To deregister your child from a mainstream school in England and Wales, simply send an email or letter to the head of the school and ask for your child to be removed from the school register.
Many parents have removed their children from school during the Coronavirus pandemic. Most have decided to deregister their children to avoid the threat of fines imposed by the government.
If you wish to deregister your child please use my letter template below and edit it to suit your circumstances.
Can I Deregister From School By Email?
Yes, you can send an email, a letter or both. Make sure that you get confirmation and keep copies as proof.
Special Schools
If your child goes to a special school, you will need consent to deregister, however, consent is not needed if your child goes to a mainstream school with an EHCP, so you can follow the standard deregistration process.
To deregister a child from a special school you will need to write to the LA, asking them for consent to deregister.
In your letter, it’s a good idea to inform them about how you will cater for their educational needs. Sometimes it is possible to be allocated a personal budget through the LA if they agree.
Schools in Scotland
To deregister in Scotland, the process is different to England and Wales. Please refer to The Schoolhouse for more information.
Deregistration Letter Template
Download a Word document of this template here.
School Name
Address
Town
County
Postcode
Your Name
Address
Town
County
Postcode
DATE
Re: YOUR CHILD’S NAME & (DOB)
Dear HEADS NAME HERE,
I/we have decided to withdraw my/our child from school, as I/we have made other arrangements for her/his education.
Please delete her/his name from the register with immediate effect in accordance with Education (Pupil Registration) Regulation 8(1)(d) 2006, as he/she is now receiving education otherwise than that provided at school.
I/we will ensure that my/our son/daughter is provided with an efficient full-time education suitable to his/her age, ability, aptitude and to any special educational needs.
I/we would be grateful if you could please confirm that you have received this email/letter and that you have taken INSERT CHILD’S NAME off the register on INSERT DATE HERE.
Kind Regards
SIGNATURE HERE
YOUR NAME, mother/father of CHILD’S NAME and YEAR GROUP.
Know Your Rights
You can take your child out of school to home-educate at any time (unless your child attends a special school) and you do not need to give any notice. You could send an email on the day you decide to take your child out of school and not send them in that day or hand a letter in when you pick up your child.
Once you have emailed or given the letter to the school, the school must remove any children’s names immediately, the school then has to pass on the information to the local authority. You do not have to chase this up!
It is not illegal or wrong to remove your child from school to home-educate, some schools may try and persuade you otherwise but it’s perfectly legal to home-educate and it will not harm your child’s development.
Don’t feel pressured into meeting the school to discuss your decision. You are under no obligation to attend.
The school should not refuse, if they do it is they who are breaking the law. You have fulfilled your legal duty.
Facebook Group
I removed my daughter from school due to the lack of Covid mitigations and negligence. If you are removing your child/children for this reason, please come and join our group – Covid Cautious Community.
Online Learning Resources
Century – We are currently using this. CENTURY is an AI-powered online home learning platform that tailors study materials to the needs of every child.
EdPlace – Home education app from year 1 to GCSE.
Ling App – Explore languages beyond the mainstream, often taught by only a few, and inherently challenging to grasp. Ling simplifies the learning process for these intricate languages.
