Why is a letter all it takes?
Because the law is on your side, and the process is deliberately short. In England, the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 tell the school that once you notify them in writing that your child is being educated otherwise than at school, your child's name is to come off the admission register. You do not ask for approval. You inform.
Two things worth naming early. First, you do not owe the school a reason, a curriculum, a plan or an apology. A single sentence is enough. Second, the head teacher does not have the power to refuse. If they say they need to "approve" it or "process a request", they are wrong, and politely saying so (or forwarding the Education Otherwise link in the FAQ below) usually ends it.
What goes in the letter and what stays out?
Four facts, one intention, nothing else. That is the whole thing.
Include your child's full legal name, their date of birth, the date of their last day of attendance (today or a future date works; a past date is fine too) and a plain sentence stating you are removing them from the school to educate them at home under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 (the law that says parents must provide a suitable education, either at school or otherwise). Sign it off with your name and a note that you would like written confirmation they have been taken off the admission register.
Leave out anything that invites a conversation: your reasons, your philosophy, the curriculum you plan to follow, an apology, a promise to "check in" or an offer to meet. Those are all optional, none of them are required by the Regulations and each one adds surface area for a wobble.
The template
That is the whole letter. Resist the urge to pad it.
A real example
A mum we will call Priya sent almost exactly this email at 10pm on a Tuesday, with her daughter's Year 2 teacher's email in the CC field. The head teacher replied the next morning to say the office would action it and asked if Priya would come in for a chat. Priya thanked her, declined the meeting and asked again for written confirmation that the name had been removed from the register. The confirmation came two days later. The local authority's first letter arrived eleven days after that. Nothing dramatic happened. The whole thing was much smaller than she had rehearsed.
Nation-by-nation one-liners
- England: one email to the head teacher. Removal is automatic under the 2006 Regulations. No LA consent required unless the child is at a special school with an EHCP that names the school.
- Scotland: you usually need the local authority's written consent before withdrawing from a state school, unless you are moving to a new council area. Schoolhouse has the current form of words and a consent-letter walkthrough.
- Wales: similar in practice to England. Write to the head teacher; the school notifies the local authority. Welsh councils often follow up more actively than English ones.
- Northern Ireland: write to the Education Authority as well as the school, using the EA's withdrawal process. HEdNI has templates.
FAQ
Frequently asked.
- Does the head teacher have to accept the letter?
- Yes. In England and Wales, once a parent gives written notification that education is being provided otherwise than at school, the school is required to remove the child's name from the admission register. The head teacher has no power to refuse or delay.
- Do I have to give a reason?
- No. The Regulations do not require one, and most families give none. 'I am removing my child to home educate' is a complete sentence in legal terms.
- When does home education officially start?
- From the date of last attendance on your letter. Legal responsibility for providing a suitable education transfers to you on that date, whether or not the school has replied yet.
- What happens next with the local authority?
- The school tells the LA your child has come off the roll. The LA usually writes to you within a few weeks with an informal enquiry about your educational provision. You do not have to reply, though most families do, briefly.