Fiducia TogetherElective home education and SEND
Home educating a child with an EHCP. Legal, and the funding does not follow.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
A parent may home educate a child with an EHCP. If the parent makes suitable arrangements, the council is relieved of its duty to secure the special educational provision.
Where it applies
Families of children with EHCPs considering deregistration. If the child attends a SPECIAL school arranged by the council, consent to remove them is required.
How it works
The plan is not cancelled — it must still be maintained and reviewed annually — but the council does not have to fund the provision in it while the parent is making the arrangements.
That is completely different from EOTAS, where the council arranges and pays for a package because school is inappropriate.
What you can ask for
Before deregistering, ask whether what you actually need is EOTAS or a section 19 package. Families under attendance pressure are often steered towards home education, and it moves the cost and the legal duty onto them.
Ask for anything suggested about deregistration in writing.
If you do home educate, ask for the EHCP to be maintained and reviewed. It preserves the route back.
Where to get help
IPSEA has specific guidance on EHE with an EHCP. SENDIASS for free local advice, IPSEA and Contact nationally.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.