The Ultimate Guide to Starting Homeschooling in Australia

So you’re thinking about homeschooling?
Maybe school isn’t working for your child right now — anxiety, bullying, sensory overload, learning challenges, or behaviour labels that don’t reflect who they truly are.
Maybe you’re looking at your little ones and dreaming of a calmer, connected way of learning at home.
Or maybe you simply want more say in what and how your child learns.

Whatever brought you here — welcome. Homeschooling in Australia is growing fast, and families like yours are discovering freedom, flexibility, and a whole new way of doing education.

This guide will help you take your very first steps with confidence.

Step 1 — Registration (the boring part but it’s gotta be done 📝)

Before anything else, you’ll need to register with your state or territory.
Each location in Australia has its own requirements and process.

Here are the official registration pages:

• VIC – VRQA (https://www.vrqa.vic.gov.au)
• NSW – NESA (https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au)
• QLD – Home Education Unit (https://education.qld.gov.au)
• SA – SA Department for Education Home Education (https://www.education.sa.gov.au)
• WA – WA Department of Education Home Education (https://www.education.wa.edu.au)
• TAS – Office of the Education Registrar (https://www.education.tas.gov.au)
• ACT – ACT Education Directorate Home Education (https://www.education.act.gov.au)
• NT – NT Government Education Home Education (https://ntepa.nt.gov.au)

Don’t stress — once you’ve submitted the paperwork, you’re on your way!

Step 2 — Create a Learning Plan

This part sounds scary… but it isn’t!
A learning plan is basically you explaining:

“Here’s what we’ll learn and here’s how we’ll do it.”

Every state uses learning outcomes from the Australian Curriculum.
For example, Foundation English might include learning:

• Letters + sounds
• Beginning reading skills
• Forming letters & writing their name

You would simply list the resources you will use to help with those outcomes, like:
Reading Eggs, phonics flashcards, daily read-alouds, library books, handwriting sheets.

Your learning plan = your child + your home.
Not a school classroom.

Step 3 — Curriculum… do you even need one?

Short answer: Nope! You don’t need a boxed curriculum to homeschool successfully.

There are three main approaches:

Option A: Full Curriculum Package

Everything is planned for you.
Examples: Yuka, My Homeschool, Good & The Beautiful
Great for beginners but can feel intense — especially in the early years.

Option B: Pick & Mix Curriculum

Use different resources for different things:
Reading Eggs, Mathseeds, library books, nature studies, online classes, co-ops.

Option C: Real-Life Learning

Because learning is everywhere:

• Cooking = maths + science
• Shopping = budgeting + literacy
• Gardening = biology + responsibility
• Zoo + museums = science + history
• Documentaries = geography + culture

Homeschooling gives you freedom to follow interests, spark curiosity, and teach what actually matters in your child’s world.

Step 4 — Structuring Your Day

Homeschooling fits around home life — not the other way around.

Some families:

• Sleep in 😴
• Start learning at 10am
• Work best outdoors
• Learn in short bursts (especially early years!)

Example Rhythm
Morning – reading + outdoors play
Midday – practical maths (cooking, measuring, shopping)
Afternoon – creative time + documentaries or quiet reading

Don’t recreate school.
This isn’t 6 hours of worksheets.
Homeschooling is connection > curriculum.

Step 5 — De-schooling

De-schooling = unlearning the idea that education must look like a classroom.

It’s especially helpful if:

• your child had a tough school experience
• they need time to recover confidence
• you feel pressure to be a “teacher” at a desk

During de-schooling:

• follow your child’s interests
• go for walks, explore, play, read, craft
• notice what lights them up

Take notes!
Those interests become the foundation of what they’ll learn next.

You’re getting to know your child as a learner — and that’s powerful.

Step 6 — Record-Keeping (don’t worry — it’s simple)

Even with all the freedom, you’ll still need to show learning progress.

Here are super easy ways:

📸 Take photos of activities
📝 Keep a journal of what you did each day/week
📚 Save a few samples in a portfolio or notebook
✅ Note key skills being practised (“counting coins while shopping”, “letter recognition in signs at the supermarket”)

You’re not collecting evidence to impress someone —
you’re documenting your child’s growth.

Final Encouragement

Homeschooling doesn’t require super-mum energy or teaching degrees.
You already teach your child every day —
tying their shoes, naming animals, saying sorry, using manners, brushing teeth, helping with dinner.

This journey gives you:

• More time together
• Freedom to explore how your child learns
• A calmer, more meaningful family rhythm

You can do this — and you’re not doing it alone.

Join Our Community

If you’d love encouragement, ideas and support from other Australian homeschool parents:

👉 Join our Homeschool Support Group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/19uYS55BRG/?mibextid=wwXIfr