For most children, going to school has become the norm worldwide, making a marked change from before the introduction of mandatory student attendance laws, when young people were predominantly educated at home by their families and communities. In recent years, however, Elective Home Education (EHE), or homeschooling, has experienced a resurgence in popularity across the UK. A BBC investigation recently found that the number of students educated at home in South East England has risen by nearly 80% since 2020, a statistic illustrative of a national trend: in the past year, the number of students in Elective Home Education has risen by 15% nationally. As an increasingly popular choice, it is helpful to understand how to homeschool your child and why it may be an appealing option for your family.
Choosing to educate your child at home may bring a lot of uncertainty, but it also opens the door to a wealth of opportunities beyond the National Curriculum. Although children are legally required to receive full-time education from age 5, homeschooling makes it possible to tailor classes to each child’s specialised developmental needs and prior knowledge. Breaking away from the standardised UK curriculum and omnipresent classroom setting will allow you and your child to learn together, creating a safe and encouraging space to set the pace without the impulse to compare themselves to others or feel left behind. There is no comparison in terms of the amount of personal attention a student receives, where your child will get to ask every question and excel as a result of their own curiosity.
Last year, the average class size for primary schools in the UK was 27 students; for secondary school classes, it was 22. In both cases, institutional class sizes are on the rise compared to previous years, resulting in less individual time and attention for each student. Increasing class sizes involves further logistical complications, with time lost to lesson handover and class interruptions. Poor timetabling efficiency in schools can lead to significant time savings for home-educated children, who, unlike their peers, do not have to participate in hymn practices, sit through other student’s performances, or flounder in tangential cover lessons when their regular teachers are unavailable. Instead, a more fluid and personal schedule could leave more room for extracurricular interests or time spent with family and friends.
Perhaps because of their more streamlined schedules, homeschooled children have been proven to accomplish more academically. The National Home Education Institute, a research body based in the United States, has recently concluded that 78% of peer-reviewed academic achievement studies show that homeschooled students perform statistically significantly better than those in institutional schools.
Although choosing to take on your child's education may seem daunting, survey data suggests that the improved results achieved by homeschooled students are not affected by their parents’ prior level of formal education. Furthermore, there is no trend to suggest that parents who are certified teachers improve their child’s academic ability any more than other home educators. Children can only benefit from personalised attention and care, regardless of their parents’ previous educational background.
Also known as flexible schooling, some parents make arrangements with nearby schools, registering their child to attend part-time alongside their homeschool curriculum. Choosing part-time enrollment helps alleviate the pressure on parents new to homeschooling, as they can share the load with professional teachers. It is important to note that where parents have a right to electively home-educate, there is no similar right to flexi-schooling, and all schools may not support the idea. For information on your area, check your local authorities’ website.
Online tuition companies also offer flexible part-time tuition that can work alongside any homeschool curriculum while continuing to focus on one-to-one development and learning. For more information on how Shine Tutoring can work with you, please refer to our Find a Tutor page or contact us directly.
There are several financial constraints associated with choosing to homeschool. For the school year 2024/5 in the UK, institutions received £7,690 for each student between the ages of 5-16, equating to roughly £700/annum spent on their learning expenses by the taxpayer. This money funds subscriptions to online educational sites, stationary, craft materials, computers and textbooks. Although children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) may be eligible to receive funding, and some local authorities may provide educational resources and support for specific learning needs, homeschooling is not eligible for government funding in most circumstances. Although choosing how to homeschool your children offers more freedom, associated costs must also be considered.
To begin the process of removing your child from school, you must write to the headteacher expressing your intention to home-educate. As local councils have a legal duty to ensure children in their constituencies are being educated, the school will then notify your local authority, and your child’s name will be removed from the school roll. This process usually takes around six weeks.
After removing a child from the school roll, it is then the parent’s responsibility to enter their child for public exams (e.g. GCSEs, A Levels) as an external candidate, including finding a suitable exam centre and arranging for any special concessions.
Many parents of children with special educational needs consider homeschooling their children. Regarding practical differences in making this choice, parents must seek the council’s permission to educate at home. Please check the local authorities' website for detailed information and guidance in your area.
Choosing a system and sticking to it may be daunting when it comes to the practicalities of starting to homeschool. It is essential to consider whether it is achievable and sustainable within the home environment and to make the most of using pedagogical approaches that are not possible in institutional schools. For more information on the most popular homeschooling methods, please see these helpful articles from homeschool.com.
Deciding to home-educate a child is not a decision to be taken lightly. There are many factors to consider, from the developmental benefits of one-to-one tuition to the financial and mental effort parents put into it. However, with a wealth of information available online and a growing community of homeschooling families, having the right support can help more people reap the benefits of home education.
