MADE FOR FAMILIES IN WALES
Home education in Wales, planned for you
Tell Kuraplan your children's ages and what Wales expects. It writes lessons, worksheets and the records you need, in the language of the Curriculum for Wales.
Home education in Wales: the rules, the registration and a plan that works
Wales shares the basic law with England (Education Act 1996, education 'at school or otherwise') but has its own statutory guidance and a stronger expectation that local authorities identify and engage with home-educating families. Since 2023 councils have been expected to keep a database of home-educated children, offer an annual meeting to discuss the education, and provide support where families want it.
There is still no legal register for parents to sign, no compulsory curriculum and no compulsory assessment. This guide explains what has changed, how deregistration works, and how families handle the annual engagement without it becoming an inspection.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Informational, not legal advice. Verify with Welsh Government: elective home education before acting.
Step by step
How to start home education in Wales
- 1
Deregister in writing
Write to the school asking for the child to be removed from the register; the school informs the council. Consent is not needed unless the child attends a special school under a school attendance order.
- 2
Expect an offer of a meeting
Councils are expected to make contact and offer an annual meeting, in person or otherwise, to discuss the education. Parents can choose the format and can provide written information instead; the guidance encourages engagement but does not make the meeting compulsory.
- 3
Provide a suitable education
No curriculum, hours or exams are prescribed. The Curriculum for Wales (with its six areas of learning) is a useful reference and councils will recognise it, but you may use anything suitable.
- 4
Use the support on offer
Welsh councils are expected to help with things like access to exams, careers advice and, in some areas, resources. Ask your council's EHE officer what is available.
Wales requirements at a glance
Legal basis: Education Act 1996 s.7; Welsh Government statutory guidance on elective home education (2023) and the Education (Elective Home Education) (Wales) Regulations.
- Notification
- None beyond deregistering; councils maintain their own database of children known to be home educated.
- Curriculum
- None prescribed; the Curriculum for Wales is optional.
- Hours
- No minimum.
- Assessment
- None compulsory. Annual engagement with the council is expected but the format is negotiable.
- Records
- Not required by law; a short annual summary is the usual response to the council.
Dates to put on your calendar
- Exam entries as a private candidate: autumn for the summer series.
- Annual council contact: expect it within the year; you can propose the timing.
Curriculum
Curriculum for Wales: six areas of learning and experience (languages, literacy and communication; mathematics and numeracy; science and technology; humanities; health and well-being; expressive arts), with Welsh language as a cross-cutting element. Optional for home educators.
Assessment
No compulsory assessment. GCSEs and A-levels (WJEC or English boards) as a private candidate; some councils help find centres.
Funding
No allowance. Some councils fund exam entries or provide resources for home-educated children; the 2023 guidance encourages this. Ask.
Plan it with Kuraplan
Turn the rules into a week that works
Kuraplan knows the Curriculum for Wales. Tell it your children's ages and it builds lessons, worksheets and the plan or report your Welsh Government paperwork asks for.
Plans in Curriculum for Wales terms
Learning plans, program summaries and progress reports written in the vocabulary your regulator expects, ready to edit and submit.
Lessons for every child at once
One family topic, output at each child's level: a drawing task, a paragraph, an essay. Printables included.
Records without the scramble
Keep completed work together so the annual review, report or portfolio is a summary, not a reconstruction.
One lesson. All your kids.
$49/yr flat, no per-child fees
Write one family lesson, then adjust the reading level, the practice and the response format for each child without rebuilding the day.
Wales home education FAQ
Is home education legal in Wales?
Yes. The same law as England applies: parents must provide a suitable education at school or otherwise. Wales has its own statutory guidance, updated in 2023, which sets out how councils should engage with families.
Do I have to register as a home educator in Wales?
There is no register for parents to sign. Councils keep a database of children they know to be home educated and are expected to make contact, but the duty is on the council to identify, not on the parent to register.
Do I have to meet the council every year?
The guidance expects councils to offer an annual engagement and encourages parents to take it up, but you can choose the format, including written information rather than a visit.
Do I have to teach Welsh?
No. The Curriculum for Wales includes Welsh, but home educators are not bound by it. Many families include some Welsh because resources are plentiful and free.
Can my child take GCSEs if home educated in Wales?
Yes, as a private candidate. WJEC and the English boards both accept private candidates at approved centres, and some Welsh councils help with fees or finding a centre.
Informational, not legal advice. Rules and forms change; verify with Welsh Government: elective home education before acting. Reviewed 2026-09-07.
Other United Kingdom guides
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Your Wales home education year, in one place
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