Classfern Family: your home school in one place
For home-educating parents who use tutors. See what was taught today and by whom, give tutors access only when you say, and keep one record of your children’s education.
£40 a year for your whole family. Founder offer for the first 200 families: £40 covers your first two years, then £40 a year. Classfern Family is for parents and carers who home educate their own children. Teachers and schools want Classfern Pro.
What you get
- A parent dashboardThe powers a head teacher has, for your own home school: add your children (each gets a pupil code), create tutor accounts, choose which subjects and children each tutor teaches, and see every report from anywhere.
- Today at a glanceWhat was taught today, by whom, for how long, the tutor's note and any test scores – useful when you're at work or away from home.
- Tutor accounts, on your termsUp to 5 tutors. They use Classfern's teaching tools for your family only, with no AI, and only during the teaching hours you set. They can ask for an extra session and you approve it with one tap on your phone.
- One tutor per child at a timeIf one tutor is teaching your child, a second tutor sees "Sam is teaching now" and can't start. More than one tutor can mark homework at the same time.
- Tutors with their own Classfern Pro accountLink them to your family and share work for them to mark from anywhere. Unlink them whenever you like.
- Reports like schoolTest results by curriculum point (from your tutors, marked work and the free practice tests you record), strengths and next steps, progress over time, and how many hours each subject has had.
- Your own teaching logLog the lessons you teach yourself – subject, curriculum point, minutes and a short note – next to your tutors' sessions. A lesson can't overlap a tutor teaching the same child: the dashboard tells you who was teaching.
- Siblings taught togetherOne lesson for two or more children at different stages. Each child gets the minutes, the stage they worked at, their own note and their own result. A tutor's group lesson starts for every child or for none.
- Today's list to printA printable plan for each child – times, subjects, tasks and tick boxes – made on your device from your teaching hours and the work set. Your child's name appears only if you saved it on your device.
- Learning outside the homeTrips, clubs, sport, museums, volunteering and more: the date, type, place, what was learned, curriculum links and time. It counts in your hours and the evidence pack. We don't store photos – you list the ones you keep.
- GCSE and IGCSE plannerFor private candidates: subjects, exam board, exam series, the entry deadlines and exam dates you're given (as reminders), your exam centre, the fee you were quoted and a coursework (NEA) check – with links to JCQ and the exam boards. General guidance only; rules and dates vary, so check with your centre.
- A one-click evidence packA PDF or Word record of the education you provide – time with tutors, your own lessons and learning outside the home, subjects, progress, tutors and your own description of your approach – laid out around what the guidance in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland says councils look for. Made on your device.
Safety and privacy
- Real names never reach our server: each child is a pupil code. If you want to see names on screen, you add them in your own browser and they stay on that device. Tutors see the pupil code.
- No child accounts and no photos of children. There is no private messaging between tutors and children – the only notes are session notes, and you see all of them.
- Every tutor action is in your live activity log. You can stop a session or remove a tutor's access instantly.
- Checking tutors is your responsibility. Classfern does not vet tutors. Take up references and ask for a criminal record check: DBS (England and Wales), PVG (Scotland), AccessNI.
- Two parent logins, each used on one device at a time. A new device needs a code from your email.
Coming soon: home-ed co-ops
Coming soon Not available yet – you can't buy or join it today. Home-ed co-ops will let several families share one tutor for group lessons.
- How it will work (coming soon): a tutor runs a group lesson for children from several families. Each family still uses its own Classfern Family dashboard, hours and records.
- Each family keeps control (coming soon): a parent approves every lesson their child joins, and can take their child out of a group at any time.
- No sharing between families (coming soon): no child's name, notes or results are shown to another family. Each family sees only its own child's record of the lesson.
- Limits and checks (coming soon): small groups only, and the same rules against use by schools, tutoring agencies and businesses. Checking the tutor stays each parent's responsibility.
For one family
Classfern Family is for the children in your own home: up to 6 children (ask us if you have more), 2 parent logins and up to 5 tutors. It isn't for schools, nurseries, tutoring agencies or businesses – they need Classfern Pro for schools.
What it is not
The evidence pack is a record you make. It is not legal advice and not an official document, and only your council decides whether an education is suitable. Read our home education records guide for the free templates.
Related
Home education planner and records · Tutor session log (free) · Free practice tests · Lesson plan maker
Questions parents ask
How much is Classfern Family?
£40 a year for the whole family: 2 parent logins, up to 6 children and up to 5 tutors. Founder offer for the first 200 families: £40 covers your first two years, then £40 a year.
Is it the same as Classfern Pro?
No. Classfern Pro is for teachers and schools. Classfern Family is a separate product for one home-educating family, with its own price and Buy now button.
Will my council accept the evidence pack?
We can't promise that – only your council decides whether an education is suitable. The pack is set out around what the official guidance says councils look for, and you can add your own words and work samples.
Does Classfern check tutors?
No. Vetting tutors is your responsibility. We link to DBS, PVG and AccessNI checks, and you can note the checks you have made on each tutor's record (only parents see it).
Can two tutors teach the same child at once?
No. Only one tutor can teach a child at a time. More than one tutor can mark homework at the same time.
Can tutors use AI?
No. Tutor accounts have no AI tools. Nothing about your children is sent to an AI.
What do you store about my children?
A pupil code and the year group, plus the lessons, notes and results your tutors and you record. Real names never reach our server: there is no name field, and any name you add to see on screen stays in your browser on your own device (please don't type full names into notes). We delete everything 90 days after your membership ends.
Can a school or tutoring agency use it?
No. It is for one family's own children. Schools need Classfern Pro for schools.
Can I record lessons I teach myself?
Yes. The teaching log records your own lessons – for one child or several together – and they count in your hours and evidence pack. A lesson can't overlap a tutor teaching the same child.
Do you keep photos of trips and outings?
No. You log learning outside the home in words and list the photos you keep yourself. We don't store photos of children.
Does it help with GCSEs?
It has a planner for private candidates: subjects, boards, your exam centre, the deadlines and dates you're given (as reminders) and a coursework check, with links to JCQ and the exam boards. It is general guidance – check every rule and date with your exam centre.
Can several families share a tutor?
Not yet. Home-ed co-ops are coming soon – they are not available to buy or use today.