘EHE’ – is a term used to describe when parents choose to educate their children themselves instead of sending them to school.
In Wales, as with the rest of the UK, full time suitable education is compulsory. There is a duty for parents to secure a full time, suitable and efficient education for children of compulsory school age, either by sending the child to school or through other means. One of these means is for a parent to decide to home educate.
If a parent decides to home-educate their child / children, they need to notify the school in writing. The school will then inform the Local Authority, who then will be in touch to discuss EHE related topics with the family.
Parents of children who have not been on roll at a school before, or who have moved into the area can notify the Local Authority directly that they are providing home education. This will ensure they will not miss out on the support available to EHE families and learners in this area.
Contact the EHE team at
ehe@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk
What happens next when a decision is made to EHE?
When you have notified the school of your intention to EHE and they have completed a de registration form and sent this to the Local Authority, the child will then be added to the Local Authority EHE records. They will no longer have a place at the school which means if you would like the child to return to school, an application will need to be made via the admission team.
Following the decision to home educate, an EHE contact from the Inclusion team will contact the family and offer to meet with them and share resources available for home educators, look at approaches to learning and different schemes of work that could be used and to discuss what their plans might be.
After this initial visit, annual follow up contacts will then be offered to support the home education provision and to establish if it meets or continues to meet the legal requirements of being suitable, efficient and full time. This information will then be used to create an individual report that will be shared with the family.
Ongoing support will be provided when required from the EHE contacts in the Inclusion team. A termly newsletter is emailed out to all EHE families which signposts support and events that are available for EHE families and learners including information about the Government funded wider package of support.
Learners with Additional Learning Needs (ALN)
Learners with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) can be home educated, although we will need to ensure that their ALN needs are suitably met by the EHE provision. However, if learners are attending a special school, their names cannot be removed from the school’s register without the consent of the Local Authority.
What education does a child have a right to receive?
Under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996, the duty as a parent or guardian is to make sure the child receives efficient full-time education suitable for their age, ability and aptitude and for any additional learning needs they may have.
This can be done either at school or otherwise. Education is considered efficient and suitable if it allows a child to achieve their potential and prepares them for adult life. Children have a right to an education under Welsh Law and as part of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. (UNCRC) under Article 28.
Safeguarding and Wellbeing
Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 places a duty upon Local Authorities to investigate concerns about a child’s safety or welfare living or found within the Local Authority area. A parent's decision to home educate is not in itself grounds for concern about the welfare of children. However, as with school-educated children, child welfare issues may arise in relation to home-educated children. If any child welfare issues come to light in the course of engagement with children and families, these concerns will be acted upon appropriately.
What happens if a suitable education is not being provided?
Under Section 437(1) of the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a duty to intervene if it appears that parents are not providing a suitable education. A member of the Inclusion team will offer to make a home visit with the aim of helping you overcome the difficulties within an agreed timescale if this is the case.
If there is inability to demonstrate that a suitable education is being provided, and the Local Authority Officers feel it necessary for the child to go to school, a School Attendance Order (SAO) will be served. For more information on SAOs, please see the All Wales Attendance Framework:
All Wales Attendance Framework
For further information
If you are considering educating your child / children at home please contact the Inclusion Team who can provide further information on the policy and practice surrounding EHE. They can be contacted at:-
You can also download the ‘Hand Book for Home Educators’ which contains more detailed information about home education at Home education: handbook for home educators [HTML] | GOV.WALES