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Quick answer
Flexi-schooling means your child stays on a school’s roll but attends part-time and is educated at home for the rest of the week. It is entirely at the head teacher’s discretion: there is no right to it and no appeal if the head says no. Time at home is recorded as authorised absence (code C), and the head can withdraw the arrangement.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026. Checked against the Department for Education’s elective home education guidance and paragraph 360 of Working together to improve school attendance (2026). General information, not legal advice.
What if you do not want to choose between school and home education, but a bit of both? That is flexi-schooling: your child stays on a school’s roll but attends part-time, and is educated at home for the rest of the week. It can be a brilliant middle path, but there is one crucial thing to understand before you get your hopes up.
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In a flexi-schooling arrangement your child remains a registered pupil at the school and attends for agreed sessions (say three days a week), while you take responsibility for their education on the other days. They are not deregistered, unlike full home education. The school still marks the register, and the agreed home-education days are recorded as authorised absence.
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The crucial catch: it is at the head teacher’s discretion
This is the part many parents do not realise. Flexi-schooling is not a legal right. It can only happen if the head teacher agrees to it, and they are under no obligation to say yes. Some heads are enthusiastic about it, others will not consider it, often because of how part-time attendance affects their attendance figures. So the realistic first step is a friendly, well-prepared conversation with the head, not an assumption that you can simply opt in.
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- Put your request in writing to the head teacher, proposing a specific arrangement (which days at school, which at home).
- Explain how it benefits your child, and reassure the school you will take responsibility for the home days.
- Be flexible and collaborative. A head is far more likely to agree to a clear, reasonable plan than an open-ended one.
- If they agree, get the arrangement in writing, including how absence will be recorded.
Who it suits
Flexi-schooling can work well for children who are thriving socially at school but struggling with the full-time pace, for children with health needs or anxiety who benefit from shorter weeks, and for families who want some structured school input alongside home learning. It is also sometimes used as a gentle stepping stone, either easing into home education or easing back towards school.
If the head says no
If flexi-schooling is refused, your options are to continue with full-time school, or to deregister and home educate fully (which is a right, unlike flexi-schooling). Some families in this position choose full home education and then build in the structured group activities their child would have got at school.
Frequently asked questions
Is flexi-schooling a legal right in the UK?
No. Flexi-schooling can only happen with the head teacher's agreement, and they are not obliged to grant it. Full home education, by contrast, is a right that does not need permission.
How does attendance work with flexi-schooling?
Your child stays on the school roll and the school marks the register. The agreed home-education days are recorded as authorised absence, which is why some heads are reluctant, as it affects their attendance figures.
How do I ask for flexi-schooling?
Write to the head teacher proposing a specific arrangement (which days at school, which at home), explain how it helps your child, and reassure them you will take responsibility for the home days. Get any agreement in writing.
What if the school refuses flexi-schooling?
You can continue full-time school or deregister and home educate fully, which is your right. Many families who are refused choose full home education and add structured group activities to replace the school input.
More answers: see our complete UK Home Education FAQ, covering the 20 questions UK parents ask most about home educating.
This is information, not legal advice
Darling Mellow is a parenting website. We are not solicitors, we are not regulated to give legal advice, and nothing here is advice about your particular child or situation. We write about the law in England, we date everything and we link our sources so you can check them. Deadlines and duties change, and only you know your full circumstances, so please take proper advice before making a decision that matters.
Where to get free or regulated advice
- Your local SENDIASS. Free, confidential and impartial, and every council in England must provide one. Find yours through your council’s SEND Local Offer, or via GOV.UK.
- IPSEA. A charity with legally trained advisers, giving free advice on SEND law in England. Their guidance is the best free legal explanation available.
- Legal aid, through Civil Legal Advice on 0345 345 4345 (Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 12.30pm). Special educational needs is one of the areas still covered. Legal aid can fund advice and help preparing a SEND Tribunal appeal, though not representation at the hearing itself. Check whether you qualify with the official legal aid checker.
- A solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Find an education law specialist through the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor, and you can confirm anyone is genuinely regulated on the SRA register.
If you are in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, the law and the services differ and you should use your own nation’s guidance.
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