4. Requirements for registration

Children residing in NSW may be registered for home schooling at the beginning of the calendar year if they turn 5 years of age on or before 31 July of that year. Children may be registered up to the age of 18 years and for a continued period, up to 2 years, in order to complete the planned educational program based on NESA’s syllabuses. Note: In NSW, children younger than 6 and older than 17 are not required to be enrolled in a government or registered non-government school, or be registered for home schooling.

The requirements for home schooling relate to the educational program for the child, that is, the parent’s teaching and learning plan and records of implementing the educational program.

In order to be registered, the following requirements must be met:

• the child’s educational program is based on and taught in accordance with the relevant NESA syllabuses as determined by the Act, that is, the minimum curriculum for primary education (Kindergarten to Year 6), the minimum curriculum for secondary education (Years 7 to 10) or the curriculum for senior secondary education (Years 11 and 12) (Note: Sections 7 to 10 of the Guidelines provide details of the required curriculum.);
• the educational program is suitable to cater for the identified learning needs of the child
• there is an adequate system for planning, supervising and recording teaching and learning experiences
• there is an adequate system for recording the child’s progress and achievement
• the time allocated to learning is sufficient to allow coverage of the curriculum
• the home learning environment is suitable for effective home schooling
• the identified resources are adequate to support the child’s learning.

Records of implementing the child’s educational program must be kept to show how the program has been delivered and how the requirements for registration are being met.

Parents of children with disability and/or additional learning needs may adjust the educational program to meet the child’s learning needs.

It is open for parents to choose other learning programs and experiences as long as the registration requirements are met.

Sample educational programs prepared by home schooling parents, are published on NESA’s website.