Home education does not require a large budget. The UK has a range of genuinely good free resources that cover the core subjects from primary level through to GCSE and beyond. Here are the ones worth knowing about.
BBC Bitesize
BBC Bitesize (bbc.co.uk/bitesize) is one of the most comprehensive free educational resources available in the UK. It covers the national curriculum for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland across all key stages. Content includes written explanations, videos, and interactive quizzes.
The secondary section covering GCSE topics is particularly strong. Subjects including Maths, English, the sciences, History, Geography, and Modern Languages are covered in depth. For home educators following a curriculum broadly aligned with the national curriculum, or preparing children for formal qualifications, Bitesize is a reliable first stop.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy (khanacademy.org) is an American platform but has broad applicability for UK learners, particularly in Maths and the sciences. The Maths content is especially well structured — it covers from basic numeracy through to A-level equivalent material in calculus and statistics.
Every topic has video lessons followed by practice exercises that give immediate feedback. Progress is tracked and children can work at their own pace. This makes it well suited to home education, where you can park a child on Khan Academy’s maths track and have confidence they are working through a logical sequence.
OpenLearn from The Open University
OpenLearn (open.edu/openlearn) is The Open University’s free learning platform. It offers courses across a wide range of subjects including humanities, social sciences, health, science, and languages. The courses are structured like short university courses and are more suited to older children — roughly GCSE age and above — and to parents who want to develop their own subject knowledge.
Some OpenLearn content is excellent for independent research and for students who want to go deeper on a topic than school-level materials allow. The OU also offers a Young Applicants in Schools Scheme for students considering university access programmes.
Public Libraries
The public library system is underused by home educators. A library card gives free access to an enormous range of physical books, which matters for children who learn well from reading. Many libraries also offer free access to digital services including audiobooks via Libby and BorrowBox, online databases, and in some cases e-learning platforms.
Crucially, libraries are physical spaces where children can browse freely and develop independent reading habits. Regular library visits — even without a specific curriculum purpose — build an association between libraries and pleasure that serves children well throughout their lives.
National Museums and Cultural Institutions
Many of the UK’s national museums offer free entry and have substantial educational resources online and on-site. The Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the British Museum, the National Gallery, and many others have teacher resource sections that home educators can use freely.
Museum visits work particularly well for history, science, and art studies. Many also have holiday programmes or home education group events — worth checking directly with museums in your region.
YouTube Educational Channels
YouTube hosts a large amount of genuinely good educational content. Crash Course (history, science, literature), SciShow Kids, and channels from institutions like the Royal Institution are free and searchable by topic. The challenge is curation — it is worth building a playlist of reliable channels rather than letting a child search freely.
None of these resources requires a subscription. A home education programme built largely from these tools, supplemented by library books, is entirely viable.