Parents have the right to educate their children in elective home education and many do so effectively in their children’s best interests.

Home education is not in itself a risk, however evidence from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel highlights that school attendance is a protective factor for vulnerable children, highlighting the serious harm that has been experienced by some children withdrawn into home education. In addition, 96% of local authority respondents to the 2019 Children Not in School consultation believed Children Not in School registers were needed to support them to fulfil their education and safeguarding duties towards these children.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act introduces compulsory Children Not in School registers and requires parents of some children known to children's social care or with the highest needs to get permission from the local authority before withdrawing their children from school for home education.

The Children Not in School measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require local authorities in England and Wales to maintain registers of children who are not in school, including home-educated children.

The department has published impact assessments considering a broad range of impacts of the measures, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments. These include the regulatory impact assessment for the measures which outlines estimated costs to businesses and households. More information on the regulatory impact assessment is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dd5d05d8e313b503358c04/Children_Not_in_School.pdf.

We have assessed that the measures will result in new burdens for local authorities. We are currently conducting a full new burdens assessment to establish the exact amount of additional funding required by local authorities in England to fulfil the new duties, including the support duty. Further evidence for this assessment will be gathered through a public consultation ahead of implementation of the measures.

The Children Not in School measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require local authorities in England and Wales to maintain registers of children who are not in school, including home-educated children.

The department has published impact assessments considering a broad range of impacts of the measures, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments. These include the regulatory impact assessment for the measures which outlines estimated costs to businesses and households. More information on the regulatory impact assessment is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dd5d05d8e313b503358c04/Children_Not_in_School.pdf.

We have assessed that the measures will result in new burdens for local authorities. We are currently conducting a full new burdens assessment to establish the exact amount of additional funding required by local authorities in England to fulfil the new duties, including the support duty. Further evidence for this assessment will be gathered through a public consultation ahead of implementation of the measures.

As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, the department will introduce mandatory Children Not in School registers in every local authority in England and Wales. When implemented, these registers will support local authorities to identify children who are home educated, including those additional needs such as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The Act also introduces, for the first time, a statutory support duty on local authorities to provide advice and information to home educating families on the registers who request support. This will establish a consistent baseline of support across all local authorities in England and Wales, including for families of children with additional needs who choose to access this support.

More widely, the Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper sets out the government's vision for SEND reform to support every child to achieve and thrive.

Parents have a right to home educate and those parents who choose to do so must provide an efficient, suitable full-time education if the child is of compulsory school age. Through the Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, the department will help local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas, including those not receiving a suitable education or at risk of harm, and to act where this is the case.

When a parent chooses to home educate their child, they take on full responsibility for their education, including associated costs. Therefore, we have not assessed the merits of providing financial support to parents. The measures, when implemented, will introduce a new requirement for local authorities to provide support, in the form of advice and information, to home-educating families in their areas who are registered with them and who request it.

Parents have a right to home educate and those parents who choose to do so must provide an efficient, suitable full-time education if the child is of compulsory school age. Through the Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, the department will help local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas, including those not receiving a suitable education or at risk of harm, and to act where this is the case.

When a parent chooses to home educate their child, they take on full responsibility for their education, including associated costs. Therefore, we have not assessed the merits of providing financial support to parents. The measures, when implemented, will introduce a new requirement for local authorities to provide support, in the form of advice and information, to home-educating families in their areas who are registered with them and who request it.

The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require the government to pilot mandatory meetings in selected local authorities for parents wishing to withdraw their child from school for home education. Parents will be required to attend this meeting prior to their child being removed from the school roll. If a parent does not attend the meeting, their child cannot be removed from the school roll. Further details about how the mandatory meeting process should work in practice will be outlined via affirmative regulations and statutory guidance.

Separate to this, the measures will also require local authorities to make an assessment of the child’s home and other learning environments at the point of registration on the Children Not in School registers and when deciding whether they must issue a preliminary notice or a School Attendance Order. To support this, local authorities will have the power to request a visit to the child in their home. We intend to require local authorities to record their assessments of the home and other learning environments and the outcomes of home visits on the registers. Where a parent refuses such a visit, this would be a relevant factor for the local authority when considering whether to issue a preliminary notice for a school attendance order.

Statutory guidance, which we will be consulting on, will outline the details of how visits should be organised, provide steers to help local authorities sensitively conduct visits, and determine the best way to discuss outcomes from home visits with parents. We will also be developing a training package for local authorities focusing on their new duties.

The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require the government to pilot mandatory meetings in selected local authorities for parents wishing to withdraw their child from school for home education. Parents will be required to attend this meeting prior to their child being removed from the school roll. If a parent does not attend the meeting, their child cannot be removed from the school roll. Further details about how the mandatory meeting process should work in practice will be outlined via affirmative regulations and statutory guidance.

Separate to this, the measures will also require local authorities to make an assessment of the child’s home and other learning environments at the point of registration on the Children Not in School registers and when deciding whether they must issue a preliminary notice or a School Attendance Order. To support this, local authorities will have the power to request a visit to the child in their home. We intend to require local authorities to record their assessments of the home and other learning environments and the outcomes of home visits on the registers. Where a parent refuses such a visit, this would be a relevant factor for the local authority when considering whether to issue a preliminary notice for a school attendance order.

Statutory guidance, which we will be consulting on, will outline the details of how visits should be organised, provide steers to help local authorities sensitively conduct visits, and determine the best way to discuss outcomes from home visits with parents. We will also be developing a training package for local authorities focusing on their new duties.

The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require the government to pilot mandatory meetings in selected local authorities for parents wishing to withdraw their child from school for home education. Parents will be required to attend this meeting prior to their child being removed from the school roll. If a parent does not attend the meeting, their child cannot be removed from the school roll. Further details about how the mandatory meeting process should work in practice will be outlined via affirmative regulations and statutory guidance.

Separate to this, the measures will also require local authorities to make an assessment of the child’s home and other learning environments at the point of registration on the Children Not in School registers and when deciding whether they must issue a preliminary notice or a School Attendance Order. To support this, local authorities will have the power to request a visit to the child in their home. We intend to require local authorities to record their assessments of the home and other learning environments and the outcomes of home visits on the registers. Where a parent refuses such a visit, this would be a relevant factor for the local authority when considering whether to issue a preliminary notice for a school attendance order.

Statutory guidance, which we will be consulting on, will outline the details of how visits should be organised, provide steers to help local authorities sensitively conduct visits, and determine the best way to discuss outcomes from home visits with parents. We will also be developing a training package for local authorities focusing on their new duties.

The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require the government to pilot mandatory meetings in selected local authorities for parents wishing to withdraw their child from school for home education. Parents will be required to attend this meeting prior to their child being removed from the school roll. If a parent does not attend the meeting, their child cannot be removed from the school roll. Further details about how the mandatory meeting process should work in practice will be outlined via affirmative regulations and statutory guidance.

Separate to this, the measures will also require local authorities to make an assessment of the child’s home and other learning environments at the point of registration on the Children Not in School registers and when deciding whether they must issue a preliminary notice or a School Attendance Order. To support this, local authorities will have the power to request a visit to the child in their home. We intend to require local authorities to record their assessments of the home and other learning environments and the outcomes of home visits on the registers. Where a parent refuses such a visit, this would be a relevant factor for the local authority when considering whether to issue a preliminary notice for a school attendance order.

Statutory guidance, which we will be consulting on, will outline the details of how visits should be organised, provide steers to help local authorities sensitively conduct visits, and determine the best way to discuss outcomes from home visits with parents. We will also be developing a training package for local authorities focusing on their new duties.

The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require the government to pilot mandatory meetings in selected local authorities for parents wishing to withdraw their child from school for home education. Parents will be required to attend this meeting prior to their child being removed from the school roll. If a parent does not attend the meeting, their child cannot be removed from the school roll. Further details about how the mandatory meeting process should work in practice will be outlined via affirmative regulations and statutory guidance.

Separate to this, the measures will also require local authorities to make an assessment of the child’s home and other learning environments at the point of registration on the Children Not in School registers and when deciding whether they must issue a preliminary notice or a School Attendance Order. To support this, local authorities will have the power to request a visit to the child in their home. We intend to require local authorities to record their assessments of the home and other learning environments and the outcomes of home visits on the registers. Where a parent refuses such a visit, this would be a relevant factor for the local authority when considering whether to issue a preliminary notice for a school attendance order.

Statutory guidance, which we will be consulting on, will outline the details of how visits should be organised, provide steers to help local authorities sensitively conduct visits, and determine the best way to discuss outcomes from home visits with parents. We will also be developing a training package for local authorities focusing on their new duties.

The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require the government to pilot mandatory meetings in selected local authorities for parents wishing to withdraw their child from school for home education. Parents will be required to attend this meeting prior to their child being removed from the school roll. If a parent does not attend the meeting, their child cannot be removed from the school roll. Further details about how the mandatory meeting process should work in practice will be outlined via affirmative regulations and statutory guidance.

Separate to this, the measures will also require local authorities to make an assessment of the child’s home and other learning environments at the point of registration on the Children Not in School registers and when deciding whether they must issue a preliminary notice or a School Attendance Order. To support this, local authorities will have the power to request a visit to the child in their home. We intend to require local authorities to record their assessments of the home and other learning environments and the outcomes of home visits on the registers. Where a parent refuses such a visit, this would be a relevant factor for the local authority when considering whether to issue a preliminary notice for a school attendance order.

Statutory guidance, which we will be consulting on, will outline the details of how visits should be organised, provide steers to help local authorities sensitively conduct visits, and determine the best way to discuss outcomes from home visits with parents. We will also be developing a training package for local authorities focusing on their new duties.

Mandatory local authority Children Not in School registers will be implemented in England by the end of this Parliament.

To implement the registers, we will hold a consultation in due course on draft statutory guidance and on the policy content of regulations. There will then be a process of making the regulations, which will be voted on in Parliament, and further steps, including publication of the guidance and a period of pre-implementation to enable local authorities to prepare for the registers coming into force.

The new Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require local authorities to maintain registers of children who are not in school, including home-educated children, require parents of eligible children to give information for these registers, introduce the first ever duty on local authorities to provide support for home educating families, and introduce a consent requirement for the most vulnerable children. As with all new policy, we will keep the implementation of these measures and any evidence of a need for further regulation under review.

The government provides funding to state schools and colleges, which covers examination entries for students who are on roll. When a parent chooses to educate their child outside of the school system, for any reason, they take full responsibility of their child’s education, including all associated costs, such as examination fees. For this reason, the department has not made an assessment of the potential merits of providing free GCSE examinations for home-educated pupils.

The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, when implemented, will introduce a new requirement for local authorities to provide information on accessing GCSE examinations to home-educating families in their areas who are registered with them and who request it, unless it would be unreasonable for them to do so. We will provide additional funding to support local authorities to fulfil their new duties.

The government provides funding to state schools and colleges which covers examination entries for students who are on roll. When a parent chooses to educate their child outside of the school system, for any reason, they take on full responsibility for their child’s education, including all associated costs, such as examination fees. For this reason, the department has not made an estimate of the cost of providing free GCSE and A level examinations for home-educated pupils or an assessment of the potential benefits of such provision.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will introduce a new requirement for local authorities to provide information on accessing GCSE examinations to home-educating families in their areas who are registered with them and who request it. We will provide additional funding to support local authorities to fulfil their new duties.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will empower local authorities to request to see a child in any of the homes in which the child lives within 15 days of the local authority recording the child’s home address(es) on their Children Not in School (CNIS) registers. The 15-day timeframe applies, irrespective of school holidays. After this point, the Bill also empowers local authorities to request a home visit for the purpose of determining whether to serve a preliminary notice or School Attendance Order (SAO).

If the parent on whom the request was made refuses the home visit, the local authority must take this into account when deciding whether to issue a preliminary notice or a SAO. As is the case now, parents of children subject to a SAO would only be subject to sanctions, such as fines, if found guilty in court of the offence of breaching the order. Parents may be found guilty if they do not enrol their child at the named school and are unable to demonstrate that they are providing a suitable education for their child and/or, where relevant, that education outside of a school is in their child’s best interests.

The department does not currently collect data on the number of home visits carried out by local authorities in relation to home educated children, nor on the living arrangements or family dynamics of those children.

However, we will provide local authorities with additional funding to support them to carry out their new duties. The amount of funding will be determined via a new burdens assessment.

We will also provide statutory guidance, which will be publicly consulted on, and a training package to support parents and local authorities to understand how the CNIS measures should work in practice, including how the measures apply in situations where children live across more than one household.