If you have parental responsibility for a child you must ensure your child is in receipt of suitable education and their home local authority is aware of these arrangements during the period when a child is compulsory school age.
What is compulsory school age?
In law a child reaches compulsory school age on the prescribed day following their fifth birthday (or on their fifth birthday if it falls on a prescribed day). The prescribed days are 31 December, 31 March and 31 August. From this date, parent/carers must ensure their child receives suitable education until the last Friday in June of the year they become 16 provided their birthday is before the beginning of the next school year.
A child ceases to be of compulsory school age on the last Friday of June in the school year they become 16. This means a child can leave school on the last Friday in June if they will be 16 by the end of the school summer holidays
