Flexi-Schooling in Wales: 2026 Update for ALN Families

Published 21 July 2026

This article follows on from our earlier guide, Flexi-Schooling in Wales: A Complete Guide for Parents.

That older guide remains available and continues to help families looking for a general introduction.

We are publishing this 2026 update in response to the demand we have seen for clearer flexi-schooling guidance, especially from families whose children have Additional Learning Needs, health needs, anxiety, fatigue, sensory needs, disrupted attendance or fragile school relationships.

Parents are not only asking:

Is flexi-schooling allowed?

They are asking deeper questions:

Is this actually flexi-schooling, or is the school trying to reduce attendance?
What happens if my child has ALN?
Can flexi-schooling sit inside an IDP?
Who delivers the ALP?
Is this different from EOTAS?
Is this different from elective home education?
Could this help my child recover, rebuild confidence or transition back into school?
When should I say no?

This article is for families in Wales who need a clearer answer.

It is general information, not legal advice, safeguarding advice, attendance advice or Tribunal representation.

Quick answer

Flexi-schooling is an agreed arrangement where a child remains registered at school but receives part of their education at school and part of their education at home.

In Wales, flexi-schooling is recognised in Welsh Government elective home education guidance as distinct from elective home education [1].

It should be:

requested by the parent;
agreed by the headteacher;
clearly recorded;
coded appropriately for attendance;
reviewed over time;
linked to the child’s needs, especially where ALN is involved.

Flexi-schooling should not be used by a school to avoid providing support.

It should not be used to hide unmet ALN, unsafe attendance, bullying, anxiety, illness, exclusion by another name, or a failure to deliver Additional Learning Provision.

Why this matters more in 2026

Flexi-schooling now sits inside a wider conversation about children who are not in school full-time.

Welsh Government has said that “children not in school” includes children who are educated at home, children under agreed flexi-schooling arrangements, and children in local authority education provision, or EOTAS [5].

That does not mean flexi-schooling is the same as home education or EOTAS.

It means flexi-schooling is now part of the wider policy landscape around education, safeguarding, attendance, suitability and local authority oversight.

For ALN families, this matters.

A child may be out of school part of the week because the parent has chosen a well-planned flexible arrangement.

A child may also be out of school part of the week because something has gone wrong.

Those two situations should not be treated as if they are the same.

What flexi-schooling is

Flexi-schooling is a shared arrangement.

The child stays on the school roll.

The school provides education for the agreed school sessions.

The parent provides education for the agreed home sessions.

The headteacher must agree.

The arrangement should be clear enough that everyone knows:

when the child is expected in school;
when the child is learning at home;
how attendance will be recorded;
what the parent is responsible for;
what the school remains responsible for;
how safeguarding will be maintained;
how ALN and IDP duties will continue;
when the arrangement will be reviewed.

Flexi-schooling is not deregistration.

It is not the parent taking the child out of school completely.

It is not a school sending a child home because support is difficult.

What flexi-schooling is not

It is not elective home education

Elective home education is when a parent chooses to educate their child outside school instead of sending them to school.

With elective home education, the child is no longer on the school roll.

With flexi-schooling, the child remains registered at school.

That difference matters.

It affects attendance, safeguarding, ALN duties and how the child stays connected to the school community.

Welsh Government’s home education handbook also says flexi-schooling is not home education [2].

It is not EOTAS

Education Otherwise Than At School, or EOTAS, is education provision provided or commissioned by the local authority for a learner who cannot attend a mainstream or special school [3].

Flexi-schooling is different.

Flexi-schooling is a parent-requested, school-agreed arrangement for a child who remains on roll.

EOTAS is a local authority route.

If a child cannot attend school at all, or if school attendance is unsafe, unrealistic or damaging, flexi-schooling may not be the right answer.

The issue may need an urgent IDP review, health input, safeguarding discussion, EOTAS consideration or other local authority involvement.

It is not a reduced timetable

A reduced timetable is normally school-led.

It is usually used as a short-term measure, often during reintegration, crisis management or support planning.

Flexi-schooling is parent-requested.

That distinction matters because a school should not present a reduced timetable as flexi-schooling.

A parent should not be made to feel that they have chosen flexi-schooling when the real reason is that the school cannot or will not support the child full-time.

It is not off-rolling

A school should not pressure a parent into educating at home.

Welsh Government elective home education guidance includes off-rolling concerns and refers to schools putting pressure on parents to home educate [1].

Where a school suggests flexi-schooling because a child is hard to support, parents should be cautious.

The parent’s question should be:

Is this a genuine parent-led flexi-schooling request, or is the school trying to avoid its responsibilities?

The ALN issue

Flexi-schooling becomes more complicated when a child has Additional Learning Needs.

That does not mean ALN children cannot flexi-school.

It means the plan has to be clearer.

If a child has an IDP, adults need to understand how the IDP will keep working while the child is in school part-time and learning at home part-time.

The plan should answer:

what the child’s ALN are;
what Additional Learning Provision, or ALP, is required;
who is delivering each part of the ALP;
whether any ALP is expected to happen at home;
whether the parent can realistically support that home element;
what remains the school’s responsibility;
whether the local authority needs to be involved;
how progress will be reviewed;
what happens if the arrangement stops working.

Welsh Government’s 2026 ALN and elective home education guidance says that when a parent requests flexi-schooling, the headteacher should consider the parent’s ability to deliver any ALP at home [4].

That is a key sentence for families.

It means flexi-schooling should not be agreed casually where ALP is involved.

It also means a school should not use flexi-schooling as a way of making ALP disappear.

For a plain-English explanation of ALP, see What Is Additional Learning Provision (ALP) in Wales?.

When flexi-schooling can work well

Flexi-schooling can work well when it is genuinely planned around the child.

Welsh Government’s elective home education guidance gives examples where flexi-schooling may be beneficial, including where a child is transitioning back into school, transitioning into school for the first time, has autism and finds school challenging, is experiencing school phobia or anxiety, or has an illness [1].

In practice, flexi-schooling may help where a child:

is recovering from illness;
has fatigue and needs pacing;
becomes overwhelmed by full school days;
is rebuilding confidence after distress;
needs a carefully managed transition;
can access some school-based learning but not a full timetable;
benefits from a mix of school connection and home-based regulation;
has parents who can provide structured home learning.

For some children, flexi-schooling can protect the relationship with school.

That matters.

A child who stays connected to school part-time may find it easier to increase attendance later, move into a new setting, maintain peer relationships or keep a route back open.

This is especially important during transition points.

For more on transition planning, see ALN Transitions in Wales: Nursery, School, College and Beyond.

Why the reason for the request matters

In practice, we have found that flexi-schooling requests are often received more sympathetically when they are clearly linked to the child’s health, emotional wellbeing, fatigue, sensory needs, anxiety, recovery or access to education.

They tend to be received less well when they appear to be mainly about adult convenience, for example where a parent wants to home educate part-time while using school mostly as childcare so they can stay in part-time work.

That does not mean working parents should be judged.

Many families of disabled and ALN children are balancing work, caring, poverty, health appointments and exhaustion. The reality is often messy.

But perception matters.

Flexi-schooling is agreed at headteacher discretion. A request is more likely to be understood if the main purpose is clearly about the child’s access to education, not simply about making family logistics easier.

A good request should explain:

what the child needs;
why full-time attendance is not currently working, if that is the issue;
how flexi-schooling would improve access to education;
what the parent can realistically provide at home;
how school and home will work together;
how the arrangement will be reviewed.

The stronger the child-centred reason, the easier it is for the school to consider the request seriously.

Why headteacher discretion matters

Learn Without Limits CIC supports the principle that flexi-schooling decisions sit with the headteacher.

That may sound frustrating when a request is refused.

But the original rationale matters.

Flexi-schooling is highly practical. It depends on the child, the timetable, the school day, the subjects being missed, the parent’s capacity to provide education at home, and the quality of day-to-day partnership between home and school.

Moving permission further away from the school could make the process feel more consistent on paper, but less responsive in real life.

A distant decision-maker may not understand the messy detail of:

which lessons the child most needs to attend in person;
whether mornings or afternoons work better;
how fatigue, pain, anxiety or sensory overload changes across the week;
whether the child is ready to increase hours;
whether attendance needs to reduce temporarily during a health dip;
how arrival and collection can work safely;
whether the parent and school can work together constructively;
whether the arrangement is genuinely child-centred.

That local judgement matters.

Flexi-schooling should not be approved casually. It should not be used for adult convenience, school convenience, off-rolling or avoiding ALN duties.

But safeguards need to be proportionate.

If rules become too blunt, they may stop the very arrangements that allow some children to remain connected to education.

They may also introduce delays that unintentionally reduce the child’s opportunity to participate as fully as they could have done.

We want inclusion to be meaningful, not performative.

For some children, flexi-schooling is not a way of avoiding school. It is the route that allows them to remain part of school at all.

When flexi-schooling may hide unmet need

Flexi-schooling can be useful.

It can also be misused.

Parents should be cautious where flexi-schooling is suggested because:

the child is distressed in school;
the school says it cannot meet need;
support is not in place;
ALP is not being delivered;
the child is being sent home regularly;
attendance has already collapsed;
the family feels pressured;
the school wants the child on site less often;
bullying, trauma or safeguarding concerns have not been addressed;
the parent is expected to fill a gap caused by the system.

In those situations, the real issue may not be flexi-schooling.

The real issue may be unmet ALN, unsafe attendance, lack of reasonable support, failure to deliver ALP, or the need for local authority involvement.

A useful test is:

Would this arrangement still make sense if the school was already meeting the child’s needs properly?

If the answer is no, pause.

The difference between a bridge and a dumping ground

Flexi-schooling can be a bridge.

It can help a child stay connected to school while health, confidence, evidence and support are rebuilt.

But it can also become a dumping ground.

That happens when a child is partly removed from school without a serious plan for learning, support, review or progression.

A good flexi-schooling plan should say:

why the arrangement is being used;
what the child will do at home;
what the school will continue to provide;
how ALP will be delivered;
how attendance will be recorded;
when the plan will be reviewed;
what would show that the arrangement is working;
what would show that it is not working;
what the next step might be.

The goal should not be “less school” on its own.

The goal should be better access to education.

Attendance coding

Attendance coding matters because it affects the child’s record, the school’s data and how the arrangement is understood later.

Welsh Government elective home education guidance says that under the current All Wales School Attendance Framework, flexi-school learners are recorded under attendance code C, which counts as authorised absence [1].

Welsh Government has also consulted on revised attendance codes. In that consultation, proposed code C3 is described as authorised absence where the headteacher has agreed to a parental request for flexi-schooling [6].

That proposed change is useful because it recognises that flexi-schooling needs more precise recording.

Parents do not need to become attendance-code experts.

But they should ask for written clarity.

A simple line is:

Please confirm in writing how the agreed home-learning sessions will be recorded in the attendance register, and confirm that they will not be recorded as unauthorised absence.

Questions to ask before requesting flexi-schooling

Before requesting flexi-schooling, parents may want to ask themselves:

What problem are we trying to solve?
Is this about health, fatigue, sensory overload, anxiety, bullying, trauma, unmet ALN, school refusal, recovery, pacing or family preference?
Can my child access school part-time safely and usefully?
What will learning at home look like?
What can I realistically provide?
Is the school still delivering what it should?
Does the IDP need to be reviewed?
Is ALP clear enough?
Do we need health evidence?
Do we need local authority involvement?
How will we know if this is working?
What happens if it stops working?

Flexi-schooling works best when adults are honest about the reason for it.

Questions to ask the school

If you are discussing flexi-schooling with school, ask:

Who is proposing this arrangement?
Is the school treating this as a parent request?
What days or sessions are being considered?
What attendance code will be used?
What will the school continue to provide?
How will safeguarding be maintained?
How will the IDP be reviewed?
How will ALP be delivered?
Will the local authority be involved if needs are complex?
When will the arrangement be reviewed?
What happens if my child wants to increase school attendance later?
What happens if my child deteriorates?

Ask for the answers in writing.

Not because you are being difficult.

Because everyone needs the same record.

Wording parents can use

A parent might write:

I am requesting a flexi-schooling arrangement as a parent-led proposal. My child would remain on the school roll and attend school for agreed sessions, while I would provide structured education at home during agreed home-learning sessions. I would like us to discuss attendance coding, safeguarding arrangements, IDP responsibilities, ALP delivery and review dates before any decision is made.

If ALN is involved, add:

Because my child has, or may have, Additional Learning Needs, I would also like us to clarify how any Additional Learning Provision will be delivered, who will be responsible for each part of the provision, and whether the IDP needs to be reviewed.

If the school suggested flexi-schooling, ask:

Please confirm whether the school is making this suggestion, and whether the school considers my child’s current needs can be met through their existing IDP, support plan or reasonable adjustments.

That question helps separate genuine parent choice from pressure.

Red flags

Be cautious if you hear:

“Just keep them home on those days.”

Ask how the arrangement will be recorded.

“We cannot meet their needs, so flexi-schooling is best.”

Ask whether the IDP needs to be reviewed and whether the local authority should be involved.

“This will improve our attendance figures.”

Flexi-schooling should be about the child’s education, not data management.

“You do not need anything in writing.”

You do.

“The IDP does not apply on home days.”

That needs careful scrutiny. ALP should not become vague because a child is learning partly at home.

“This is the only option.”

It may not be.

Families may need to consider IDP review, ALN advice, local authority routes, EOTAS, health support, complaints or Tribunal advice depending on the situation.

For wider signposting, see Where to Go for ALN Help in Wales: A Parent Route-Map.

Flexi-schooling and transitions

Flexi-schooling may be useful during transitions.

For example:

primary to secondary;
illness recovery back into school;
return after bullying;
return after burnout;
movement from home education back towards school;
preparation for post-16 learning;
gradual increase after a disrupted period.

But it should not trap a child in limbo.

A flexi-schooling arrangement should be reviewed when:

the child’s health changes;
attendance changes;
anxiety increases;
the child stops coping;
ALP is not being delivered;
a new professional report is received;
the family moves area;
transport becomes difficult;
the young person’s views change;
the arrangement starts to break down.

A good review question is:

Does this arrangement still match the child in front of us now?

Flexi-schooling, EOTAS and home education

Families often meet these terms at the same time.

That can be confusing.

The simplest distinction is:

flexi-schooling means the child stays on roll and learns partly at school and partly at home by agreement;
elective home education means the parent takes responsibility for education outside school;
EOTAS means the local authority provides or commissions education otherwise than at school;
a reduced timetable is usually a school-led temporary arrangement.

The labels matter because they affect responsibility.

If the wrong label is used, the wrong adult may end up carrying the burden.

A parent should not be left delivering what should really be school support, local authority provision, health support or ALP.

For a fuller comparison, see EOTAS vs Home Education in Wales.

What about the Welsh Government ALN Parent Toolkit?

Welsh Government published a Parent and Carer Toolkit for the ALN system in June 2026 [7].

That toolkit is a useful official starting point.

But families often need practical route-mapping too.

Flexi-schooling is one of those areas where a parent may understand the official words but still not know what to do next.

That is why Learn Without Limits CIC publishes parent-facing explainers alongside official guidance.

We are not replacing official sources.

We are helping families understand how those sources connect to real decisions.

For our explanation of the toolkit, see The Welsh Government ALN Parent Toolkit Explained for Families.

What Learn Without Limits CIC thinks

Flexi-schooling should remain available to Welsh families.

For some children, it is a sensible, humane and flexible way to stay connected to education.

But it must be handled honestly.

It should not be used to hide:

unmet ALN;
poor attendance practice;
pressure on parents;
school avoidance caused by distress;
lack of provision;
weak transition planning;
safeguarding concerns;
local authority delay.

The question is not only:

Is flexi-schooling allowed?

The better question is:

Is this arrangement genuinely helping this child access suitable education, with the right support, the right responsibilities and the right review points?

That is the standard families deserve.