The short answer
This guide covers England only. It is researched from the regulations and Department for Education guidance listed at the end. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man work differently and each has its own guide.
Check these two things first
You do need the council involved first in two situations:
- Your child is at a special school and the place was arranged by the council. The council has to consent before the name can be removed. If it refuses, the Secretary of State can direct the school to remove it.
- There is a school attendance order naming the school. The order has to be revoked by the council before your child's name can be removed.
If neither applies, you do not need anyone's permission, and you do not have to give a reason.
How to do it
- Write to the head teacher. Strictly, the parents' guidance says you are not obliged to tell the school at all, but until your child's name is off the register you are at risk of prosecution for non-attendance, so writing is in your interest.
- Give a date. Say that your child will no longer attend after a particular day and that you will be educating them otherwise than at school. A notice with no date, or one that is not in writing, does not meet the rules for removing a name.
- Keep a copy, and ask the school to confirm when your child's name has been removed.
- Keep sending your child until that date. The school records attendance up to the day the name comes off, and it cannot take a name off retrospectively.
An example letter
Change the words to suit you. The date and the phrase “otherwise than at school” are the parts that matter.
Dear [head teacher],
I am writing to tell you that [child's full name], [year group], will no longer attend [school name] after [date]. From that date I will be educating [him / her / them] otherwise than at school.
Please remove [child's first name]'s name from the admission register once that date has passed, and confirm to me when you have done so.
Yours sincerely,
[your name]
What happens next
The school must send the council a “deletion return” for every child it takes off the register, giving the reason. If you have told the school your child is being home educated, that is the reason it gives. You are not legally required to tell the council yourself.
The council may then get in touch to ask about the education you are providing. What it can and cannot ask, and what to send, is in our guide What does your local authority actually need to see?
Your duty from the day your child leaves is the same as every parent's: to make sure they receive an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude, at school or otherwise. Our first week guide covers what to do with the days after that.
The law is about to change
Watch for the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026
Once its home education sections start, parents of some children will need the council's consent to withdraw them, and councils will keep a register of children not in school. Those sections only begin when the government makes regulations to switch them on. As at 12 November 2026, it has not. We re-check this every week and will update this guide the day it changes.
If you are starting out, Rocket Learning keeps a dated record of every lesson that you can share with your council if you choose to. Start a free account.
Somewhere else?
The rules are different in each nation. Pick yours: