School attendance

Parents' responsibilities

The law states:

“Every parent with children of compulsory school age must make sure that their children receive efficient full-time education suitable to their age aptitude and ability (and to any special education needs they may have) either by attending school or otherwise.”

Compulsory being the term after your child’s 5th birthday up to the last Friday in the month of June in the academic year of their 16th birthday.

This means that parents or carers have a legal responsibility to make sure that their child is educated, but this does not have to be in school.