Tallybook

Guide · For everyone

When does the home education register start?

No start date has been set. The Children Not in School register became law on 29 April 2026, but the duties on parents and providers are not in force yet. Reports of the Department for Education's plans point to 2027, and that is not guaranteed.

Last checked 10 November 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

Why passing the law did not start the register

An Act can become law without all of it taking effect. Section 78 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 lets ministers switch sections on later. For the register, they first need regulations and statutory guidance.

What has to happen first

The Department for Education wrote to home-educating parents after Royal Assent. It set out these steps:

  1. A consultation on draft statutory guidance and on the policy content of the regulations.
  2. Regulations made, most of them voted on in Parliament.
  3. Final guidance published.
  4. A preparation period so councils can get ready.
  5. The register comes into force.

We could not find an open consultation when this page was last checked. Check GOV.UK for the current position.

What you have to do today

Nothing new. Until the register starts, the existing rules apply.

  • Parents still have the long-standing duty to make sure their child receives a suitable full-time education.
  • Parents in England do not yet have to notify the council for the register.
  • Providers do not yet have to answer register requests.

Councils can still make informal enquiries about a child's education, as they could before.

One protection for providers at the start

When the provider duty begins, councils cannot fine a provider over a notice served in the first three months. That is written into the Act.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

The register provisions also apply to Wales, on a timetable set by Welsh Ministers. Scotland and Northern Ireland have no statutory register of home-educated children.

How to stay up to date

We update this page whenever the Department for Education announces a consultation, lays regulations or names a date.

Sources