Flexi-Schooling

• Parents can choose to make arrangements for their child(ren) to receive part of their education at a school.

• Flexi-schooling is an arrangement with your child's school for them to attend part time and for the parent to provide the remainder of the education at home.

• Parents are still responsible for their child's education, however the part time provision at a school setting when a Flexi-schooling arrangement is in place, must also be taken into consideration when looking at whether a full and efficient education is being provided. 

• Not every school will agree to a Flexi-schooling request - it is at the discretion of the school whether a parents' application is accepted. 

• Flexi-schooling should be an option explored if it is in the child's best interest.

• Flexi-schooling is a legal option provided it has been agreed by the child's school. Once this agreement has been formalised, the days on which the child is not in attendance at school will be marked as 'authorised' absences. 

• While you are free to educate your child in whatever way you wish when you are at home, when your child is at school they will be required to follow the curriculum the school does. 

• If the child has an EHCP, the decision to Flexi-school must be taken in conjunction with the local authority. 

• Some schools will see Flexi-schooling as a temporary measure and believe it will be a gradual phased back to school process. 

• If a child is registered at a school, even under a Flexi-school arrangement, they must take SATS / GCSEs. This is because if a child is registered and they do not take the tests, they will score zero and it will affect the school league table. Therefore if you are making an agreement with the school for a Flexi arrangement, they may require you to agree to take the tests. ​

• Some benefits of a Flexi-schooling arrangement are:

  • allowing the family to engage in elements of home education whilst still accessing specialist tuition that cannot be provided otherwise, 

  • the parent(s) can access part time work around the child's education. 

  • it offers a flexible approach to education, enabling the interests and needs of the child to be met​​

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For more information:

Home Education . org - Flexischooling

Parents right to Flexischool - what the law says

Flexischooling - Essex County Council

You can also go onto the website for your own Local Authority (LA) for more informatio in your area.