Register to home educate

How do I register for home education?

How we assess your application

After we receive your complete application, we will assess it as quickly as possible, but it can take up to 28 days.

We will ask you to provide more information if your application is incomplete. The assessment period starts only when we receive a complete application.

When assessing your application, we consider all the relevant rights of the child. This is done in accordance with Victoria's Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.

We will not approve applications that do not meet the Department of Education’s Home Schooling and Partial Enrolments Policy.

Our Home Schooling Assessment Framework and Review Process outlines how we assess your application and review home education.

Home schooling assessment framework and review process
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School enrolment during the application process

While we assess your application, children between 6 and 17 years must enrol in a school registered in Victoria by law.

Your child may not be able to attend school due to illness, stress, bullying, or other difficulties. If this is the case, speak to your school’s principal about options for attendance.

Your child must remain enrolled until we approve your home education application. With your consent, your school’s principal may contact the VRQA with any questions.

The outcome of your application

We will contact you when your home education application is approved.

If your application is incomplete, we will ask you for extra information. If we do not receive this information within 28 days, we will decide based on the material available to us.

If we refuse your application, you may wish to address any outstanding areas and submit a new application. You may submit a new application at any time.

You may appeal the decision.

Maintaining your registration

Towards the end of each year, we will email to ask if you intend to continue home education for the following year. You will receive an email for each child you have registered. The email contains links to an automated process. You will then select whether to continue or cancel your child's registration.

Change your registration

You must tell us if there are any changes to:

  • your child's full name
  • the parent responsible for home schooling
  • the full name and contact details of the responsible parent
  • the address where your child is receiving home schooling.

Complete the Home Schooling Registration Information Amendment form and return it to us by mail or email.

Home schooling registration information amendment form
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Cancel your registration

If you decide to stop home schooling your child, you must inform us within 14 days.

If you're enrolling your child in school, don't cancel their registration until the school has accepted their enrolment. It is your responsibility to let us know you have cancelled your registration. The school will not tell us on your behalf.

If your child wants to pursue a Senior Secondary qualification, you must cancel their registration for home schooling. They must enrol full-time in a registered school or education provider.

If your child turns 18, their home schooling registration will end automatically at the end of the year and you don't need to take any action.

To cancel your registration, send an email or letter that includes the following:

  • the full name and date of birth of every child whose registration is being cancelled
  • the date of cancellation.

If you are cancelling by email, send it from the email address registered with us. This way, we know it's coming from you. Call us if you don't remember which email address you provided.

We will respond with a notice confirming the cancellation. This is your evidence of cancellation. A school, TAFE or other organisation may request this evidence.

We will not send the cancellation notice to anyone else to protect your privacy.

Can I combine school and home education?

You can combine school and home education for specific learning opportunities. This could be for certain subjects or activities. For example, sports, languages, arts, or the National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). This is called partial enrolment.

Your child can partially enrol in school at any point during their home education registration.

You need to organise partial enrolment directly with the school principal. Any arrangement is at the principal's discretion. The VRQA cannot intervene if a principal does not support your application.

Your child's home education plan must include details of any partial enrolment arrangement.

You can get more information about combining school and home education from the Department of Education.

What is the difference between home education and distance education?

Distance education is provided by registered providers, including the Virtual School Victoria, for students from Foundation to Year 12 who require flexible learning.

Home education is provided by parents or guardians to children aged 6-17 years.

Senior Secondary qualifications can only be provided by registered schools and education providers.

You cannot register your child for both home and distance education.

Further information about distance education can be found at the Virtual School Victoria.

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