The differences between the legislation relating to home schooling in America and in England has been discussed in a previous thread.

As outlined in wiki

"Homeschooling laws (in the US) can be divided into three categories:

1. In some states, homeschooling requirements are based on its treatment as a type of private school (California, Indiana, Texas, for example)
In those states, homeschools are generally required to comply with the same laws that apply to other (usually non-accredited) schools.
   
2. In other states, homeschool requirements are based on the unique wording of the state's compulsory attendance statute without any specific reference to "homeschooling" (New Jersey, Maryland, for example).
In those states, the requirements for homeschooling are set by the particular parameters of the compulsory attendance statute.

3. In other states (Maine, New Hampshire, Iowa, for example) homeschool requirements are based on a statute or group of statutes that specifically applies to homeschooling, although statutes often refer to homeschooling using other nomenclature (in Virginia, for example, the statutory nomenclature is "home instruction"; in South Dakota, it is "alternative instruction"; in Iowa, it is "competent private instruction").
In these states, the requirements for homeschooling are set out in the relevant statutes.

While every state has some requirements, there is great diversity in the type, number, and level of burden imposed"


However in the UK the number of children not attending school is not even known but is 'thought to be' between 20,000 and 50,000 !

Parents have to tell a local authority when they remove a child from school, but not that they are home educating, and local authorities can only insist on seeing children when there are very specific welfare concerns.


A website that is aimed at home educators admits

"Many new home teachers are surprised to find that ... in order to provide a child's education at home, parents (or any other home educator figures) are not required to have a teaching qualification, or in fact any subject or other qualification.

Many home teaching parents are very surprised to discover the lack of rules or regulation monitoring the home educator.

Again, new home educating parents may be surprised to find that they are not required to follow any curricula, including the National Curriculum, with their home school child, the teaching timetable (or indeed, a decision to learn without any kind of timetable or teaching structure) is open to the home schooling family to determine.
Nor do home schooling families have to learn for or participate in national tests like Key Stage tests or Standard Assessment Tests - these are all non-compulsory.

Home educators are not subject to any kind of formal assessment that might occur in schools, such as inspection or testing of pupils to check the education is being aptly provided."


A recent independent review of elective home education in the UK looked at on the one hand, the absence of prescription in relation to home education and the ability of home educating families to refuse contact with their local authority, and, on the other, the duty on local authorities to ensure that every child in their area is receiving a suitable education

and concluded that -

All children and young people are entitled to a good education.
This doesn't necessarily mean children have to go to school: many parents choose to educate their child at home

but

suggested closer monitoring of home educators, including a compulsory annual registration scheme and that that home educating families should provide some form of statement of their intended approach to their child's education.