Section 19 Request Letter: Free Generator for Children Too Unwell for School

Last reviewed 8 October 2026. Checked against section 19 of the Education Act 1996 on legislation.gov.uk and the Department for Education’s statutory guidance Arranging education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs (December 2023, still the current version). England only. General information, not legal advice.

How do I ask the council for section 19 education?

Write to the council and ask it to arrange suitable education under section 19(1) of the Education Act 1996. Say how long your child has been unable to attend, why, and that the school cannot provide a suitable education while they are unwell. Attach any medical evidence, ask what will be arranged and when it will start, and keep a dated copy. The generator above writes this for you.

Schools should try to manage a child’s health needs themselves first, so that the child can keep learning there with support. The guidance says that as soon as it is clear the school can no longer do that, the school should speak to the local authority about alternative provision. You do not have to wait for the school to do it: you can write to the council yourself.

Who do I send a section 19 letter to?

The council’s named officer for the education of children with health needs. The guidance says every local authority should have one and should make sure parents know who it is; it is good practice to publish the name online, often on the council’s Local Offer or SEND pages. If you cannot find a name, send it to the council’s education or SEND team and copy the school.

How long does the council have to arrange section 19 education?

There is no absolute legal deadline, but the guidance sets clear expectations. As soon as it is clear a child will be away from school for 15 days or more because of their health, the council should arrange suitable alternative provision. The 15 days can be in a row or spread across the school year. Once the council arranges it, the education should begin as soon as possible and at the latest by the sixth day of the child’s absence. Where an absence is planned, such as a hospital stay, the council should arrange things in advance so that education can begin from day one.

Do I need a doctor’s letter for section 19?

Medical evidence helps, but a missing letter should not stall everything. Where evidence from a medical practitioner is not readily available, the guidance says the school or council should consider other evidence so that provision can be arranged as soon as possible. Once you have provided evidence from a medical practitioner, the council should not demand continuing evidence without good reason, even for long-term conditions. If the council does need an updated opinion, it should give you a reasonable amount of time to get one.

Does section 19 cover anxiety and mental health?

Yes. The guidance says that where a child cannot attend school because of a physical or mental health need and cannot access suitable full-time education, the local authority is responsible for arranging suitable alternative provision.

Does section 19 apply if my child is not on a school roll?

Yes, where their health means they would not otherwise get a suitable education. The guidance says the duty applies whether the child is on the roll of a school or not, and whatever type of school they attend. A child who is home educated and receiving a suitable education at home is not in this position; the duty is about children who, because of illness or another reason, would miss out on suitable education unless the council steps in.

Is section 19 education full-time or five hours a week?

Full-time, unless full-time is not in your child’s best interests because of their health. Section 19(3A) says the education must be full-time, or part-time on whatever basis the council considers to be in the child’s best interests where full-time would not be. The law does not define full-time, but the guidance says provision should, where possible, be equivalent to what the child would get in a mainstream school; one-to-one tuition can involve fewer face-to-face hours because it is more intensive. Part-time arrangements should be reviewed regularly with the aim of building back up to full-time. The “five hours a week” figure that still circulates comes from the guidance that was replaced in December 2023 and does not appear in the current version. How the section 19 duty works, in full.

What if the council does not respond?

Send the follow-up letter from the generator, then use the council’s complaints procedure. If that does not resolve it, you can complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, which investigates councils. If your child has an EHC plan, the plan’s provision is a separate legal duty, so raise that too. Your local SENDIASS service is free and impartial and can help you through it.

Sources

• Education Act 1996, section 19, legislation.gov.uk (up to date with changes in force on 8 October 2026).
• Department for Education, Arranging education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs, statutory guidance, December 2023.
• Darling Mellow, school absence by council, including severe absence in every English council area, 2024/25.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Legislation is Crown copyright, reproduced under the same licence.