Legal & Council
Online school is legal in the UK. In England, a child at a full-time online school is usually educated under elective home education, so the steps that matter are deregistering properly and knowing what the council may ask. These guides take you through the law in order: what the Education Act requires, how to write the deregistration letter, what happens when the local authority gets in touch, and whether a council can push for a return to school. They also cover part-time and flexi-schooling, managed moves, exclusions and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, plus how DfE accreditation under OEAS works. Each guide is written for parents, with sources and a clear date, and none of it replaces advice from a solicitor or your council when a case is disputed. If you are not sure where to begin, read the legality guide first and the deregistration guide second. When you are ready, the free school match helps you find an accredited school that fits, and we call you to talk it through.
Guides in order
- Is Online Schooling Legal in the UK?
- The UK School Deregistration Guide & Letter Template
- Online School vs Homeschooling UK: What is the Legal Difference?
- Can Local Authorities Force Your Child Back to Mainstream School?
- Schools Act 2026 and online school: what UK parents need to know now
- Is Part-Time Online School Legal in the UK?
- Flexi-Schooling vs Online School in the UK: What Is the Difference?
- Moving from EHE to Online School in the UK
- Online School After Permanent Exclusion in England: What Next?
- Managed Move Failed? Online School Options in the UK
- Section 19 of the Education Act 1996: when UK parents look at an accredited online school
- What is the OEAS? Understanding UK Online Education Accreditation