Short answer: The Home Education Starter Guide is a free 9-page PDF for UK families considering home education, with no sign-up. It covers common myths, what a week can look like, questions to ask yourself, real costs, the honest hard parts and a first 30 days list. We are not legally qualified, so for the legal process please go to Education Otherwise, a long-standing UK home education charity.
⬇ Download the free guide (9 pages, PDF)
Free, with no sign-up.
If this is where you are
Many families start thinking about home education because school is not meeting their child's needs despite real effort on both sides, or because a child is worn out. It is a big decision, and you do not owe anyone a justification for it.
What is in the guide
- Why families choose home education, and common myths cleared up first
- Where to get reliable legal information (Education Otherwise)
- What a week can look like: structured, unschooling or hybrid
- Questions worth sitting with before you start, and what to budget for
- The honest hard parts: parent burnout, identity friction and isolation
- A practical first 30 days list
Read our free article on this topic →
What could help next
If your child finds everyday demands hard, see our Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) support page.
Free
To buy, if it would be useful
- Back on Track: the PDA-friendly home education app: five small tasks a day, rewards your child chooses and nothing ever taken away, £4.99 a month after a 14-day free trial.
- Little Minds workbooks for ages 7 to 11: calm, PDA-friendly English, Reading, Spelling, Maths and Times Tables, as printable PDFs (£4.99 each or £17.99 for all five) or Amazon paperbacks.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a qualified teacher to home educate in the UK?
No. No formal teaching qualification is required. For the legal side and how it applies to you, please check with Education Otherwise, because rules can change.
Is the Home Education Starter Guide free?
Yes. It is a free PDF with no sign-up or email address needed.
What does a home education week look like?
There is no single model. Most families land somewhere between structured, interest-led and a hybrid of the two, often after some trial and error. The right one is whichever your child and family can sustain.
Is home education suitable for a child who finds demands hard?
Many families home educate for this reason, and it can allow a lower-demand day. It is not the right fit for everyone. Our PDA support page gathers practical tools for children who find everyday demands hard.
This is general information and a practical tool, not medical, legal or professional advice, and it cannot replace someone who knows your child. If you are worried about your child's safety, see
Where to get help.
