Schoolhouse Home Education Association (known as “Schoolhouse”) was founded in 1996 by a group of home educating families who wished to raise public awareness of, and begin to tackle, issues surrounding elective home-based education in Scotland.

A recognised Scottish charity, the Association offers information and support to those who wish to take personal responsibility for the education of their children; families who have chosen, or are contemplating, home-based education; and those who support the right of families to educate in accordance with their own philosophy and with due regard to the wishes and feelings of their children.

Reasons for choosing home-based education are many and varied. Some parents educate at home through active choice, whereas for others it is a reluctant decision taken as a direct result of school-related difficulties such as school refusal or anxiety, bullying or unmet special educational needs.

Approaches to home-based education are similarly diverse – some families choose a relatively structured model while many favour autonomous learning. Happily, the choice is entirely theirs since the Scottish curriculum guidelines do not apply to home educators and they are free to choose the approach which best suits their individual child.

Schoolhouse members share skills, resources, information and ideas, and sometimes participate in joint educational and social activities. Everyone has something to offer and everyone’s contribution is equally valued, so even if your child is attending school at the moment or has not reached school age, why not join us?

While the Schoolhouse membership reflects the diversity of home educating families throughout Scotland, the organisation makes no claim to represent all those who home educate, and the emphasis is firmly on the rights of young people, assisted by their parents or carers, to secure the education they feel best suits them.

The Association’s overriding commitments have been to ensure that the right to choose home education is not denied, especially to those from less advantaged backgrounds; furthermore, that local authorities begin to deliver on a consistent basis the (still required under Scots law) ‘consent’ to withdraw a child from a state school within a reasonable time-scale, and that the Scottish Government’s statutory guidance on home education is adhered to by education authorities.

To these ends, Schoolhouse provides independent information to individuals, families and a range of organisations through its enquiries service, and, when requested, assists home educating families directly in their dealings with local authorities or other agencies.

Over the years, Schoolhouse has organised numerous events across Scotland – from major conferences and seminars to informal consultation meetings and family days – all of which have been designed to encourage dialogue and the exchange of ideas between home educators and all those with an interest in home education. Schoolhouse participates in steering groups, consultations and discussions with the Scottish Government, local authorities and the voluntary sector, and has been invited to contribute to teacher training programmes.

In addition to enjoying long established links with other UK-based organisations with a commitment to promoting educational freedom, Schoolhouse maintains contact with home education networks across Europe, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Schoolhouse has no dedicated office and no paid staff and survives by way of voluntary donations and effort. There is no set joining fee and information is provided regardless of membership status. While project grants have sometimes been secured to address some specific issues identified by home educators in Scotland, Schoolhouse has no plans to seek ‘core’ funding for its activities, which might be seen to compromise its founding principles, and remains mindful of its responsibility to the wider home education community.