Home education (home schooling)
Find out what's involved if you want to home educate (home school) your child. Register for home education and renew your registration.
You can choose to educate your child at home as an alternative or addition to school. This is called home education or home schooling.
Families choose this option for many reasons, such as:
- a desire for a customised education, for example, with religious or moral instruction
- to meet the needs of their child, who may need more support or individual attention
- the need for more flexibility due to their family's situation.
By law, you must register for home education. This commits you to deliver a high-quality education that meets your child's needs.
Before you register, consider contacting our Home Education team to discuss your situation.
Know what you commit to do
If your child is registered for home education, as a parent or carer you must:
- provide a high-quality education for your child
- document the educational opportunities you offer your child
- document the strategies you use to encourage your child to learn
- provide home education plans, materials or other records if we ask you for them
- report on the progress of your child's learning once a year in a Home Education Report
- ensure your home is suitable for home education. We do not visit you at home, but we may ask for photos or videos that show your home is suitable.
- apply in writing for registration renewal at least 3 months before your registration ends.
Registration is for up to 2 years. You can request a shorter registration period. Discuss this with our Home Education team before you apply.
Check if you can apply
You can apply to register your child for home education if:
- your child is aged between 6 and 17 years
- your child lives, or usually lives, in the ACT
- you have parental responsibility for the child.
New registrations
How to apply
Before you register, consider contacting our Home Education team to discuss your situation. We can:
- answer any questions you have about what's required
- help you decide if home education is right for your child and your family.
To complete the application form, you'll need a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate or passport.
If the parent or carer's name is not on the birth certificate, you must show you are responsible for the child by providing a certified copy of:
- your family Medicare card or health care card, or
- court orders showing you are responsible for the child.
You must also show proof you live in the ACT. To do this, you need a certified copy of one of these:
- both sides of your ACT drivers licence
- rental agreement
- utility bill (water, gas, electricity).
We cannot accept an ACT rates notice, phone bill or other registration documents as proof you live in the ACT.
Certified copies
A certified copy of a document has been seen and signed by a person in a particular profession (for example, a doctor, pharmacist or justice of the peace). Visit the Services Australia website for how to get certified copies of documents. A family member cannot certify a document.
Complete and submit the online home education application form.
Make sure you attach all the certified documents we need. We cannot process your application without them.
You will get an automated email to let you know we've received your application. This includes a reference number. If you need to log into the online form again, use this number.
You can start home educating your child as soon as you have submitted your complete application.
A complete application has:
- all the required supporting documents attached
- the form completed with all required information.
After you apply
We let you know if your application is approved within 28 days of receiving a complete application.
If your application is approved
We send you a Registration Certificate for each child you are home educating.
You can start home educating your child as soon as you have submitted your complete application.
If your child is currently enrolled in school, you need to let the school know that you:
- are registering your child for home education
- will be withdrawing your child from school (only if you are registering for full-time home education).
If your application is not complete
We will contact you if:
- your application is not complete
- we have questions about your application.
You must submit a Statement of Intent within 3 months of the start date on your child's Registration Certificate.
The Statement of Intent is a document that outlines how you will provide a high-quality education for your child. It must include:
- the educational opportunities you will offer your child
- the strategies you will use to encourage your child to learn
- how your plan or approach will deliver an education that:
- provides a broad range of opportunities to help develop your child’s unique spiritual, emotional, physical, social and intellectual needs and abilities
- values the individual needs, interests and aptitudes of your child
- prepares your child to become an independent and effective local and global citizen.
You can use the Statement of Intent template [DOCX 28 KB] as a guide.
To submit your Statement of Intent, you can:
- re-open the online application form, enter your reference number and upload your document, or
- email the Statement of Intent to HomeEd@act.gov.au.
Within the first 3 months of the start date on your child's Registration Certificate, we will invite you to an online meeting to review:
- the Statement of Intent
- your plans for home education
- how you will comply with the conditions of registration.
The meeting takes about 30 minutes, depending on how many children you are home educating.
It’s a chance to discuss your approach to home education and how you will meet each child’s needs. We will offer support and advice about how to comply with the conditions of registration.
Part-time registration
It's possible to register your child for a mix of home education and education at a public school (or registered non-government school, if they agree). Families sometimes choose this option to:
- transition from home education to full school attendance, or the opposite
- transition back to school from illness, injury or extended absence
- access a subject or specialised teaching that they can't provide with home education
- access educational opportunities not provided by the school.
For example, a child may be home educated for core subjects like English, math and science, but attend school part-time to participate in specialised programs, such as an advanced STEM class or a school orchestra that requires group practise.
To organise a part-time arrangement:
- negotiate the arrangement with the principal of the school where the child is enrolled or plans to enrol
- record the arrangement in an agreement signed by both the parent and principal
- email a copy of the agreement to the Home Education team.
Contact us for a part-time agreement template, if you need one.
Renew your registration
To continue home educating, you must apply to renew your registration at least 3 months before your current registration expires. This is required by law. The expiry date is on your child's Registration Certificate.
If you are unable to renew in time, email HomeEd@act.gov.au and ask us to consider your late request.
Follow these steps to renew your registration:
To complete the registration renewal form, you'll need to attach:
- proof you are responsible for the child
- a Written Statement
- a Home Education Report.
Proving you are responsible for the child
You do this by providing a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate.
If the parent or carer's name is not on the birth certificate, you must show you are responsible for the child by providing a certified copy of:
- your family Medicare card or health care card, or
- court orders showing you are responsible for the child.
A certified copy of a document has been seen and signed by a person in a particular profession (for example, a doctor, pharmacist or justice of the peace). Visit the Services Australia website for how to get certified copies of documents. A family member cannot certify a document.
Written Statement
The Written Statement (formerly known as the parent report) is a document that outlines how you will provide a high-quality education for your child. It must include:
- the educational opportunities you will offer your child
- the strategies you will use to encourage your child to learn
- how your plan or approach will deliver an education that:
- provides a broad range of opportunities to help develop your child’s unique spiritual, emotional, physical, social and intellectual needs and abilities
- values the individual needs, interests and aptitudes of your child
- prepares your child to become an independent and effective local and global citizen.
You can use the Written Statement template [DOCX 28 KB] as a guide.
Home Education Report
The Home Education Report details how your child has progressed:
- intellectually, including their literacy and numeracy skills
- socially and emotionally
- physically.
You can use the Home Education Report template [DOCX 27 KB] as a guide or choose your own format.
As part of your report, you can use a progress report from a commercial provider of home education materials. We may ask you to provide more details if your report does not have all the information we need.
Contact us if you need support to write your report.
Complete and submit the online home education registration renewal form.
Make sure you attach all the documents we require. We cannot process your application without them.
You will get an automated email to let you know we've received your renewal application. This includes a reference number. If you need to log into the online form again, use this number.
Depending on when you submit your application, we usually confirm your renewal before the current registration expires.
You will receive a new Registration Certificate for each child you are home educating.
End your registration
To end your registration, email HomeEd@act.gov.au and include the:
- date you want your registration to end
- school you've enrolled your child in, if this applies.
Teaching and reporting
A high-quality education
A high-quality education meets a child’s needs and recognises them as an individual. There’s no single way to provide it and what works for one child might not work for another. The Home Education team looks for a balanced approach, including intellectual, social, emotional and physical learning.
You do not have to use it, but we encourage you to be aware of the Australian Curriculum. It might be useful in some cases, like part-time school arrangements or if the child will return to school soon. The Home Education team can discuss options.
Education strategies
You will develop your own home education strategies, which can change over time. Strategies, and what you teach, vary by the child’s age and needs and can include:
- discussions
- workbooks
- computer programs
- research and experiments
- literacy activities
- media
- excursions
- games and free play
- activities like gardening, cooking and caring for animals.
Time management, decision-making, goal setting, exploration and innovation are also important.
Records you need to keep
You need to keep a record of your child's learning journey. This will help you complete the Home Education Report. Examples include:
- a diary or learning journal
- photos or videos
- your observations and reflections as your child's educator
- dated workbooks from different subjects or learning areas
- work samples with notes, such as when the work was done and what it was designed to achieve
- a list of goals, outcomes or milestones with notes on how and when they were achieved
- creative works that may be displayed, performed or recorded.
We do not provide home education materials.
We can help you access a range of free resources. You decide which resources suit your child and your approach to home education.
You can also buy home education materials from various companies.
Home Education Resource Library
Our online library has links to resources you may find useful in providing a high-quality education. Its resources cover many curriculum areas.
Contact the Home Education team if you did not get access to this resource when you registered.
ACT Curriculum
Find out what we teach in ACT public schools, including information on the Australian Curriculum.
We can also get you access to Scootle, a collection of digital resources aligned to the Australian Curriculum. To request a Scootle account, contact the Home Education team.
Career pathways
The Home Education team can also provide information on:
- work place learning (work experience)
- Australian School based Apprenticeship (ASbA)
- vocational learning programs.
Find out more about career education and pathways for students.
Pre-learner Driver Licence Course
The Home Education team offer the 2-day pre-learner driver licence course for home educated students at least once a year. If your child turns 16 in the year following the course, we'll invite them to participate. The course is optional and free.
You need to submit a Home Education Report for each registered child once a year. You must do this by 31 December.
The Home Education Report details how your child has progressed:
- intellectually, including their literacy and numeracy skills
- socially and emotionally
- physically.
You can use the Home Education Report template [DOCX 27 KB] as a guide or choose your own format.
As part of your report, you can use a progress report from a commercial provider of home education materials. We may ask you to provide more details if your report does not have all the information we need.
Contact us if you need support to write your report.
Submit your Home Education Report using the online form or email it to HomeEd@act.gov.au.
School reports
If your child is fully home educated, they will not receive a school report.
If they attend school part-time and are home educated part-time, they will receive a school report for the subjects they attended at school.
School certificates
If your child is home educated, they will not get a year 10 or year 12 school certificate.
There are many pathways to vocational and higher education. The Home Education team can discuss options.
You can choose to have your child participate in the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).
NAPLAN is a series of tests that assess a child's skills and knowledge in literacy and numeracy in years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students across Australia are assessed against nationally-recognised benchmarks.
You can nominate your child to get tested in the year level appropriate for their age. As a guide, a child:
- turns 9 years old in year 3
- turns 11 in year 5
- turns 13 in year 7
- turns 15 in year 9.
NAPLAN assessments are usually held in March each year.
To nominate your child for NAPLAN, contact our Home Education team.
Get help and support
We can help with:
- information about resources
- learning strategies
- record keeping
- report writing.
Email our team at HomeEd@act.gov.au to arrange an online meeting or phone call.
The Future of Education Equity Fund provides a one-off, annual payment to low-income families living in the ACT. It helps cover the cost of education expenses such as:
- school excursions
- music lessons
- sporting equipment and activities.
To check if you can apply, visit our get help with the cost of schooling page or email the Equity Fund team at EquityFund@act.gov.au.
You may choose to become a member of these community groups that support home educators.
- Christian Home Education in Canberra is a Christian support network for home educators. It organises social outings and learning opportunities, such as excursions.
- Home Education Association Inc. is run by a volunteer committee. Its mission is to promote and support home education across Australia. Contact the HEA Support Helpline weekdays on 1300 729 991.
- Home Education Network is run by volunteer home educators with experience educating toddlers to teens, including in disability and neurodivergence. It supports families who are home educating and those considering home education.
You can apply for your child to get a student identification (ID) card if your child is:
- registered for home education
- aged at least 12 years old.
To apply, email HomeEd@act.gov.au with this information for each child:
- full name
- date of birth
- a colour photo of your child that:
- clearly shows the child's face from shoulders up
- has been taken in portrait orientation (not landscape) with a white background
- is saved in jpeg format.
You can apply for your child to get a MyWay+ concession pass. This allows them to travel as a student on public transport in the ACT.
For more details, visit the Access Canberra page on tickets and MyWay+.
Contact us
Email
HomeEd@act.gov.au