Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – Guide for Home Ed Parents

Not in the form described on this page as of 21 April 2026. The bill was still in its final parliamentary stages. That is why it is important to separate the current legal position from the proposed changes.

No. Home education remains lawful. The bill is about stronger visibility, information-sharing, consent in some cases, and additional local authority powers and processes.

No. The proposed consent rules are for specific categories of children, especially some children with child protection involvement and some children at relevant special schools. It is not a blanket consent system for every home educating family.

Under the current position, you should not assume the bill’s proposed powers are already active. However, the policy notes say local authorities would have power to request to visit the child in their home, and refusal could become a relevant factor in SAO-related decisions if those changes are enacted.

The bill is better understood as creating formal information requirements and registers rather than a single universal “reporting format”. In practice, though, many families may find it much easier to respond if they already keep clear records and can produce a structured report when needed.

The policy notes say this would include core identifying details plus information about the education being provided, including estimated time educated by parents and by other people or providers. The government has also proposed amendments to simplify some of this.

The current baseline still comes from section 7: efficient, suitable, full-time education. The bill changes oversight, registration and process. It does not turn home education into a requirement to reproduce school exactly.

Stay informed, keep calm, and improve your record-keeping. A simple, clear body of evidence and a structured report are likely to help more than trying to guess every future procedural detail in advance.

No. The bill does not make home education illegal. The main changes are about visibility, information requirements, possible register duties, and stronger local authority powers in some circumstances. Home education itself remains lawful.

The proposed Children Not in School register is intended to cover children of compulsory school age who are not receiving all of their education through a relevant school, and some children receiving education otherwise than at school in more mixed arrangements. It is not framed as a “bad faith parent” measure — it would apply much more broadly.

The proposed framework includes identifying details such as the child’s name, date of birth and address, along with information about the education being provided. It may also include estimates of how much education is being provided by parents and by other people or providers.

The bill includes provisions that could require some out-of-school education providers to provide information to local authorities if they educate a child above a prescribed threshold. The exact scope is expected to depend on regulations, so this is an area worth watching carefully.

Under the proposed changes, local authorities would be expected to consider the child’s home and other learning environments in some situations, and the policy notes describe powers to request a home visit. Parents should distinguish carefully between what is proposed, what is enacted, and what later guidance says in practice.

Under the proposed system, some children would need local authority consent before being withdrawn from school for home education, including children on a child protection plan and some other categories. This is one of the most significant proposed changes in the bill.

Not in every case. The proposed consent rules are targeted at specific categories of children rather than all families. For many parents, the current general position remains different unless and until the new rules are enacted and brought into force.

The bill does not turn home education into a requirement to mimic school. But if information requests become more formal, families may find it helpful to keep clearer records, examples of learning, and simple evidence that shows what education looks like in practice.

This page is mainly focused on England. Some provisions are framed for England and Wales, but the practical home education position can differ across the UK. If you are outside England, always check the nation-specific legal and guidance position as well.

Under the current position, parents should be careful not to assume every proposed power is already active law. However, the bill and policy notes suggest local authorities could have stronger powers to request a home visit in some circumstances if the changes are enacted. The exact position would depend on the final law and any later guidance.

Not in every case. The proposed changes are aimed at specific categories of children, rather than creating a blanket permission system for all home educating families. Whether consent would be needed depends on the child’s circumstances and whether the relevant provisions are enacted and brought into force.

The bill is better understood as increasing information requirements and formalising the relationship between families and local authorities, rather than imposing one fixed “evidence format”. In practice, many parents may find it easier to respond if they already keep clear notes, examples and a simple report.

The core legal baseline still comes from section 7 of the Education Act 1996: education should be efficient, full-time and suitable to the child’s age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs. The bill changes oversight and process more than it changes that basic legal starting point.

The proposed system is not best described as one universal rule requiring all parents to send a standard report on a fixed timetable. It is more about registers, information-sharing and clearer formal processes. That said, families with a clear report ready may find it much easier to respond if councils ask for information.

The proposed framework includes basic identifying details and information about the education being provided, including estimates of time educated by parents and by others. The exact practical requirements may still depend on the final legislation, amendments and later regulations.

Yes, home education is not abolished for children with special educational needs. But some proposed rules around consent and special schools make this an area where the exact circumstances matter a lot. Parents dealing with SEN or specialist placements should pay close attention to the detail and seek specific advice if needed.

In some proposed circumstances, yes. The bill and government amendments indicate that local authorities could require school attendance in certain categories of case, particularly where safeguarding-related concerns apply and where school attendance is judged to be in the child’s best interests.

The biggest change is that some parents would need local authority consent before a child could be removed from the school roll for home education. This is a significant shift away from the assumption that deregistration is simply a matter of parental notice in every case.

The most useful records are usually simple and practical: dated notes, examples of activities, projects, reading, trips, photos and a short explanation of your educational approach. You do not need to record everything, but a clear record over time may become even more useful if the proposed changes come into force.

The most sensible preparation is calm and practical: keep a simple dated record of learning, make your educational approach easy to explain, and keep a few clear examples of activities, projects, reading and progress. Good organisation is likely to become more useful, not less.