TheLearnDen

Printable template

School Deregistration Letter Template (England)

By TheLearnDen's editorial team · Updated 2026-07-30 · England-focused; the law differs in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

This is the letter that takes a child off a mainstream school's roll in England so that home education can begin. Print it, fill in the blanks by hand or adapt it into an email, and send it to the head teacher. It uses the wording of regulation 8(1)(d) of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, so the school knows exactly which duty it is being asked to carry out.

It is written for an ordinary mainstream school. If your child attends a special school under local authority arrangements, or a school attendance order is in force, the process is different — read our deregistration guide first.

The letter

Your name · Your address · Date

To: The Head Teacher, School name

Dear Head teacher's name,

Re: Child's full name, date of birth DOB, class Class or year group

I am writing to inform you that from date home education begins my child, child's full name, is receiving education otherwise than at school. He/She/They last attended school on last date of attendance and will not be returning.

In accordance with regulation 8(1)(d) of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, please delete his/her/their name from the admission register from that date, and confirm to me in writing that you have done so and that the local authority has been informed.

Thank you for the time the school has given child's first name. I wish the school well.

Yours sincerely,

Signature

Your name — parent of child's full name

If your child has already stopped attending, put the last day they actually attended; the date home education begins can simply be the day after, or the date of the letter.

Check before you send

  • Mainstream school? This letter is for mainstream schools. A special school attended under local authority arrangements needs the local authority's consent first, and a school attendance order must be revoked before you can home educate — see the full guide.
  • Rules in flux: the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 is bringing in Children Not in School registers and consent requirements for some children in stages. Check gov.uk for the current position before sending.
  • In England you do not need to give reasons, attend a meeting, or wait for permission — the school's duty to delete the name follows from your written notification.
  • If another parent shares parental responsibility, it is much better to agree this together before the letter goes in.
  • Keep a copy of the letter and a note of the date and how you sent it, and chase the school for written confirmation if none arrives within a couple of weeks.
  • Expect your local authority to be in touch at some point afterwards with informal enquiries about the education you are providing — normal, and worth answering with a short written summary.
  • England only: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different withdrawal procedures — start from gov.uk.

Ready for the next step? Our free home education guide and the printable year-by-year checklists cover what to do once the letter is sent.