General information about England, not legal advice. Each council runs its own process and the law is changing, so check the GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk pages linked below before you rely on this.
Why the council is writing to you
The duty to educate sits with you. Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 says a parent must make sure a child of compulsory school age receives "efficient full-time education" suited to their age, ability and aptitude and any special educational needs, "either by regular attendance at school or otherwise".
The council has a different job. Under section 436A it must make arrangements to identify, as far as it can, children in its area who are not at school and not receiving a suitable education. Home education on its own doesn't put a child in that group. But the council can only find out by asking, so GOV.UK says it can make an "informal enquiry" to check your child is getting a suitable education.
The Department for Education's 2019 guidance, Elective home education, comes in one version for parents and one for local authorities. It's non-statutory, so it isn't law, but nothing else sets out the process in as much detail. It says the council has no formal power or duty to monitor home education, and recommends that councils ordinarily contact home-educating families at least once a year, often briefly where there are no concerns.
A letter doesn't, in itself, mean that anyone has complained or that anything is wrong. It may be a first contact after your child left school (if that's only just happened, see how to deregister your child from school), or the council's yearly check.
What the letter usually asks
Every council writes its own letter, and sets out its approach in a published elective home education policy, usually on its website. Read the policy before you reply.
Broadly, a council will ask for information about the education you're providing. Some ask to see your child, at home or somewhere else, and to see examples of work. Some send a form. The local authority guidance tells councils not to dismiss information only because it isn't in the form they'd prefer, so a reply in your own words is fine.
Your options for replying
| Option | What it involves |
|---|---|
| A written reply | A description of the education and some evidence, sent by email or post |
| A meeting somewhere other than your home | A neutral place such as a library or council office, with or without your child |
| A home visit | An officer comes to your home |
| A mix | A written report now, a meeting later if either of you wants one |
Today, nothing in education law obliges you to accept a home visit or a meeting with your child. Under the parents' guidance, you don't have to agree to a meeting or produce specific evidence, and the council's general safeguarding duty doesn't entitle it to insist on visiting your home, or seeing your child, just to monitor home education.
That isn't a reason to ignore the letter. You're under no legal obligation to reply at all, but if you don't, the same guidance says, the council is entitled to conclude that your child does not appear to be receiving a suitable education. Refusing a visit can also, in some circumstances, justify a formal notice (council guidance). Turning down a visit while sending a full written reply is a long way from not engaging at all.
What a good written reply contains
The local authority guidance is clear about what persuades: information showing that the education is happening and that your child is making progress. A statement of intentions, or a description of your teaching philosophy on its own, isn't enough. If you've only just started, your plans can reasonably be less developed, though families should still aim to provide a suitable education from the outset.
The reply doesn't need to be long. One way to set it out:
1. About your child
Name, date of birth, when home education started.
2. Your approach
A paragraph or two: how your child learns, what you
cover, and why it suits their age, ability and aptitude
(and any special educational needs).
3. What you cover
Subjects or areas, with the main resources, courses,
tutors and groups for each.
4. Time
A typical week, and roughly how many weeks a year.
5. Progress
Where your child was a term or a year ago, where they
are now, and what comes next.
6. Examples
A few dated pieces of work, photos or notes across
subjects. Copies, not originals.
7. Contact
How you prefer to be contacted, and whether you are
open to a meeting outside the home.There's no legal definition of "full-time", and you don't need a timetable or school hours. The parents' guidance does say you should be able to show roughly how much time your child spends being educated, which is why the outline has a section on time. For a rough weekly figure, try the hours calculator.
Keep a copy of what you send and a note of the date.
Timescales
No law sets a deadline for replying to an informal enquiry. If the letter suggests a date that doesn't suit you, write back, say when you'll reply, and stick to it.
If your child has only just left school, the guidance says a reasonable timescale should be agreed for you to show your provision is in place, but without any significant gap after school ends. Nor is there any legal basis for a "deschooling" period (local authority guidance).
Keeping a record as you go
This reply, and any after it, is quick to write if you've kept a record. Our piece on home education records describes a weekly habit that does it, and paper is all it needs.
AltEd users can print an education record from what they've logged, using reports, and local authority readiness points out questions the records don't answer yet. It doesn't contact your council or send anything on your behalf, and it can't guarantee a council will be satisfied.
If the council isn't satisfied
If the council is satisfied, the guidance expects it to update its information from time to time, often through a yearly review. If it isn't, the formal steps today are in section 437 of the Education Act 1996:
- A section 437(1) notice. If it appears to the council that your child is not receiving a suitable education, it must serve a written notice asking you to satisfy it that they are. The period you're given must be at least 15 days from the day the notice is served.
- The council considers your answer, and it can also take account of other information it holds. If you make no substantive response, expect a school attendance order, according to the guidance.
- A school attendance order. If you don't satisfy the council and it thinks your child should attend school, it must serve an order naming a school. Not complying is a criminal offence. You can still ask the council to revoke the order later by showing that suitable home education is now in place.
Most difficulties should be resolved by informal discussion before this stage, the parents' guidance says. If a section 437 notice does arrive, answer it within the time given, with the same kind of material described above.
What the new register will change
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 received Royal Assent in April 2026. Sections 37 to 42 deal with children not in school. Alongside the new register, they replace the current notice and order steps (sections 437 to 443 are to be omitted) with a new procedure built around a "preliminary notice". Under the new section 436H:
- before deciding whether to serve a preliminary notice, the council may ask to visit the child inside their home;
- if you refuse, the council must treat that as a relevant factor in its decision;
- a preliminary notice must give you at least 15 days to respond.
So once these sections start, a refused visit will count for something in the council's decision, and a clear written reply backed by good records will matter even more.
None of this is in force yet. When we checked legislation.gov.uk on 23 October 2026, section 436H was marked as prospective, and section 437 was still the law in force. The start date will be set by regulations. Check the legislation pages, or our guide to the Children Not in School register, before relying on either the old rules or the new ones.