Most home education guides assume you are taking a child out of school. But what if your child has never been to school at all, and you simply want to home educate from the start? The good news is that this is often the simplest situation of all, because there is usually nothing to “deregister” from.
First, understand compulsory school age
In England, a child reaches compulsory school age at the start of the term following their fifth birthday. Before that point, there is no legal requirement for them to be in any kind of education at all, so if your child is under five, you do not need to do anything, just carry on enjoying those early years.
If your child has never been enrolled at a school
If your child has never been on a school’s roll, you do not need to deregister them, because they were never registered in the first place. You simply do not apply for, or do not take up, a school place, and you take responsibility for their education at home under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996. There is no form to fill in to “start” home educating from scratch.
If you have been offered or accepted a school place
This is the one situation to be careful with. If you applied for a place and have been offered one, or you accepted a place but your child has not yet started attending, contact the school or the local authority to formally decline or withdraw from the place before the start date. If your child has actually started attending, even for a day, then they are on the roll and you would need to deregister in the usual way.
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Do you have to tell the local authority?
As things currently stand, if your child has never attended school there is no general legal obligation to register them as home educated, though some parents choose to let the local authority know. This is an area that is changing: the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 will introduce a register of children not in school, but it is not yet in force and is not expected before 2027. Always check the live position on GOV.UK.
How to begin
One lovely thing about home educating from the start is that you skip the deschooling stage that families leaving school usually need, because there is nothing to decompress from. For early years, learning is mostly play, conversation, books, time outdoors and following your child’s curiosity. There is no need to recreate a classroom. Find a local home-education group early, so your child grows up with that community as completely normal.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to deregister a child who has never been to school?
No. If your child has never been on a school roll, there is nothing to deregister. You simply do not take up a school place and you take responsibility for their education at home. There is no form needed to start home educating from scratch.
What if I accepted a school place but my child has not started?
Contact the school or local authority to formally decline or withdraw from the place before the start date. If your child has actually started attending, even for a day, they are on the roll and you would need to deregister in the usual way.
When does my child legally have to be in education?
A child reaches compulsory school age at the start of the term after their fifth birthday. Before that, there is no legal requirement for any formal education, so under-fives need no action at all.
Do I have to register with the council if my child has never been to school?
Currently there is generally no legal obligation to register a never-schooled child as home educated, though some parents choose to inform the local authority. This is changing under the 2026 Act, which is not yet in force. Always check GOV.UK for the latest.
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