Cambridgeshire Home Educating Families cards
From April 2025, Cambridgeshire Home Educating Families can now carry cards to prove they are electively home educating. There is no a legal requirement to carry proof and they should not be used to contribute to any expectation that they should be but they have been requested by some who would feel more comfortable having one when requesting educational discounts or explaining why not in school.
The card states "Elective Home Education is legal in the UK but receives no funding. We kindly ask you please consider granting educational access rights and discounts as you would for a school visit by any other student or teacher." It also provides a link to this webpage.
At the November 2024 Positive Dialogue meeting and in the 2025 survey, parents in the local home educating community asked if it would be possible for the Local Authority (LA) to support a card that would help prove home education status. The LA considered this and confirmed at the April 2025 Positive Dialogue meeting that they have no budget for this but were happy for us to make one but made clear they could not add their logo or endorse it. In light of this, a parent volunteer stepped up to design and print an initial batch at their own expense which are now available to any home educating family in the area who would like one.
The LA have pointed out that if you are automatically registered with the Local Authority as electively home educating (EHE) after deregistering from school or choose to voluntarily register, they will provide you with a letter proving EHE status as well/instead if desired. There is currently no obligation to register if you do not wish to. Many choose not to to avoid the additional administrative burden of submitting an annual report but others welcome input, guidance and support sign-posting from the LA and do not find the reporting onerous.
The card states "Elective Home Education is legal in the UK but receives no funding. We kindly ask you please consider granting educational access rights and discounts as you would for a school visit by any other student or teacher." It also provides a link to this webpage.
At the November 2024 Positive Dialogue meeting and in the 2025 survey, parents in the local home educating community asked if it would be possible for the Local Authority (LA) to support a card that would help prove home education status. The LA considered this and confirmed at the April 2025 Positive Dialogue meeting that they have no budget for this but were happy for us to make one but made clear they could not add their logo or endorse it. In light of this, a parent volunteer stepped up to design and print an initial batch at their own expense which are now available to any home educating family in the area who would like one.
The LA have pointed out that if you are automatically registered with the Local Authority as electively home educating (EHE) after deregistering from school or choose to voluntarily register, they will provide you with a letter proving EHE status as well/instead if desired. There is currently no obligation to register if you do not wish to. Many choose not to to avoid the additional administrative burden of submitting an annual report but others welcome input, guidance and support sign-posting from the LA and do not find the reporting onerous.
Where can EHE parents obtain one?
The cards will be made available at the annual Positive Dialogue meetings and at Orchard Park (lunch club) and the Meadows (in the foyer) where you will meet other home educating families who will want to hear all about your own home educating journey. If it's impossible for you to get to one of these collection points, get in touch to see if another low-admin arrangement is possible (bearing in mind this is all organised by busy home educating parent volunteers). There are two types - one for parents/teachers of home educated children and one for older home educated children who are out and about independently. Both require a signature (but not name) on the card so that the cardholder could be asked to replicate the signature to verify it really belongs to them by anyone they present it to. Laminating the the card once signed is suggested to help preserve it.
Where can the cards be used?
Local businesses and services finding this page are asked to please consider that home educating families accept the full financial burden of educating their children and receive no financial support for doing so. Home education is legal and saves the government c.£8k per year in a free school place which is not taken up). This is a substantial and costly undertaking but is often the only viable option to meet the needs of some children and is also a very joyful but nevertheless, costly, lifestyle choice for many too. Either way, it can cause considerable strain on household finances.
Home educated students studying GCSEs and A levels for example may not necessarily be affiliated to a college which would entitle them to a student ID card which would be accepted by many places offering student discounts. Children old enough to be out and about solo may get asked why they are not in school. We ask that these cards help such families and children be recognised and treated with respect and parity with their schooled peers and that you will please consider extending any educational discounts/benefits to these families too.
If you are a business, service, parent or student and would like to volunteer to raise awareness of these cards among local businesses and services and compile a list that could be shared here, do get in touch.
Home educated students studying GCSEs and A levels for example may not necessarily be affiliated to a college which would entitle them to a student ID card which would be accepted by many places offering student discounts. Children old enough to be out and about solo may get asked why they are not in school. We ask that these cards help such families and children be recognised and treated with respect and parity with their schooled peers and that you will please consider extending any educational discounts/benefits to these families too.
If you are a business, service, parent or student and would like to volunteer to raise awareness of these cards among local businesses and services and compile a list that could be shared here, do get in touch.
