Elective Home Education (EHE)

Elective Home Education (EHE) is the name used for when parents decide to educate their child at home instead of sending him or her to school.  On these pages you will find key information if you are thinking about educating your child at home.

Home education is not an easy option - it can work really well or it can fail to work at all - a key factor in its success or failure is commitment.  If you would prefer your child to be in school or are unsure about whether home education would suit your family, please explore all the alternatives before choosing home education.  Here are some reasons that parents give for considering home education and the recommended actions to take:

There isn’t a place available at the school I want

Some schools are very popular and waiting for a place at them may take a long time.  Before you decide to home educate, please contact the Choice Adviser and Admissions Team to discuss whether you can appeal for a place.  They can also tell you what alternatives there are in your area.  Darlington has many high quality schools to choose from.

My child is unhappy at school

First consider whether he or she is unhappy with school in general or with the particular school they go to.  If the problem is the school they go to, before you remove your child talk to the school about the problems he or she is having.  You should talk first to his or her teacher, then to the headteacher.  If you still can’t find a solution you can go to the school governors.

If all else fails, your child may be able to transfer to another school.  Contact the Choice Adviser for your options.

My child’s special needs aren’t being met in school

Please see our page on special needs

To request a copy of our EHE booklet (which covers the information on these pages in further detail) please contact the EHE Administrator at Kim.Swales@darlington.gov.uk or Jo-Anne.Ward@darlington.gov.uk, phone number 01325 388027.

Alternatively, to discuss all educational options for your child, contact our Choice Adviser at sue.davison@darlington.gov.uk  or 0800 9172121. 

To discuss options for a school place, please contact Admissions on 01325 388027.

EHE can be a happy and constructive experience for both you and your child.  If you decide to become home educators we wish you well.