Home education in Norfolk

Covers Norfolk County Council, England. General information, not legal advice. Checked against the council's own pages on 2 November 2026.

After you deregister

Norfolk asks you to write to the head teacher to say you're going to home educate. The school then has to tell the council, but the council asks you to get in touch as well, with your child's name, date of birth, the date you plan to start and your contact details. Once it knows about your child, the team says it will contact you to talk about your plans and answer questions (removing your child from school to home educate). If your child is below school age, you don't need to do anything.

If your child has an education, health and care plan or goes to a special school, see home education and SEND and the council's SEND page for home educators. For the general steps, see how to deregister from school in England.

When the council gets in touch

Once the team knows you're home educating, it sends a welcome pack with a link to its online form, which asks about the education you're providing. It says it understands plans may still be taking shape early on.

After that it aims to contact you at least once a year for information about your child's learning and progress. You can fill in the form, write your own report, or ask for a home or virtual visit, in which case you get a copy of its report. The council's own page says you don't have to accept a visit, can meet somewhere else instead, or can keep in touch by letter, email or phone, and that it can't insist on regular contact (what the local authority will need from you).

That fits the DfE's guidance. Our guides on replying to the council and reading a council's policy cover what a written report usually contains.

Exams

Because so few centres take private candidates, the council works with Norfolk Adult Learning and Skills to offer a limited number of summer GCSE places: AQA English Language and Pearson Edexcel maths, foundation or higher, for Years 10 and 11 who are registered with the service. It can't offer IGCSE or Cambridge exams. There's a charge, and centres may add an admin fee (examinations and qualifications).

For other subjects you book a centre yourself. The council suggests asking from the autumn before, and no later than January. See our guide to exam centres.

Support the council lists

• Drop-in sessions run through the year, mostly at County Hall in Norwich, including one for families with children in Years 10 and 11 about exams and post-16 plans (drop-in sessions).
• For SEND: the council's SEND and Inclusion Team, Norfolk SENDIASS, Just One Norfolk for children's health, and a collection of resources for home-educating autistic children.
• Its home education section also has pages on organisations that support home education, health and immunisations, and staying safe online.

Contacting the home education team

Services to Home Educators, Norfolk County Council. Phone 01603 307733, or email ehe@norfolk.gov.uk. The council says the mailbox is checked Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm and Fridays 8.30am to 4.30pm.