Elective Home Education (EHE)

What is Elective Home Education?

Elective Home Education (EHE) means choosing to educate your child at home instead of sending them to school. This is a legal option for parents and carers, and it’s recognised by the Department for Education (DfE).

Most children who are home educated are of compulsory school age (usually 5 to 16 years old). However, some older children also opt to home educate after the age of 16.

By electing to home educate, you will be fully responsible for the education of your child, including financially. This includes paying for and organising any tuition, teaching, resources and examinations. The London Borough of Barnet, Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS) and the child’s previous school do not organise or fund home education or examinations for home educated children.

 What isn’t Elective Home Education?

EHE is a discrete area of education. It’s not the same as:

• education provided by the Local Authority when a child is enrolled at a school but unable to attend for medical reasons.
• education provided by the Local Authority when a child cannot attend school due to exclusion or other reasons.
• education that a child may be receiving at home provided by parents/ carers, tutors, tutorial centres or school while still enrolled at a school.
• education provided at home during lockdowns (e.g. Covid) – sometimes referred to as ‘home schooling.’ 
• EOTAS (Education Other Than At School.) Whilst a child registered as EOTAS may be educated at home, the local authority remains responsible for providing the child’s education package. 

Registering your child for Elective Home Education

 If you’ve decided to register your child for EHE here’s what you must do:

1. Let the school know

If your child is currently attending a school, you must send a deregistration email/ letter to their school informing them of this decision. You must include the date you plan to start home education in your email/ letter. Your child can’t be registered with BELS EHE for home education until this step is done. 

2. Register

Once you’ve informed the school (or if your child is not enrolled in a school), you can register for EHE using the link provided below.

Please note:

• you and your child must live in the London Borough of Barnet to register your child for EHE.
• your child must be of compulsory school age to be registered (usually 5 to 16 years old).

Children with an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP)

If your child has an EHCP and is currently attending a Special School, you must obtain consent to deregister your child or young person from the school before you register online. Please contact your SEN Officer at BELS to discuss this further. 

If your child has an EHCP and is currently attending a mainstream school, they can be registered online using the link below.