Maintained schools You must follow the National Curriculum. The following table shows which subjects parents/carers have the automatic right to withdraw their child from: Subject Automatic right to withdraw child? Religious education (RE) Yes Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education From some aspects – see below English No Mathematics No Science No Art and design No Citizenship No Computing No Design and technology No Languages No Geography No History No Music No Physical education (PE), including swimming at either KS1 or KS2 No Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education Parents/carers can request that their child be withdrawn from sex education, apart from the aspects covered by the science curriculum. In primary schools, you must grant this request. In secondary schools: Parents/carers can make a request up until 3 terms before their child turns 16. After that, it's the child's decision Headteachers should generally grant a request, but can refuse in ‘exceptional circumstances’ (this is under the new RSHE guidance, which you must follow from September 2026, and can choose to start following from September 2025) Parents/carers can't withdraw their
Withdrawing pupils from subjects
Find out which subjects parents/carers can withdraw their child from and how these rules apply to maintained schools, academies and independent schools. Plus, get advice on disapplying pupils from the National Curriculum.
- Withdrawal is only an automatic right in certain subjects
- Withdrawal on religious grounds
- Withdrawing pupils from optional GCSE subjects
- How to respond to requests
- Disapplying the National Curriculum