How to Start Homeschooling
Practical steps for families beginning home education.
Home Education Guide
What is Home Schooling?
Home schooling, more formally home education, means that a child is educated outside the usual school setting, with parents taking responsibility for organising their education. Learning may happen at home, online, in libraries, museums, community groups and many other places.
Home education does not have to mean reproducing a school day at the kitchen table. Families can choose a structured programme, a more flexible approach, or a mixture of the two. What matters is that the learner has an education suited to their age, ability, needs and future plans.
What is home schooling?
Home schooling is a form of education in which a child learns outside a conventional school and the family takes the lead in deciding how that education is organised. In the UK, home education is the term most commonly used in official guidance, while home schooling is widely used in everyday conversation.
A home-educated child may study independently, work with a parent, use structured distance-learning courses, receive tuition, learn with other home-educated children, or combine several of these approaches.
Home education describes who takes responsibility for organising the education, not one particular teaching method. It can be highly structured or very flexible, and it can change as a child grows older.
How does home schooling work?
There is no single model that every family follows. The practical arrangements depend on the child, the subjects being studied and how much teaching or supervision the family wants to provide directly.
The family organises the education
Parents decide how learning will be planned, what resources will be used and how progress will be reviewed. They may teach directly or use courses, tutors and other forms of support.
Learning can happen in different ways
Books, online materials, written courses, practical activities, educational visits, documentaries, projects and discussion can all form part of a home education.
The approach can change over time
A younger child may learn through a broad and flexible programme, while an older student may need a more structured plan as GCSEs, A levels or other qualifications become important.
Is home schooling the same as online school?
Not necessarily. An online school usually aims to take responsibility for a large part of a learner’s education in a way that is closer to a conventional school. It may provide a timetable, live lessons, teachers, set work and a structured programme covering most or all of the student’s subjects.
Home education can be much more flexible. Parents remain responsible for the overall education and can choose different resources, courses and forms of support for different subjects.
Online school
An online school generally provides a more complete school-style programme. The provider may determine the timetable, sequence of learning, teaching arrangements and expectations across much of the learner’s education.
This can suit families who want the structure of school while learning from home.
Curriculum and learning support providers
Providers such as Oxford Home Schooling take a more flexible approach. Families can choose individual subjects, structured courses, learning materials and additional tutor support according to what they need.
One child might use structured courses for English, Mathematics and Science while learning History, Art or languages in a completely different way. Another family might use structured courses for nearly all academic subjects.
The important difference is that the family remains in control of the overall programme. Courses and support can be combined in a pick-and-mix approach rather than requiring the learner to follow a complete online-school model.
What can a home education look like day to day?
A home education timetable can look very different from a school timetable. Some families prefer regular study hours and a clear weekly plan. Others organise learning around shorter focused sessions, projects, activities and appointments outside the home.
A typical week might include independent English and Mathematics work, a structured Science course, reading, practical activities, exercise, a museum or library visit, music, sports, a home-education group and time spent pursuing a particular interest.
Home does not mean housebound
Home education refers to the educational arrangement, not the place where every lesson must happen. Libraries, galleries, sports clubs, community groups, field trips and shared activities with other families can all form part of the week.
Do home-educated children follow the National Curriculum?
Curriculum choices
Families often use the National Curriculum as a reference point, particularly when they want a child to remain broadly aligned with school-age expectations, but home education and the National Curriculum are not the same thing.
The legal position is not identical throughout the UK, so questions about what parents are required to provide should be checked against current guidance for the relevant nation.
For planning learning, see How to Choose a Homeschool Curriculum. For the legal framework, see Home Education and Homeschool Laws.
What subjects do homeschooled children study?
Subject choices vary according to age, current level, interests and future plans. Many families keep English and Mathematics central because they support learning across the curriculum and are important for later study, training and employment.
Younger learners often study a broad programme that may include Science, History, Geography, languages, creative subjects, practical activities and personal and social development alongside English and Maths.
As students move towards GCSE level, the programme often becomes more selective because individual subjects may lead to formal qualifications. This is the point at which subject choice, examination specifications and future progression start to matter much more.
Can home-educated students take GCSEs and A levels?
Yes. Home-educated students can work towards recognised qualifications including GCSEs, International GCSEs and A levels. The main difference is that they may need to make their own examination arrangements rather than sitting exams through a school.
Families should check the specification being studied, the availability of a suitable examination centre and any practical, coursework or speaking requirements well before the examination period.
GCSE and International GCSE
Subject choice becomes closely linked to qualifications and future study.
Understanding grades
Grade systems and entry requirements can affect progression to sixth form, college and later study.
A level
Older students normally specialise in a smaller number of subjects and should consider university or career requirements carefully.
What about social interaction?
Home education changes where social contact happens; it does not remove the need for it. Families normally need to think deliberately about opportunities for friendships, group activities and contact with people outside the immediate household.
Sports clubs, music and drama groups, volunteering, youth organisations, community activities, home-education groups and shared learning sessions can all provide regular social contact. Some children benefit from having fewer but more purposeful social settings, while others need a busier programme of group activities.
The useful question is not simply whether a child is in school, but whether they have regular opportunities to develop friendships, independence, communication skills and confidence with other people.
Why do families choose home education?
Families choose home education for many different reasons. Some want greater flexibility or a different pace of learning. Others are responding to a child's health, anxiety, additional needs, bullying, travel, family circumstances or dissatisfaction with the school environment.
For some families it is a long-term educational choice. For others it is a temporary arrangement while circumstances change or while a more suitable school or college route is found.
There are potential advantages, but there are also practical demands. Our Benefits of Homeschooling guide looks at the main reasons families consider home education in more detail.
What responsibilities and challenges should families consider?
Home education gives families more control, but it also transfers more day-to-day responsibility to them. Before beginning, it is worth thinking realistically about time, organisation, resources and the level of support a learner will need.
- Who will plan and oversee the learner's education?
- How independently can the child work at their current age?
- Which subjects can the family support directly and where might outside help be useful?
- What will a sustainable weekly routine look like?
- How will progress be reviewed?
- What opportunities will there be for social contact, exercise and activities outside academic study?
- If qualifications are planned, how and where will examinations be taken?
- What budget is available for courses, books, tuition, activities and examination fees?
How do you start home schooling?
Understand the legal position
Start by checking the current home-education guidance that applies where you live, particularly if your child is already registered at a school.
Think about your child's needs
Consider their current level, interests, difficulties, preferred ways of learning and what you want the next stage of education to achieve.
Choose an initial learning plan
Decide which subjects matter most, how structured you want the programme to be and which materials, courses or other resources you will use.
Review and adjust
The first timetable does not need to be permanent. Review what is working, what is not, and whether the learner needs more structure, more independence or different resources.
For a fuller step-by-step guide, see How to Start Homeschooling.
How Oxford Home Schooling can fit into home education
Structured home study
Oxford Home Schooling provides structured home study courses for families who want a clear academic programme without having to design every subject from scratch.
Courses can be used as the main framework for academic study or combined with other resources and activities. Families can choose the subjects and level that fit the learner rather than having to purchase one fixed package.
Our role is to provide structured course materials and, where selected, forms of tutor support and assessment. The family remains in control of the learner's wider home education.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a difference between home schooling and home education?
They are commonly used to describe the same general arrangement. In the UK, home education is the term more often used in official guidance, while home schooling is widely understood in everyday use.
Does home schooling have to follow school hours?
No single school-style timetable suits every home-educated learner. Families often organise study around the child's age, concentration, subjects and other activities. It is usually more useful to focus on consistent educational progress than on reproducing a school day exactly.
Can parents use tutors or online courses?
Yes. Home education does not require parents to teach every subject personally. Families can use tutors, structured courses, online resources and other specialist support as part of the education they organise.
Can a home-educated child return to school later?
Home education does not have to be a permanent decision. Some families later seek a school or college place. Keeping clear records of subjects studied and progress made can be useful when moving between educational settings.
How much does home schooling cost?
Costs vary considerably. A family may use many free or low-cost resources, or may choose to pay for structured courses, books, tuition, activities and examination entries. It is useful to budget for the whole programme rather than considering course fees alone.
Can home-educated students go to university?
Yes. Home-educated students can progress to higher education when they meet the entry requirements for the courses they are applying to. Qualifications, subject choices and application evidence become increasingly important as students approach that stage.
Looking for structured home study courses?
Choose the stage that fits your learner
Key Stage 3
Structured courses for students working broadly at Years 7, 8 and 9 level.
GCSE & International GCSE
Courses designed for students working towards recognised qualifications from home.
A level
Home study courses for students preparing for A-level qualifications and their next step.