The guide
The Children Not in School register, in plain English
49 short articles on what the new law says, what is still undecided, and what to do about it. Every article lists its sources and the date it was last checked.
General information, not legal advice. The regulations are not final, so details will change.
Start here
What the register is, when it starts and where each nation stands.
- The Children Not in School register explainedWhat the new register is, who goes on it, what it records and what is still undecided.
- When does the home education register start?The register is law but not yet in force. Here is what has to happen first.
- How many children are home educated in your area?Where to find the official figure for your council, and how to read it.
- The register in Wales: what is different and whenThe 2026 Act's home education measures apply to Wales, on a timetable the Welsh Government will set.
- CNIS register timeline: what has happened and what is nextA dated record of the Children Not in School register, updated as each step is announced.
- Home education numbers: the latest DfE figuresThe official statistics for England, published January 2026, in plain numbers.
- Glossary: CNIS, EHE, SAO, EHCP and the restPlain definitions of the terms used in home education law.
For tutors, tuition centres and groups
Whether the new duty covers you, and what to do if a council writes.
- The provider duty: what tutors and groups must tell the councilWho the new duty covers, what a council can ask for, how long you get and what happens if you don't reply.
- Am I an out-of-school education provider under the new Act?How the Act defines out-of-school education, and four questions that tell you whether the duty could reach you.
- Does the CNIS register apply to private tutors?Most tutors will not be affected. Here is how to tell whether you might be.
- Does the provider duty apply to online tutors and overseas providers?What the Act says about online teaching, children in other council areas and providers based abroad.
- Home-ed co-ops and the register: what organisers need to knowWhether a parent-run group could be asked for information, and how to stay ready without fuss.
- Forest schools, clubs and enrichment groups: are you in scope?Whether outdoor learning, sports, arts and other groups count as out-of-school education under the new Act.
- Tuition centres and the new duty: a short checklistSeven things a tuition centre can do now to be ready for council notices.
- The threshold explained: how many hours before the duty applies?Nobody knows the number yet. Here is what the Act allows and how to prepare for any outcome.
- \"Without a parent present\": what counts and what doesn'tThe Act's real test is whether a parent is actively involved. Here is what that might mean in practice.
- A council has asked me about a child I teach. What do I do?A calm, step-by-step way to handle a council enquiry, now and once the register starts.
- What information can a council ask a provider for?The exact list in the Act, and what falls outside it.
- What happens if a provider ignores a council request?The penalty process step by step, your chances to respond and your right of appeal.
- What records should tutors keep for home-educated pupils?A minimal record that answers any council notice, and what not to keep.
- Data protection for tutors and groups holding children's detailsThe basics of UK data protection law for small education providers, including the ICO fee.
- How to tell parents what you may have to share with the councilWording you can adapt, and how to raise it without alarming families.
- Do I become an independent school? The new rules on full-time settingsWhen a home-ed group or centre could be required to register as an independent educational institution.
- Paper register, spreadsheet or app: keeping attendance for a small groupAn honest comparison of three ways to keep attendance, and when each is enough.
- Teaching a child who lives in another council's areaWhich council can send a provider a notice, and which children it can ask about.
For home educating parents
Your rights and duties, and how to deal with your council.
- Do I have to register my home-educated child?Not yet in England. Here is what changes when the register starts, and what parents will have to provide.
- Is home education still legal in England after the 2026 Act?Yes. Here is what the Act changes, what it leaves alone and what is not in force yet.
- What happens if I don't give the council information?Today, and once the register starts: what a council can do if a parent stays silent.
- School attendance orders explainedWhat an order is, the steps before one, how to get it revoked and what the 2026 Act changes.
- How to deregister your child from school in EnglandThe steps, who to write to, the exceptions and what changes under the 2026 Act.
- When you need council consent to withdraw a child from schoolWhich children are covered by the new consent rule, how the council decides and how to challenge a refusal.
- Home educating a child with SEND or an EHCP under the new ActYour right to home educate, what happens to the plan, and where the 2026 Act adds a consent step.
- Flexi-schooling and the registerFlexi-schooled children are eligible for the register even though they are on a school roll.
- My child has never been to school. Does the register cover us?Yes, once it starts. Here is when the duty to notify begins for children who were never enrolled.
- Can the council visit my home?A council can ask. It cannot insist. Here is what refusing means now and under the new Act.
- How to answer a council enquiry about your child's educationWhat to send, what you can leave out, and how to tell an informal letter from a formal notice.
- How to write an educational provision reportA five-part structure for the report most councils ask home-educating parents for.
- What counts as a \"suitable education\"?The legal test for home education in England, in plain words.
- Does my child's tutor have to report to the council?Tutors do not report on families. Some may have to answer a council's notice with a short list of facts.
- What will the council do with my child's data?What the register holds, who it can be shared with and the rights you keep.
- Keeping home education records without turning home into schoolA ten-minute-a-week habit that covers council enquiries and the new register.
- Find your council's elective home education teamHow to find the right contact at your council, and what to ask them.
- Home education in Scotland: no register, and how consent to withdraw worksScotland has no register of home-educated children. You may need the council's consent to withdraw a child from a state school.
- Home education in Northern Ireland: the current rulesNo register, one Education Authority, and a different law from England's.
- Moving between councils or nations while home educatingWhat to tell which council when you move, now and once the register starts.
Letters and templates
Wording to adapt. Replace the parts in square brackets.
- Reply template: answering a council request as a providerThree short letters to adapt: before the duty starts, in scope, and not in scope.
- Parent notice template: what we may share with the councilA one-page notice for tutors and groups to give families.
- Educational provision report template for parentsA fill-in report in UK terms for answering a council's enquiry.
- Deregistration letter template for EnglandA short letter to withdraw your child from a mainstream school in England, and when not to use it.
Keep the record without the paperwork
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