The law requires every child of statutory school age to be educated, either by regular attendance at school or, if parents choose, at home, providing the child receives an efficient full-time education suitable:

  1. to their age, ability and aptitude, and
  2. to any special educational needs they may have.

If you choose to make your own arrangements to educate your child at home you will be fully responsible. The Local Authority does not provide any assistance with examination costs, curriculum materials or additional resources. The decision to educate your child at home is a big step; it will take a considerable amount of your time, energy and money. Please read through the guidelines booklet below if you are considering elective home education.

Home Education Guidelines
A guide to help parents/carers understand what may be involved if they are considering educating their child outside the school system

If you decide to electively home educate and your child currently attends a school, it is important to inform the school by writing to the Headteacher.

If you are electively home educating in Torbay, please complete the voluntary registration form and return this to ehe@torbay.gov.uk.   

  Download the home education voluntary registration form

Useful links and resources for elective home education.

Once the local authority is aware that a child is electively home educated, the EHE Team will contact parents to request information on the education at home.

Torbay Elective Home Education Team contact information:

  • Email: ehe@torbay.gov.uk
  • Telephone No: 01803 206473 Business Support, Elective Home Education Team
Elective Home Education Team
Torbay Education
2nd Floor, Electric House
Castle Circus
Torquay
TQ1 3DR
  • EHE Lead Professional: David Bevan
  • Senior Head of Vulnerable Students Team: Dan Hamer

For more information about Elective Home Education, visit the Torbay Council Local Offer EHE website.

A copy of the Elective Home Education Policy and Procedures document can be requested by contacting the Elective Home Education Team.

We work hard to provide our customers with the best possible service.  Many people wish to compliment us on what we do for example where a member of staff has been particularly helpful or polite or where a service has exceeded expectation or where a policy has resulted in great customer satisfaction.  Sometimes, however, we are unable to meet our customers’ expectations, and as with compliments, when we have done something well, we use any complaints as learning points to try and improve our services. Any complaint about the Elective Home Education Team, should be through the central councils complaints procedure.