Some home educators make their own arrangements for work experience. However care should be taken when doing so as work experience is subject to legal restrictions on work being undertaken by a minor and care should be taken to ensure that any work undertaken is for experience and not primarily to generate an income or contribute to the family business as this could form part of a judgement on the part of the LEA to decide that you are failing to educate your child properly.

A BBC report has stated that 1/3 of all local authorities work to obsolete legislation. Therefore its worth finding out about what the law is perhaps direct from a government department or possibly the NSPCC.

The law states that:

Children between 14 and 16 years old can undertake light work, as can 13 year olds in certain circumstances, but only where the local council by-law specifically sets out the kind of job that they may do.

The children and Young Persons Act says that 14 years olds can only do 12 hours paid employment a week during term-time.

The business should also make enquiries regarding their position with respect to employers and public liability.

It should also be noted that some forms of employment are banned outright for children of certain ages. For example children should never enter a commercial food preparation area or operate certain types of machinery.