The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 will change the way home education is overseen in England. We explain what the new framework means, what isn't changing, and how it affects families choosing a full-time tutor, whether they're based in the UK or moving here from abroad.
For families considering a full-time private tutor, the changes naturally raise questions. Will children have to follow the National Curriculum? Will the local authority decide what they are taught? Does anything change for families relocating to England, whether permanently or for a temporary assignment?
The good news is that the fundamentals remain the same. Parents still have the right to educate their children outside school, including through a full-time private tutor. The Act introduces a more formal framework for registration and oversight, but those provisions are not yet in force.
At the time of writing, the Government has not announced a commencement date for the new home education rules.
Education law varies across the UK and internationally, so this article focuses on the position in England, where the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act applies. Many Tutors International families have educational journeys that span different countries and jurisdictions, and we help them understand the legal and practical considerations wherever their child's education takes place.
What does the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act change?
Although the Act became law in April 2026, the home education provisions have not yet been commenced. Families continue to follow the existing legal framework while the Government prepares the regulations and guidance needed before the new system begins.
Once the new provisions come into force, local authorities in England will keep registers of eligible children of compulsory school age who receive some or all of their education outside school.
Parents will need to provide specified information about their child and their educational arrangements.
For some children, additional checks will apply before they can be withdrawn from school. These are limited to specific circumstances and do not affect most families choosing home education.
The Government will publish detailed regulations and guidance explaining exactly how the new system will operate.
Does my child have to attend school in England?
No. Children of compulsory school age must receive an efficient, suitable full-time education, but they do not have to attend school to receive it.
Parents can choose to educate their child outside school, including through a full-time private tutor. Education is compulsory; school attendance is not.
Parents remain legally responsible for ensuring their child receives a suitable education, even when they employ a professional tutor to plan and deliver it.
Does my child have to follow the National Curriculum?
No. Home-educated children in England do not have to follow the National Curriculum, and parents are not expected to recreate a school timetable or classroom at home.
Instead, the law requires children to receive a suitable education that reflects their age, ability, aptitude and, where relevant, any special educational needs. This gives families considerable freedom to choose an educational approach that best suits their child.
That might mean continuing with an American curriculum after relocating to England, following Cambridge International qualifications, IGCSEs, A levels or the International Baccalaureate, or combining a range of qualifications to create a bespoke programme.
What matters in law is that the child receives a suitable full-time education. Families will also want to make sure the programme supports their future educational plans.
Can an American family continue with a US curriculum?
Yes.
Moving to England does not mean a child has to abandon an American curriculum or switch to the English National Curriculum. Many internationally mobile families choose to continue with the programme their child already knows, particularly if they expect to return to the United States or are working towards an American high school diploma.
While living in England, the education must still be suitable for the individual child. Families should also think about what comes next. A child returning to the US may benefit from maintaining continuity, while a family settling in England may decide to introduce British or international qualifications over time.
An experienced full-time tutor can help families make those decisions, adapting the programme to the child's circumstances while preparing them for their next stage of education.
What if our move to England is temporary?
There is no general exemption from English home education requirements simply because a family considers its stay temporary.
The practical position will depend on the circumstances, including:
- where the child is living
- how long the family expects to remain
- whether the child is still enrolled at a school overseas
- how the education is being delivered
- whether England has become the child's main place of residence for the period concerned.
The new register will apply to eligible children who live within a local authority's area. The Act does not set out a broad exemption for families on temporary assignments.
A family spending several weeks in England while travelling is in a different position from one renting a home for a year while a parent completes an overseas posting. There is no single rule based only on the family's description of the move as temporary.
Families planning an extended stay should therefore clarify their position early. They do not necessarily need to change curriculum, but they may need to engage with the local authority and explain the educational arrangements.
What if we are settling in England permanently?
Families making England their long-term home have the same right to choose education outside school as any other family. They are free to follow a British, international or bespoke curriculum, provided it offers a suitable education for their child.
The difference is that long-term decisions become more important. Families will want to think about the qualifications their child will work towards, how examinations will be arranged, and the educational pathway that best supports their future plans, whether that's university in the UK or overseas.
Home-educated children can work towards recognised qualifications including IGCSEs, GCSEs, A levels and international alternatives. An experienced full-time tutor can help families plan that journey, ensuring the programme evolves as the child grows and that appropriate records of progress are maintained throughout.
Choosing home education does not limit a child's future opportunities. With careful planning, home-educated children can progress to schools, universities and other educational pathways in the UK and around the world.
When does the local authority become involved?
Under the current framework, a local authority may contact a family when it becomes aware that a child of compulsory school age is not attending school.
This may happen when:
- a child is withdrawn from a school in England
- a family tells the authority that it is home educating
- the authority becomes aware of a newly arrived child who is not enrolled at school
- information from another service suggests that the child may not be receiving suitable education.
Once the new provisions take effect, the registration system should give local authorities a clearer and more consistent record of children receiving education outside school.
Being contacted by the local authority does not necessarily mean that there is a concern. The authority may simply need information about how the child is being educated.
Will the local authority decide what my child learns?
No. Local authorities do not prescribe a particular curriculum for home-educated children, and families are not required to follow the National Curriculum.
The local authority’s role is to consider whether the child appears to be receiving an efficient, suitable full-time education. It may ask for information about the programme, the child’s progress and how the education reflects their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs.
This still leaves families considerable freedom to choose the curriculum, subjects, qualifications and teaching approach that are right for their child.
Families working with Tutors International don’t have to navigate these conversations alone. We help ensure the programme is carefully planned and appropriately documented, and support parents if the local authority asks for information.
Will a local authority inspect our home?
Under the current guidance, local authorities do not have an automatic right to enter a family's home or insist on meeting the child in every case. Instead, they will normally ask for information about the child's education.
That information might include an overview of the educational programme, examples of work, progress reports or other records that show the child is receiving a suitable education.
Families working with Tutors International are supported throughout this process. We help ensure the educational programme is clearly planned and appropriately documented, so parents can respond confidently if the local authority asks for information.
A constructive dialogue is usually the best approach. In most cases, providing clear information about the child's education is all that is needed.
Can a full-time tutor provide all of our child's education?
Yes. A full-time private tutor can provide all of a child's education, and many families choose this approach.
Parents do not need permission simply to employ a private tutor. However, they remain legally responsible for ensuring their child receives a suitable education.
Choosing the right tutor is just as important as choosing the right educational programme. Families should be confident that anyone working closely with their child has been thoroughly vetted and has the experience, qualifications and safeguarding checks appropriate to the role.
At Tutors International, every tutor goes through a rigorous recruitment and selection process before being introduced to a family. We also work closely with parents to design the educational programme, support them throughout the placement and help ensure they understand any legal or practical requirements that apply to their circumstances.
Do we have to tell the local authority now?
It depends on your circumstances.
If your child is currently attending a school in England and you decide to home educate, you will usually need to notify the school. The school will then inform the local authority. Different rules apply in some situations, including for certain children attending special schools.
If your child has never attended a school in England, the position may be different. At the time of writing, there is no universal national registration system, although local authorities already have responsibilities for children who are not receiving education at school.
Once the relevant provisions of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act come into force, families will be expected to provide information as part of the new registration framework.
Every family's circumstances are unique, particularly when relocating from overseas or moving between education systems. At Tutors International, we help families understand what requirements apply to them, explain any practical steps they may need to take, and support them throughout the process. While parents remain legally responsible for their child's education, they do not have to navigate the system alone.
What records should families keep?
There is currently no single prescribed set of records that every homeschooling family must keep, but good educational records are an important part of any successful home education programme. They help families track progress, plan the next stage of a child's learning and, where necessary, demonstrate that the education being provided is suitable.
One advantage of working with Tutors International is that much of this is built into the way we work. A professionally managed tutoring programme includes clear educational planning, regular assessment, records of progress and reports that show how a child's education is developing over time.
We work closely with families and tutors to ensure these records are maintained throughout the placement, giving parents confidence that their child's education is well planned, well documented and supported by experienced educational professionals.
What does the Act mean for families choosing a homeschool tutor?
For most families, the Act does not change the reasons for choosing a full-time tutor. Parents can follow a personalised education outside school, with a curriculum designed around their child's individual needs, interests and future plans.
What the Act does change is the level of oversight. As the new framework is introduced, families may be asked to provide more information about how their child is being educated. A professionally planned tutoring programme is well placed to meet those requirements, with clear educational planning, regular assessment and records that demonstrate a child's progress over time.
For internationally mobile families, a full-time tutor also provides continuity. Whether a child is continuing an American curriculum during a temporary relocation, preparing for British qualifications or moving between different education systems, the programme can be adapted to support both their immediate needs and their longer-term goals.
At Tutors International, we help families with more than finding an exceptional tutor. We design each child's educational programme, advise on the practical considerations of home education in England, and support families throughout the placement, giving them confidence that both their child's education and the surrounding arrangements are in experienced hands.
The Act introduces greater oversight, not a requirement for greater uniformity. Families continue to be able to choose the educational approach that is right for their child.
A more formal framework, with room for individual choice
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act introduces a more formal framework for home education in England. While some of the practical details are still to be confirmed, one principle remains unchanged: parents continue to have the freedom to choose an education outside school, together with the responsibility for ensuring it is suitable for their child.
Every family's circumstances are different. A child relocating from New York for a year will have different educational needs from one settling permanently in England, just as a child preparing for US college admissions may need another pathway from one planning to apply to a British university.
At Tutors International, we support families navigating these decisions every day, working alongside parents to design an educational programme that gives their child the best possible foundation for the future.
If you're considering a full-time tutor, we'd be delighted to discuss your family's plans and explain how we can help. Contact us today.
