Deregistering from a SEN School

How to Deregister from a SEN School

Deregistering from a Special Educational Needs School is different from deregistering from a mainstream school as you have to request consent from the Local Authority. You do this by writing a letter stating that you wish to home educate and that you are requesting consent to deregister your child from a SEN school.

You cannot pull your child out of school or send a deregistration letter without it first being confirmed by the LA that you can.

When writing to request consent from the LA, ensure that you include details of how you are going to cater to their extra needs and why Home Education is best for them. If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) then you can refer to this.

If you’re unsure on how to write a letter to the LA, we have a consent to deregister template letter.

Here are some ideas (to include in the letter) of how you might cater to your child’s extra needs:

Your chosen style of Home Education (Find out more about Home Education styles in our Guide to Home Education).
What resources you will use (books, apps, memberships, classes/groups etc.)
What additional needs they have and how you will meet them.
Who will be involved in your child’s education and the benefits of this.
Any social opportunities that you will make the most of (e.g. Home Education groups).
How you will monitor your child’s progress.
Why Home Education is more beneficial for them than a SEN school.

Remember, you always have a right to home educate your SEN child. In the rare event that the LA refuses consent, it’s important to know these rights and follow up with another letter.

Reiterate in detail how you will meet your child’s needs and provide them with a suitable education.

As stated in the Elective Home Education: Guide for Parents 4.3, “If the local authority refuses consent, you can ask the Secretary of State to settle the dispute.”