Educating your child at home

The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 states that it is the duty of the parent of every child of school age to provide efficient education for them by either by them attending a public school regularly or 'by other means'.

While most parents fulfil their responsibility to provide education by sending their child(ren) to school, Home Education is one such 'other means'.  If parents are providing a home education experience for their child(ren) it should be suitable to the age, ability and aptitude of their child(ren).  It should also take account of any additional support needs that their child(ren) may have.

South Lanarkshire Council seek to support those delivering Home Education by providing information that will assist parents/carers when making this decision.

Providing Home Education on a permanent basis is a significant commitment as it means removing the child(ren) from school and taking full responsibility for the child(ren)'s education. If you are considering providing Home Education for your child(ren), you might find it helpful to discuss your plan with the Head Teacher or Depute Head Teacher at your child's school or other parents who already Home Educate.  Alternatively, you can request an informal discussion with the link officer responsible for Home Education in South Lanarkshire Council.

If you decide to request to remove your child(ren) from the school roll to provide Home Education, you will be asked to share your plans on how you will provide an efficient education for your child(ren).  You can share your plan in writing or verbally.

Additionally, the Council has a responsibility to gather information from their own records and those of other services and agencies to identify if there is any reason to refuse consent.  Consent may not be able to be granted in some situations, where a child is subject to a voluntary or compulsory supervision order or when a referral has been made to Social Work or the Police for child protection concerns. 

Any information or gap in information that may lead to a delay in reaching a decision on a request to Home Educate will be discussed with the parent.

It is important to note that while your request is being considered, your child(ren) should continue to attend school.

Further information

If you wish a copy of the parent booklet or the home education form please contact the Inclusion Service.

Please refer to the links to the right of this page for more information on resources and websites to assist you when considering home education.

The contact details for those wishing to enquire about home education are provided below:

Address: Education Resources, Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton, ML3 0AA

Email: educationinclusion@southlanarkshire.gov.uk

Phone: 0303 123 1023