Accounts

Guide

Home education

Publication date
14 September 2026

What it is

Every child and young person has the right to an education. As a parent or carer, you can provide that education by:

  • sending your child to school, or
  • educating them at home.

Choosing to educate your child at home is known as home education.

You’ll take the legal responsibility for deciding what your child will learn and how.

If your child is attending school, you need to request our consent to withdraw them from school before they can be educated at home. You can do this by completing our Request to withdraw your child from school for home education process below.

We will not refuse your request to withdraw your child from school unless we have good reason – for example, if we have significant concerns about your child’s welfare or protection, or we do not think you can give them the education and support they need.

You do not need consent if your child has not been enrolled at a school, for example if:

  • they have not started primary school or secondary school, or
  • you have just moved to Renfrewshire, and they have not started school in the new area.

If you do not need consent, we encourage you to tell us if you’re home educating so we’re able to share important information with you. You can tell us by emailing ESRG@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

We aim to build positive relationships with home educating families based on trust, mutual understanding, and respect.

Our approach to home education follows the Scottish Government’s Home Education Guidance (Scottish Government website). This guidance does not apply to flexi-schooling arrangements.

Home education principles

We recognise that:

  • home education is a parental choice
  • families choose home education for many different reasons
  • parents and carers have the right to home educate, if they offer an education suitable to their child's age and ability
  • children and young people should have opportunities to share their views about their education.

We deal with all enquiries and requests fairly, consistently, and as quickly as possible.

While we do not provide educational resources for home educators, we can offer advice and guidance by:

  • email
  • telephone
  • Microsoft Teams meetings
  • in-person meetings where appropriate.

Before choosing to home educate your child 

You should consider whether you’ll be able to provide a sufficient education for your child at home.

Families use many different approaches to home education. Some follow a structured timetable and curriculum similar to a school. Others take a more flexible approach based on their child's interests, strengths, and learning style.

There is no single approach that all home educating families must follow.

You could choose to use:

If your child is being educated by a private tutor or any other professional, you should consider requesting a Disclosure check. Find out more about Disclosure checks on the Scottish Government website.

Features of a suitable education

A suitable education will:

  • help your child get ready for life in their community and wider society
  • reflect your child's needs, interests, and aspirations
  • provide engaging and meaningful learning experiences
  • include a range of activities and opportunities appropriate to your child’s stage of development
  • include physical activity
  • allow opportunities to interact with other children and adults.

You do not need teaching qualifications to home educate, but you must be committed to providing appropriate learning opportunities.

Qualifications and further education

Before choosing home education, you should read the sections on examinations and qualifications in the Scottish Government’s Home Education Guidance (Scottish Government website).

If your child plans to gain formal qualifications, you'll need to consider:

  • how qualifications will be achieved 
  • assessment requirements
  • examination arrangements
  • any associated costs.

If you’re home educating your child, you’ll take responsibility for arranging and funding formal qualifications.

You can find out more about examinations and qualifications for home educated learners at the Qualifications Scotland website.

Home educated young people can also apply for college courses. Find out more on the Colleges Scotland website.

They may also consider correspondence and online courses, which can provide additional options for students who prefer to work independently. These will usually follow a structured curriculum and programme of work.

Request to withdraw your child from school for home education

Make a request by email

To make a request to withdraw your child from school and educate them at home, email:

Please include:

  • "Home Education Request" as the subject line
  • your name, contact details, and home address
  • your child's name and date of birth
  • the name of their current school and class.

What happens next

We'll ask you to complete our home education proposal template.

The proposal should explain how you'll provide a suitable education that meets your child's age, learning needs, and abilities.

How long a decision takes

We aim to make a decision within 6 weeks.

Sometimes we may need to ask you for more information before we can make a decision.

We’ll also check that there are no child protection concerns, in line with national guidance.

Once we make a decision, we'll write to you to confirm the outcome. 

If we approve your request, we'll:

  • confirm that your child is being home educated
  • remove your child from the school roll
  • send a copy of the decision to the head teacher.

Annual contact

We'll contact you once a year as you must submit:

  • a progress report
  • your plans for the year ahead
  • any updated contact details.

If we become concerned about a child's safety or wellbeing, we'll work with their family and relevant services to make sure they are receiving a suitable education.

In some circumstances, we may ask that a child returns to school.

Financial support

If you’re home educating your child, you may qualify for financial support depending on your circumstances.

Support may include:

Support provided through schools, such as free school meals and school clothing grants, is not available to home educating families.

Find out more about help with money and benefits.

Additional support and health needs

If your child has an additional support need (also known as additional support for learning), you can find out more information on support available at:

  • Enquire website – Enquire is the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning
  • Reach website - Reach offers advice about rights to education and support for children in Scotland.

You can find health information at:

You can also find out information free period products and where to get them. 

When your child reaches school leaving age

We'll contact you when your child reaches school leaving age to provide information about support that may be available.

This can include support through:

If your circumstances change

You must let us know if you:

  • move out of Renfrewshire
  • want your child to return to school.

To tell us about a change in circumstances, email: ESRG@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

If you move to another council area, you should contact your new council to let them know that you're home educating. 

If you give us written permission, we can share your contact details with the home education service in your new council area.

If we do not give consent for you to home educate your child, we’ll write to you to outline why your request has been refused. 

You’ll be given the opportunity to address the grounds on which it has been refused and resubmit your request if you wish.

If you do not agree with the reasons why we refused your request, you can make a complaint through our complaints process.

Contact us

If you would like to discuss home education with us, email: ESRG@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Please include:

  • "Home Education Enquiry" in the subject line
  • your name and contact details
  • your child's name
  • the name of their current school, nursery or education setting (if they attend one).

More information