Home education in Lancashire

Covers Lancashire County Council's area, England. Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen have their own councils. General information, not legal advice. Checked against the council's own pages on 2 November 2026.

After you deregister

Lancashire suggests talking to the head teacher, then writing to the school. The school can't take your child off its roll until it has that in writing, and must then tell the council (how deregistering works).

The team then writes to you. Its published procedures say it will ask you to complete a contact details form, online or on paper. It asks for contact details, background including why you chose home education, and what education you're providing. The team accepts you may not be able to answer fully at first, but expects a response within six weeks. The DfE's guidance for local authorities says parents have no legal obligation to give any reason for withdrawing a child (paragraph 4.6), and the parents' guidance asks for a reasonable timescale to be agreed for showing your provision is in place (5.5).

If your child has never been to school, you needn't do anything. If you tell the team anyway, it registers your child and allocates a support worker.

From a special school, write to the school, which refers you to the team but keeps your child on roll. A support worker asks what education you'll provide and passes it to the Inclusion Service, which tells the school to remove your child once satisfied. A review of the EHC plan follows (SEND and home education).

When the council gets in touch

At least once a year, Lancashire asks about the education you're providing and your child's progress over the past 12 months. Its page says you don't have to reply, then quotes the DfE guidance: with no reply, the council will normally be justified in concluding your child doesn't appear to be getting a suitable education.

Support workers offer help by phone, by email and, if needed, with a home visit. The procedures say you aren't legally required to let them in. You can meet somewhere neutral, with or without your child, or not meet at all, and declining a visit "does not constitute a ground for concern". Without a visit, they say, the form should usually be enough. They were last updated in August 2021, so read them alongside what to look for in a council policy and how to reply to the council.

An EHC plan is still reviewed every year, chaired by the SEND case manager. You needn't attend. You can also run the review yourself and send a summary, which your SEN officer can explain.

Exams

The council doesn't pay for exams, GCSEs included: you arrange and fund them with an external centre. Its exams page lists centres that accept private candidates: two in Chorley and Blackpool, and three further afield, in Macclesfield, Oldham and Bolton. That list says it was revised in May 2017, so ring each centre before you count on it. The team also holds details of Lancashire colleges and offers help with exam questions. Exam centres for private candidates explains the search and the fees.

Support the council lists

• Children with special educational needs and the SEND local offer.
• Home education websites, including the digital library and free primary units from the council's teaching consultants, which you ask a Lancashire school to send you.
• Social and educational activities: library events, museums, the youth zone and outdoor education centres.
• Local and national home education organisations, in section 1 of the procedures.
• To go back to school, your area education office.

Contacting the home education team

Phone 01772 532289 or email enquiries.ehe@lancashire.gov.uk. To register, or update your details after a move or when your child starts school, use the online form. The council's main page is Educating your child at home.

Lancashire's councils are due to be replaced by new unitary councils, expected to take on services in April 2028 subject to Parliamentary approval.