Home education

Costs and funding

Choosing to provide home education will be entirely at your own cost. We do not supply course work, tutors or arrange exams.

Costs can include paying for:

  • workbooks
  • exercise books
  • stationery
  • art and craft materials
  • printer ink
  • educational days out
  • exam fees
  • licenses
  • subscriptions to online educational sites
  • tutors, if required

Home educating need not be too expensive, however. Discount stores, supermarkets and charity shops often sell educational materials at reduced prices. Additionally, a range of free educational websites are available to support learning at all levels.

Funding

Neither we nor the government’s Department for Education provide funding to assist with the cost of education at home.

In some cases, we can fund or provide for the special educational needs of home educated children. You should check the government’s special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice, 0 to 25 years – go to GOV.UK: SEND code of practice, 0 to 25 years. You can also contact our SEND Team for advice.

In general, we don't have a duty to provide for SEND if:

  • we have named a school or a type of school in a child’s education, health and care (EHC) plan but state that parents have made their own arrangements to home educate
  • we are satisfied the parents' arrangements are suitable

We review SEND home education arrangements annually. Young people with SEND can also be educated at home to make sure they participate in education and training until the age of 18. All arrangements will continue to apply while their EHC plan is in place.

Employing a tutor

You may choose to employ tutors as part of your child's educational provision.

Thurrock Local Safeguarding Children Partnership offers the following guidance:

"Most private tutors and tuition centres advertise in local papers and on the internet and it is the responsibility of the parent/carer to ensure the tutor is appropriately qualified and safe to work with children or the tuition centre has undertaken the necessary safeguarding checks.

"Some simple steps/checks that you can undertake are:

  • always interview the tutor and be satisfied that they answer your questions fully
  • ask to see personal references and ensure you contact them to confirm the referees
  • ask to see their qualification certificates
  • ask to see their cv or employment record
  • if the tutor is a qualified teacher, ask to see a copy of the tutor's teaching agency registration and a copy of their DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service criminal record check)

"Remember – any tutor that is mindful and aware of current expectations towards safeguarding children should have no objection to any of these checks or arrangements. Do not feel that you are acting unreasonably to expect this, and you should not accept arrangements you are not happy with."