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Home education

Home education

Things to consider before you decide

If you're thinking about educating your child at home we encourage you to first think about your reasons. 

If these are to do with issues at your child's school, we strongly advise you try to resolve these issues before home educating.

If the relationship with the school has broken down you can apply to another school. Visit the in year admissions page to find out how to do this.

Costs

You'll be financially responsible for providing your child with a suitable education - there is no funding for home education. 

You'll need to take into account the cost of:

  • Books and study materials
  • Educational apps
  • Attending home education groups and activities
  • Trips
  • Exam entry fees
  • Tutors if you choose to use employ one


Teaching and education

You must be able to provide a suitable, full time education and take into account your child's ability, age and any special educational needs.

You'll need to think about teaching your child. You don't have to be a qualified teacher and you don't have to follow the national curriculum. 

Education can happen at any time of the day or week. If you have to work then you will need to think about how this would work for you and your family.

Long term plans

If you would like your child to return to school at some point it is useful to use the National Curriculum as a guide.  

If you would like your child to go onto Further Education then you should consider the importance of sitting Maths and English GCSEs.

The Home Education Officer is able to offer advice on suitable exam boards and local centres which allow private candidates

You'll need to inform the school in writing that you wish to educate your child at home and remove them from the school roll. The school will then inform us.

To help you do this If you can use the: 

     

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan and attends a special school you can still  home educate, but you need to get the consent of the special educational needs team.

They will still maintain and review the Education, Health and Care Plan.

We have a duty to try to identify children who are not receiving a suitable education.

When we're told you're home educating we will:

  • Offer advice and support to parents.
  • Add you to our home education register and send you an information leaflet
  • Give you a 3 month settling in period for you to get established

Home visit

After 3 months the home education officer will contact you to arrange a visit. The visit can be at a time and location of your choosing. It's a chance to talk about: 

  • Your experiences of home education so far 
  • Whether you need any help and support
  • The activities and learning you've done with your child

You don't have to agree to the visit. You can provide a written report of the education you're providing instead.

You don't legally have to engage with the home education officer, but we recommend you do. If we can't establish that any education is taking place, we'll have to inform the education welfare team.  

We aim to encourage an open, honest and supportive relationship with families who are home educating.

If you need extra support

If we deem the education unsuitable the home education officer will make some recommendations for improvement and support. These will be put in writing and reviewed within 4 to 6 weeks.

You'll need to arrange GCSE exams with a centre that accepts private candidates.

For summer exams you'll need to register by the end of January of that year. 

As a private candidate it's likely you'll be charged an administration and exam entry fee.

You can see a list of centres below:

The Emmbrook School

  • Contact: Examinations Officer Steph Guinn
  • Email: SGuinn@emmbrook.wokingham.sch.uk
  • Phone: 0118 978 4406 extension 243
  • Details: Accepts external students for all written exams for OCR, AQA, CIE and Edexcel. We do not accept entries for coursework, practical exams, speaking or listening exams. They charge the board entry fee plus an admin fee of £100
             

Luckley House School

     

St Crispins School

      

To find a centre see the local centres accepting candidates for GCSEs (PDF document).

Useful websites

      

Elective home education policy

For the full policy read the Wokingham elective home education policy (PDF document).

Contacts

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