Educating your child or young person with SEND at home (EHE)

Elective Home Education (EHE) is the term used to describe a parent’s choice to provide education for their child at home, instead of sending their child to school full‑time.

In Kirklees, an Elective Home Education (EHE) Team is available to provide advice, guidance, and support to parents and carers who have chosen to home educate. The team is also happy to speak with parents or carers who are considering Elective Home Education and would like to discuss their options before making a decision.

The EHE Team can be contacted on 01484 221000 (ask for the EHE Team) or by email at EHETeam@kirklees.gov.uk.

Further information for parents and carers about Elective Home Education is available on the Kirklees Council website: Elective home education | Kirklees Council (opens link in new window)

This page includes information on:

What to consider when deciding to electively home educate
What you need to know, including what the law says
Available resources
The Elective Home Education policy and guidance for parents

If you are thinking about electively home educating your child or young person, it is important to consider whether this is the right option for your family.

You may want to think about:

How you will plan and support your child’s learning
The different learning approaches or styles you may use
Whether you will need support from tutors or other providers
Opportunities for social interaction with other children and young people
The costs involved – there is no government funding for Elective Home Education, so parents and carers are responsible for resources, activities, trips, and any exam fees
How your child’s needs may change over time

If you decide in the future that home education is no longer suitable and you would like your child to return to school, Kirklees Council can offer advice and support. However, a place at your child’s previous school cannot be guaranteed.

Before making a decision, parents and carers are encouraged to speak to the Kirklees Elective Home Education (EHE) Team. The team can answer questions and talk through your options, including if your child has special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

If you decide to electively home educate:

Write to the headteacher (email or letter)
Ask for your child’s name to be removed from the school roll
Give a date for this to happen
School will then notify Kirklees Council of your decision

Write to the headteacher (email or letter)
If your child attends a special school, the local authority must agree before your child can be removed from the school roll. The school will work with the EHCP Team to follow the correct process

If your child has special educational needs (SEN) you can still educate them at home, whether they have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or not. If your child has an EHC plan, we have a duty to make sure the child's needs are met, and that you make suitable provision, including for your child's special educational needs.

However, if your child goes to a special school, you will need permission from us before you can take your child out of special school and start home educating them.

If you are thinking of elective home education as an alternative to your child being taught in School then we would strongly recommend you discuss this with the school and your SEN caseworker before confirming your decision.

Parents who are educating a child at home may ask Kirklees LA to carry out a statutory assessment of their child's special educational needs (called an Education Health and Care needs assessment - EHCNA - more information can be found on the page below). The LA must consider the request within the same timescales as the requests that it receives from any other parent.

How to apply for an EHC Needs Assessment (opens link in same window)

Young people in Kirklees can access C+K Careers (opens link in new window) for information, advice and guidance on post-16 options and careers.

C+K Careers My directions (opens link in new window) also has information aimed specifically at young people where they can obtain information and chat with advisors.

Get Into, the Kirklees online prospectus (opens link in new window) is an online prospectus and application system for young people to search for courses and apply to school sixth forms, colleges and training providers in Kirklees and its surrounding areas.

The EHE team share information with C+K Careers when young people are in their final year of compulsory education, to support them with post-16 plans

If you no longer want to educate your child at home and want to access education in a school, you will need to apply for a place at your preferred school using the Admissions process.

If you want your child to access education in a school during the school year, then you should read Changing school during the school year and complete the application form.

If you need any help or advice, please feel free to contact us

You can speak with the Elective Home Education Team by the following ways:

Telephone 01484 221000 (ask for the EHE Team)

Email EHETeam@kirklees.gov.uk

For those with an EHCP, The EHCP Team can be contacted on 01484 456888 or EHCP.Team@kirklees.gov.uk

You can also get impartial advice from KIAS by calling 07771977384