The Home Education Initiative – Community Feedback & Support
a non-profit organisation
WE NEED YOU
YOUR FEED BACK IS ESSENTIAL TO DELIVERING THE RIGHT SERVICES WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED
contact us directly via email
Welcome to The Home Education Initiative CIC
Supporting Home Education across the UK
Already know about us and keen to join?
As a thank you for your early support, the first 1,000 households to sign up when our site launches will receive:
✅ 6 months free membership
✅ 50% off for the rest of the year – that’s just £2.50/month per household
It’s our way of saying thank you for backing a community-driven project from the very beginning.
soo scroll to the bottom of this page to find the register your interest form, or keep reading if you want to know more
The Home Education Initiative CIC is a non-profit organisation created by home educators, for home educators. Importantly we are not a government organisation, We fully support home educators’ right to autonomy over their educational journey and respect the choice of those who prefer not to register with their local authority. In the UK, parents are not legally required to inform the local authority if they choose to home educate, unless their child is already enrolled in a school.
FAQ’s
How does it work?
We offer exclusive discounted entry into venues providing educational or recreational experiences for home-educating families, for just £5/month. This covers running platform costs, and any surplus is reinvested directly into the home education community.
What if I can’t afford it?
Our services are £5 a month, an amount we are sure you will get back in a single use, but we will also be providing our service free or reduced cost for families who are facing financial hardship.
Will this affect home ed discounts that are already available?
Our membership program provides access to discounts that we negotiate, we are asking companies to honour any standing arrangements they have with home educators
Which venues will be accessible via the membership system?
We are partnering with a wide range of venues, from soft play to outdoor adventure centre, zoos, theme parks and more, we will release our full list of partners closer to launch.
What will my membership fee be used for?
The way our organisation has been intentionally set up means, all profits will be reinvested, we have no share holders or stake holders, no person or company is able to profit from any income made now or ever. We are volunteer-led, but committed to ethical employment. Every penny we make will go towards paying our workers fairly and building forward-thinking practices, like 4-day working weeks, equal parental leave, mental health days, and more. We will employ people to maintain the platform, deliver services, and grow our reach to home educators. We hope to gain real spending power as a community, income made will be distributed according to community decisions, funding initiatives such as local groups, free courses, or shared spaces, ensuring organisers (who are doing this right now in the community) don’t carry personal financial risk. The possibilities are endless, and the choice will always be yours.
Our ambition for the future is huge, but right now, we want to deliver an immediate impact and a clear reason to join our mission. We offer two ways to get involved:
- Freemium: our Declaration of Status card, giving home-educating households the support that comes with official recognition. This can help when applying for things like student-rate services or concessions.
- Our low-cost Discount Membership card, which is unlocks our exclusive, negotiated discounts at educational and recreational venues, making regular, enriching activities more affordable for every family.
We will strive for Recognition. Access. Support.
If you’re a home educator, you’re already doing more than most people realise.
You’ve taken on the responsibility of shaping your young person’s education—often because the system failed to support them. Maybe your child was bullied. Maybe they have SEND needs that were misunderstood or unsupported. Maybe you chose this path to preserve their mental health or to honour their natural rhythm of learning. Maybe you are simply the best equipped person to teach your child.
Whatever brought you here, you now face the daily reality of being their teacher, their advocate, their planner, their voice—and their protector.
You do the work, without the recognition or support.
- You fund every book, every trip, every science kit and bus fare out of your own pocket.
- You are responsible for what goes on in your young persons life all day, everyday. Whether its filling the time with engaging activities or educational experiences or much needed rest and relaxation. We love the flexibility of home ed but there is no denying, it is a big task to undertake, and you do it without the school discounts, subsidised trips, or even any recognition of your status.
- You fight for exam access, explain your legal rights to sceptical authorities, and try to find a like-minded community, all while making sure your children thrive
and while you take on all that, central, standardised, tangible support for home educators is hard to come by. What is available is largely driven by individual volunteer home educators or former home educators, people generously giving their time, knowledge, and energy to support others. And while this grassroots support is both incredible and essential, it is also fragile, entirely dependent on the goodwill and capacity of individuals willing to step up.
There are no guarantees that the same level of support will be available for your family next year, or for future generations.
That’s why there’s an urgent need for a sustainable, central organisation that serves home educators with consistency, neutrality, and accessibility for all.
A structured, non-profit organisation like ours offers:
- Continuity – support that doesn’t disappear when a volunteer steps back
- Neutrality – no bias or agenda beyond what’s best for the community as decided by the community
- Recognition – a unified voice that can advocate for home educators on a national level
- Accountability – clear goals, transparency, and reinvestment into the community
- Quality assurance – reliable services, standardised support, and professional resources
- Inclusion – equitable access for families across all backgrounds and circumstances
We also want to make it clear that we are not here to replace or override existing organisations, such as HEFA, Education Otherwise, Education for All, and the many other groups that have served and continue to serve the home education community in meaningful ways. These groups provide a wealth of knowledge and guidance, and we deeply value their work. In fact, we will actively signpost to organisations like AWE Discounts, which offers thousands of deals on online courses and programmes. Our aim is to grow alongside these groups, while going further to tackle the very real physical struggles families face: burnout, lack of funding, limited spaces, and a lack of understanding from the wider world. We want to create something distinct yet complementary, adding to the strength and diversity of support available to families. We believe we can provide something dependable, representative, and built to last.
Awareness
We believe it is essential to bring the reality of home education to the forefront of public awareness. Despite its many benefits, home education is still widely misunderstood, and many families face stigma for choosing this path. Comments like “they would do better in school” “how do they socialise?” reflect a lack of understanding and can leave home educators feeling isolated, judged, or pressured to constantly justify their decision—to wider friends, extended family, and even the people who are closest to them. This societal pressure can lead to self-doubt, even when home education is clearly the best choice for their child. The lack of awareness also means that families who could truly benefit from home education may never consider it, or struggle to find support when they begin their journey. Raising awareness is key to changing perceptions, offering encouragement, and ensuring that every family feels confident in choosing the path that works best for them.
We see you. We are you. And we’re building something for us all.
What we will do.
The Home Education Initiative CIC is a non-profit, community-led organisation that recognises the reality of home education—and is here to support it.
Our aim is simple: to reduce the isolation, financial pressure, and lack of recognition that home educators face, starting with two main elements
1. An Affordable Home Ed Discount Membership (£5/month) per household- Free or reduced cost for low income families and those going through financial hardship
The cost of living is rising—and so is the cost of educating your child outside the system.
We’re negotiating exclusive discounts with venues that are perfect for home ed:
- Soft play and activity centres
- Historic sites, museums, and learning venues
- Farms, zoos, trampoline parks, climbing centres, and more
We are inspired by the English heritage sites, who offer Free entry for educational visits which is extended to individual home educators. By extending these benefits to individual home-educating families, English Heritage sets a commendable standard for educational institutions. We advocate for other organizations offering school discounts to adopt similar inclusive approaches, ensuring that all learners, regardless of their educational setting, have equitable access to enriching experiences. We believe that any venue offering school discounts should extend similar benefits to individual home-educating families, without imposing restrictive conditions, such as being only available to groups. Our goal is to negotiate significantly enhanced discounts that reflect the unique value home educators bring, particularly during off-peak times.
Feedback indicates that businesses (not just educational) recognize the advantages of attracting visitors during quieter periods. However, existing home education discounts often fall short in encouraging families to explore these opportunities. We advocate for more substantial and flexible discounts that empower home-educating families to engage in a diverse range of experiences without financial constraints. We want truly affordable access.
We are also aware that for the business who do offer discounts, they are unable to publicly advertise or they require proof of educational status (an LA letter) which we don’t all have. this means lots of home educators miss out on opportunities that could be extremely beneficial.
We also recognise that Home educators need flexibility and variety—not a single venue annual pass. This membership gives you access to multiple venues, multiple days a week, without breaking the bank. And unlike other discount services such as Totum, Taste card or Blue light card, we’re a non-profit, so every penny goes back into helping families like yours, and you will choose how it that happens, and where the need is greatest.
2. A Free, Declaration of Status card
We have listened to your feedback and understand that, in the current climate, the term ‘ID card’ may raise concerns. We want to assure you that there is no national register of information associated with our program. However, we also recognize that you value the privileges that come with being part of a recognized organization.
We want to make it absolutely clear that obtaining the ‘Declaration of Status’ card is entirely optional. You can choose to acquire it alongside the our Home ed discount membership or independently, based on your preferences. Our aim is to provide flexibility, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of being part of our educational community in the way that suits you best.
This card is not an identity document; it’s a gateway to the advantages you deserve as a member of the educational community. Your trust is paramount to us, and we are committed to transparency and respect for your privacy
We want to offer this For both home educators and the independent young people they educate.
This isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s something we believe you should have already been offered for free but at the same time have the right to refuse :
Why we think it will help
- To help you and your young person access student discounts such as Totem or anything that require a student to have proof of educational status
- To reduce suspicion or refusal at venues for young people during school hours
- To provide proof of educational status when dealing with public transport, councils, exam centres, or even libraries
We want this “Declaration of Status” to be recognised by businesses and authorities, because home education deserves to be taken seriously, and granted the same benefits received by schools, and colleges.
What does it mean? It means you won’t need to provide loads personal information. This Declaration Card is exactly what it sounds like, a simple confirmation that you’ve told us you’re a home educator. Any information we collect, in order to deliver our services to you, will be protected by our data protection policy, not shared with any other organisation or group. Legally we can not give away your personal information nor do we want to. Scroll to the bottom of the page for our data protection policy.
Long-Term Goals and Solutions
Any profits we make will go straight back into supporting and growing the home education community. Our long-term vision is to become an established, reputable, and government-recognised organisation, giving us a stronger voice when advocating for the rights and needs of home educators across the UK. Once we reach that point, we hope to secure funding for exam access, create physical spaces nationwide for learners to sit exams, attend meetups, swap skills, and build connections. We’re also aiming to include legal support, not just advice and expert guidance on dealing with local authorities as part of our membership plan. In the future, we’d love to offer resources and tuition. But above all, we will stay rooted in the needs of the community: if something doesn’t resonate or isn’t useful, we won’t pursue it. Everything we do will be shaped by what home educators actually want and need.
Why is it a Paid Home Ed Discount Membership ? why not run on voluntary donations ?
We are using a paid membership model to grow a reliable and sustainable support system for home educators. Historically, many home education services have depended on the goodwill of volunteers, Which, while commendable, can lead to inconsistencies and limitations in support and would cease to exist if the volunteers stepped back, which is why it is fundamentally unjust that families educating their children at home must rely solely on voluntary contributions to access essential resources and support. We believe that no one should be compelled to shoulder this responsibility out of goodwill alone .By securing funding through memberships, we aim to offer consistent, high-quality resources and assistance to home educators across the UK.
We are also committed to inclusivity. Therefore, our services will remain free or reduced cost for families facing financial hardships or from low-income households. Our model is inspired by the principles of trade unions, collective support and advocacy to ensure the rights and needs of home educators are met and upheld.
This approach is about building a dependable, community-driven framework that empowers home educators and ensures they have access to the necessary tools and support for success.
Why We Need Your Voice Right Now
We know the need is real, because we’ve lived it. But we don’t know everything. Tell us where we are going wrong. so we can be better, tell us what you love so we know we are on the right track.
Right now your voice matters most, you keep us in line, you tell us what you need, we act.
Register your interest here
the first 1000 house holds to sign up when our site launches will receive a 100% discount member ship for the first 6 months, and then £2.50 per household so 50% off for the rest of the year, as our way of saying thankyou for supporting us
Your message has been sent
Download or view out Data protection policy here
This is only the beginning.
We’re starting with access to discounted venues, raising awareness and providing recognition —but this is just phase one.
With your support, we plan to grow into a full national support service for home educators.
And that starts with you.
Thank you for the work you do, through being a home educator . We’re proud to be building this alongside you.
The Home Education Initiative CIC
The Home Education Initiative – Community Feedback & Support 