All children of compulsory school age have a right to an education; however, this does not have to take place in school.
The responsibility for a child’s education rests with their parents, and they can choose to educate their children other than at school.
Some parents or carers may choose to educate their children themselves, others may employ tutors. Often parents join a local home education group to share the cost of activities.
De-registering your child from school
If your child is already registered in a school, you need to inform the school in writing that you are removing your child to be educated at home.
If your child attends a special school, the SEN team would need to be consulted before your child can be removed from the school roll.
You can find more details about the process for de-registering in our de-registration flowchart.
Homeschooling from an early age
Parents can home educate their children from a very early age, never enrolling them at school. They may also elect to home educate at any other stage up to the end of compulsory school age.
Find out more about homeschooling
Our Elective Home Education team can answer any queries about homeschooling. You can email the team at ehe@trafford.gov.uk or call 0161 911 8624.
Our Elective Home Education policy also contains information about the principles and practice of homeschooling in Trafford.
Children missing from education
We are legally required to identify children missing education (CME) and to ensure that all children of compulsory school age receive appropriate education. Find out more about CME.