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Home education in the UK

Home education in Northern Ireland: how it differs across the UK

A Northern Ireland-first explainer for parents: what Elective Home Education means, how EA guidance frames the process, how it differs from EOTAS, and where England, Wales and Scotland use different rules or terminology.

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Current answer

Quick answer: what home education means in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, Elective Home Education (EHE) is parent-led education. The Education Authority Northern Ireland describes it as parents choosing to educate their children “outside of the school system”, and says this is “different to tuition provided by the EA” for an unwell child or for alternative group arrangements.

The parent duty is still real: the Department of Education Northern Ireland summarises the law as requiring parents to secure efficient full-time education suitable to the child’s age, ability, aptitude and special educational needs, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.

The important point for parents is that the four UK nations do not all use the same process or the same terms. This guide starts with Northern Ireland, then compares England, Wales and Scotland so that England-only guidance is not mistaken for a UK-wide rule.

Northern Ireland home education at a glance

These are the main Northern Ireland points to understand before comparing other UK nations.

Education is compulsory, school is not the only way

EA guidance says responsibility for a child’s education rests with parents, and that education may be secured at school or otherwise.

If your child is already on a school roll

EA guidance says parents should notify the principal in writing, with a signed and dated letter and the date elective home education will begin.

If your child has never attended school

EA guidance says there is no legal requirement to contact the EA, but the EHE Team can still engage with parents and offer advice on curriculum, exams and future school enrolment.

The school cannot block formal de-registration

The EA Guidelines say: “Schools cannot legally prevent or delay de-registration” once formal written notification has been received. Parents should still think about future re-registration, especially for selective or over-subscribed schools.

Home education does not have to copy school

EA guidance says Northern Ireland home educators are not required to teach the Northern Ireland Curriculum, use a timetable, keep school hours, give formal lessons, hold specific qualifications or use formal assessment.

Costs and exams sit with the family

EA guidance says parents do not receive financial assistance to fund home education and should plan early for public examinations, approved centres and fees.

SEN and statements need careful handling

Children with special educational needs, including children with a statement of special educational needs, can be home educated in Northern Ireland. Families should engage with the relevant statementing officer where a statement is involved.

Suitability concerns can lead to enquiries

If concerns are raised about whether home education is suitable, the EA may make enquiries. The EA Guidelines describe an informal first step, while noting that formal attendance action can follow if concerns cannot be resolved.

Before you start home education in Northern Ireland

Use this as a practical check before acting. It is written for parents, but it is not a substitute for advice on complex legal, SEN, safeguarding or school-placement issues.

  • Work out your starting point

    Is your child already registered at a Northern Ireland school, or have they never been registered? EA guidance treats those starting points differently.

  • If your child is already registered, write to the principal

    State clearly that you are de-registering your child for elective home education, sign and date the letter, and include the date home education will start. Keep a copy.

  • Check the attendance risk if you do not notify in writing

    EA guidance says that without written notification, the child remains on the school register and absence may be marked as unauthorised.

  • If your child has never attended school, know what is optional

    EA guidance says there is no legal requirement to contact the EA, but parents are invited to contact the EHE Team if they want advice on curriculum, public examinations or future enrolment.

  • Think about your child’s needs and views

    Consider learning needs, health, wellbeing, friendships, workload at home and whether the decision is being driven by an unresolved school problem.

  • Plan SEN or statement steps

    If your child has SEN or a statement of special educational needs, keep the statementing officer informed and think through reviews, provision and evidence of suitable education.

  • Plan exams and costs early

    For public examinations, identify an approved centre or school willing to enter a child who is not enrolled there, and check fees before committing to a timetable.

  • Do not assume a future school place will be available

    EA guidance warns that if you later want your child to re-register, a place at the original school may not be possible, especially where a school is selective or over-subscribed.

Letter to the principal

Suggested wording for telling a school in Northern Ireland

When this applies

A child is on a Northern Ireland school roll and the parent or carer is formally notifying the school of elective home education.

Suggested wording

Dear [Principal’s name],

I am writing to formally notify the school that I am de-registering [child’s name] from [school name] so that they can receive elective home education. The start date for elective home education will be [date].

Please confirm that [child’s name] has been removed from the school register and that the relevant Education Authority process has been followed.

Yours sincerely, [parent/carer name]

Why this helps

EA guidance says written notification should be sent to the principal, signed and dated, and should include the date elective home education begins. This wording keeps those core details clear without adding unnecessary claims.

What Northern Ireland home educators do — and do not — have to do

A common mistake is to assume home education must look exactly like school. EA guidance is more flexible than that, but the duty to provide suitable education remains.

Northern Ireland home education requirements and common assumptions

QuestionNorthern Ireland answerImportant note

Does the duty disappear when a child is home educated?

No. Parents remain responsible for efficient full-time education suitable to the child’s age, ability, aptitude and special educational needs.

This is the core Article 45(1) wording summarised by the Department of Education Northern Ireland.

Do parents have to teach the Northern Ireland Curriculum?

EA guidance says home educators are not required to teach the Northern Ireland Curriculum.

A family may still use curriculum materials if they help the child learn.

Do lessons have to follow school hours?

EA guidance says home educators do not have to use a timetable or set school hours.

The education still needs to be suitable and full-time in substance, not just occasional activity.

Do parents need teaching qualifications?

EA guidance says parents do not have to hold specific qualifications.

Parents should still be realistic about the time, planning and support their child will need.

Do parents need formal lessons, tests or school-style assessment?

EA guidance says formal lessons and formal assessment are not required.

Keeping useful examples of learning can help with future exams, school re-entry or suitability discussions.

Can a child with SEN or a statement be home educated?

Yes. EA guidance says children with special educational needs can be home educated whether or not they have a statement and whether or not they have attended a special school.

Use Northern Ireland terminology: SEN and statement of special educational needs. Do not replace this with England’s EHC plan wording.

Will home education or exams be funded?

EA guidance says parents do not receive financial assistance to fund home education. Parents are responsible for identifying an approved centre or school willing to enter a child who is not enrolled there.

Check exam entry and fees early; do not assume a school or centre must accept an external candidate.

Can the EA ask questions about the education?

EA guidance says the EA has a duty to make appropriate enquiries if concerns are raised about suitability.

The first step described is informal, but unresolved concerns can lead to formal attendance action.

How Northern Ireland differs from England, Wales and Scotland

The shared principle is that education is required, but school is not always the only way. Welsh Government puts this neatly: “education is compulsory, but school is not”. The practical rules still differ by nation.

Comparison of parent-led home education across the four UK nations

NationMain public body or sourceWithdrawal or notification pointCurriculum, contact and checksWhat parents should not assume

Northern Ireland

Education Authority Northern Ireland and Department of Education Northern Ireland.

If a child is already registered, EA guidance says parents should write to the principal with a signed and dated letter and the EHE start date. If a child has never attended school, EA guidance says there is no legal requirement to contact EA, though advice is available.

EA guidance says home educators do not have to teach the Northern Ireland Curriculum, use school hours, give formal lessons or formally assess progress. EA may make enquiries if suitability concerns arise.

Do not import England’s local-council wording or England’s EHC plan terminology into a Northern Ireland explanation.

England

GOV.UK and Department for Education.

GOV.UK says parents should tell the school if withdrawing a child completely. Local-council permission is needed in some cases, including a school attendance order or a special school.

GOV.UK says children must receive full-time education from age 5 and do not have to follow the national curriculum. Councils may make informal enquiries and can serve a school attendance order if education is unsuitable.

This is England guidance. It should not be used as the Northern Ireland process.

Wales

Welsh Government and local authorities.

Welsh guidance says written notification to the school triggers removal from the register, with the local authority notified within 10 school days. Local-authority agreement is needed before removing a child from a special school roll where the child is registered there under local-authority arrangements.

Welsh guidance says home-educated children do not have to follow the Curriculum for Wales or meet fixed learning-hour criteria.

Wales has update-sensitive 2026 children-not-in-school measures. Welsh Government says practical detail will come through regulations and guidance before those measures take effect.

Scotland

Scottish Government and local authorities.

Scottish Government guidance says “consent is needed for withdrawal from school” where a child attends a public school, but consent is “not needed to home educate in itself”. Consent is not needed in several cases, including where a child has never attended a public school or is being withdrawn from an independent school.

Scottish guidance recommends annual contact with known home-educating families, but says this is not a statutory requirement. It also says the authority does not have a right of access to the home or child.

Scotland has the clearest withdrawal-consent difference. Do not describe it as the same as Northern Ireland, England or Wales.

SEN, SEND, ALN and ASN: terms change across the UK

Special-needs language is not interchangeable across the UK. Use the nation’s own official wording when reading guidance or asking for help.

Special educational needs terminology across UK nations

NationOfficial term to expectDocument or process wordingDo not assume

Northern Ireland

Special Educational Needs (SEN).

Statement of special educational needs, where the EA maintains one.

Do not call a Northern Ireland statement an EHC plan.

England

SEN, often discussed with EHC plans in official guidance.

EHC plan for children and young people who meet the English statutory threshold.

England’s EHC plan wording does not apply automatically to Northern Ireland.

Wales

Additional Learning Needs (ALN).

Individual Development Plan (IDP), where required under Welsh ALN guidance.

Welsh ALN and IDP wording should not be used for Northern Ireland facts.

Scotland

Additional support needs.

Scottish guidance discusses local authority duties and support in Scottish terms.

Scotland’s terminology is not the same as England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Exams, costs and future school plans: checks before you commit

Home education can be flexible, but public examinations, resources and future school plans need early thought.

  • Budget for the education itself

    EA guidance says parents do not receive financial assistance to fund home education in Northern Ireland. Plan resources, travel, online materials and any paid teaching support carefully.

  • Plan public examinations early

    EA guidance says parents are responsible for identifying an approved centre or school willing to enter a child who is not enrolled there, and warns that formal examinations can be expensive.

  • Check centre rules directly

    Do not assume a school or approved centre must accept an external candidate. Ask about exam board, syllabus, practical assessments, coursework, fees, access arrangements and deadlines.

  • Keep useful learning records

    Formal school-style assessment is not required by EA guidance, but examples of learning can help with exam planning, future school applications, SEN reviews and any discussion about suitability.

  • Think about re-registration before you de-register

    If a child later returns to school, the same place may not be available. This matters especially where a school is selective or over-subscribed.

  • Separate tutoring from legal responsibility

    A tutor, online class or learning resource may help, but parents remain responsible for ensuring that the overall education is suitable.

Key terms parents will see in official guidance

These definitions keep the article Northern Ireland-led while still making the UK comparison clear.

Elective Home Education (EHE)

Parent-led education outside the school system. In Northern Ireland, EA guidance uses EHE for the parent’s choice to educate outside school and distinguishes it from EA-arranged tuition or alternative group arrangements.

Education Authority Northern Ireland (EA)

The Northern Ireland education body whose EHE Team records de-registration information, sends guidance and support information, offers advice and supports schools with transition practice.

EOTAS

Education otherwise than at school. In Northern Ireland, Department of Education material treats this as authority-arranged provision for children who cannot access suitable education without it. It is not the same as parental EHE.

Efficient full-time education

The statutory wording used for the education parents must secure. The final judgement is about suitability and efficiency, not whether the home day copies a school timetable.

Suitable education

Education suitable to the child’s age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs. In practice, it should prepare the child for life while keeping future options open.

De-registration

Removing a child from a school register when parents take responsibility for EHE. In Northern Ireland, EA guidance says parents should notify the principal by signed and dated letter.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Northern Ireland public guidance uses SEN and statements of special educational needs. Use England’s EHC plan wording only when talking specifically about England.

Children not in school

A Wales and England policy phrase connected with 2026 changes. It is useful in the comparison, but it should not replace Northern Ireland’s EHE terminology unless Northern Ireland guidance uses it.

Official sources used for this guide

Northern Ireland sources come first, followed by England, Wales and Scotland sources used only for the comparison.

  • Education Authority Northern Ireland — Educating your child at home

    Official NI definition of EHE, EHE Team information and public-facing guidance. Last updated 29 April 2026.

    Open source

  • Education Authority Northern Ireland — Guidelines for Elective Home Education

    Detailed NI guidance on de-registration, curriculum, SEN, exams, finance and suitability concerns. PDF linked from the current EA page.

    Open source

  • Department of Education Northern Ireland — Elective home education

    Northern Ireland parental-duty wording and EHE context.

    Open source

  • Department of Education Northern Ireland — Education otherwise than at school

    Used to distinguish EOTAS from parent-led elective home education.

    Open source

  • Education Authority Northern Ireland SEND Plan — Statutory Assessment

    Northern Ireland SEN, statutory assessment and statement terminology used in the key-terms comparison.

    Open source

  • GOV.UK — Educating your child at home

    England comparison only.

    Open source

  • Department for Education — Elective home education

    England guidance on EHE, children too ill to attend school, pressure to de-register and public-exam costs.

    Open source

  • Welsh Government — Elective home education guidance

    Wales comparison: written notification, register removal and special school caveats.

    Open source

  • Welsh Government — Home education handbook

    Wales parent-facing wording, including the education-compulsory/school-not-compulsory phrase.

    Open source

  • Welsh Government — Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 and elective home education

    Update-sensitive Wales comparison on children-not-in-school measures. First published 4 June 2026.

    Open source

  • Welsh Government — ALN and elective home education

    Wales terminology and ALN/IDP comparison.

    Open source

  • Scottish Government — Home education guidance

    Scotland comparison, especially withdrawal consent, annual contact and qualifications. Published 23 January 2025 with errata on 28 May 2025.

    Open source

Related guidance

More guidance from this section

More guidance from this part of the Ed Centre that may help with the same decision, stage or next step.

Related guidance

Home education news and explainers for families

Source-led guides for moments when home-education rules, statistics or local-authority expectations change. Read dates carefully and pair posts with current official guidance for your UK nation.

Support and clarity

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to the questions people ask most often.

What is elective home education in Northern Ireland?

It is parent-led education outside the school system. Education Authority Northern Ireland uses EHE for parents choosing to educate outside school and distinguishes it from EA tuition for illness or alternative group arrangements.

Is home education legal in Northern Ireland?

Yes. Northern Ireland guidance frames the duty as efficient full-time education suitable to the child’s age, ability, aptitude and special educational needs, either by regular school attendance or otherwise. The important caveat is that Northern Ireland rules and terminology should not be replaced with England-only guidance.

Do I need to tell the school if I home educate in Northern Ireland?

If your child is already registered at school, EA guidance says you should notify the principal in writing, sign and date the letter, and give the date elective home education will start. Without written notification, the child remains on the register and absence may be marked as unauthorised.

What if my child has never been registered at school?

EA guidance says there is no legal requirement to contact the EA where a child has never attended school. The live EA page also says the EHE Team will engage with parents whether or not the child has previously been registered, and can advise on topics such as curriculum, public examinations and future school enrolment.

Do I have to follow the Northern Ireland Curriculum at home?

EA guidance says home educators are not required to teach the Northern Ireland Curriculum, use a timetable, keep school hours, give formal lessons, hold specific qualifications or use formal assessment. That flexibility does not remove the duty to provide suitable full-time education.

Can a child with SEN or a statement be home educated in Northern Ireland?

Yes. EA guidance says children with special educational needs can be home educated whether or not they have a statement and whether or not they have attended a special school. In Northern Ireland, use SEN and statement of special educational needs wording rather than England’s EHC plan wording.

Is elective home education the same as EOTAS?

No. EHE is parent-led. EOTAS in Northern Ireland is a separate Department of Education area for children who cannot access suitable education without that provision, including some children who have been expelled, suspended or otherwise disengaged from school.

How is Northern Ireland different from England, Wales and Scotland?

England’s GOV.UK guidance is useful for England only; Wales has written-notification guidance and update-sensitive 2026 children-not-in-school measures; Scotland has a distinctive consent requirement for withdrawing a child from public school. Northern Ireland should be read through EA and Department of Education Northern Ireland sources first.

Sources and references

Sources and references

  • 1.
    Educating your child at home

    Education Authority Northern Ireland · Last updated 29/04/2026 · Accessed

    Official Northern Ireland EHE definition, EHE Team information and parent guidance.

  • 2.
    Guidelines for Elective Home Education

    Education Authority Northern Ireland · PDF file dated 23/11/2020 in URL; linked from EA page last updated 29/04/2026 · Accessed

    Detailed Northern Ireland EHE guidance on de-registration, curriculum, SEN, exams, finance and suitability concerns.

  • 3.
    Elective home education

    Department of Education Northern Ireland · No visible update date on page · Accessed

    Northern Ireland parental-duty wording and EHE context.

  • 4.
    Education otherwise than at school

    Department of Education Northern Ireland · No visible update date on page · Accessed

    Northern Ireland EOTAS context used to distinguish EOTAS from parent-led EHE.

  • 5.
    Statutory Assessment

    Education Authority Northern Ireland SEND Plan · No visible update date on page · Accessed

    Northern Ireland SEN, statutory assessment and statement terminology.

  • 6.
    Educating your child at home

    GOV.UK · No visible update date on page · Accessed

    England-only home education comparison source.

  • 7.
    Elective home education

    Department for Education · Published 1 November 2007; last updated 19 August 2024; parent guidance PDF April 2019 · Accessed

    England guidance on EHE, illness education distinction, pressure to de-register and public-exam costs.

  • 8.
    Elective home education guidance [HTML]

    Welsh Government · First published 11 March 2025; last updated 11 March 2025 · Accessed

    Wales statutory guidance on home education, written notification and special school caveats.

  • 9.
    Home education: handbook for home educators [HTML]

    Welsh Government · First published 12 June 2023; last updated 12 June 2023 · Accessed

    Wales parent-facing home education handbook and quoted wording.

  • 10.
    Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 and elective home education [HTML]

    Welsh Government · First published 4 June 2026; last updated 4 June 2026 · Accessed

    Update-sensitive Wales comparison on children-not-in-school measures.

  • 11.
    Additional learning needs (ALN) and elective home education [HTML]

    Welsh Government · First published 27 March 2026; last updated 27 March 2026 · Accessed

    Wales ALN and IDP terminology for the UK comparison.

  • 12.
    Home education guidance

    Scottish Government · Published 23 January 2025; errata published 28 May 2025 · Accessed

    Scotland comparison source on withdrawal consent, annual contact, access to the home or child and qualifications.