You need to complete two documents - a simple application form and a learning plan.
Note if your child is aged 5, you are not obliged to register until their sixth birthday. You can of course, begin educating them before that.
The Application
The application form is available in Word or PDF format.Note if your child is aged 5, you are not obliged to register until their sixth birthday. You can of course, begin educating them before that.
Learning Plans
You must provide “regular and efficient instruction that, taken as a whole, substantially addresses the (8) learning areas”. This means providing resources and experiences to facilitate your child's learning. You do not need to replicate school at home. Don't stress, if your application is missing information, the VRQA will let you know what they need, not refuse your registration.Learning plans are
Learning plans are not
The Eight Learning Areas
The learning areas are broad; you don't have to cover every aspect. You can specialise within them to suit the student's level or interest.
Your program does not have to look like school.
Your program does not have to look like school.
It's time to brainstorm
True learning occurs when the subject matter is relevant and engaging. The chances are that if your child is already doing something, or is keen to try something new, their activity will fit within one of the learning areas. Incorporate these and your child’s wish list into the plan. Write the 8 learning areas down the side of paper, and put each activity in the relevant section. You can list activities under more than one learning area.
Learning plans can include
Learning plans can include
Some areas may now have lots of activities. If you have three or more things, you do not need to add more. That’s not to say you can’t do more, just that you don’t have to list more in the plan.
When filling the gaps, aim for every activity to be a successful learning opportunity for your child. Rich activities often cover multiple areas, and integrating areas helps to make less favoured subjects more relevant.
Variety is key, think about how your child learns best, and try to find options which will work with them. Avoid spending lots of money initially, it’s common to purchase books or resources and find that they are not the good fit you expected.
You can include
You can include
Prepare your plan
Certain information must be included in each learning plan, but how you present it is up to you. The templates provide a good guide of how much information is expected. If your brainstorming document consisted of 5-7 activities which each covered multiple KLAs, then the Activity Based template (Word or PDF) would be a good fit. If not the Subject Based template (Word or PDF) might be a better fit.
Do
You don't have to
The examples below give you an idea of how much to include. One is for an Activity-Based plan, the other for a Subject-Based plan. You can briefly mention all the information listed above in dot points, or sentences – whatever you prefer.
Learning Plan Questions
As part of your plan, you need to answer the following questions:
There are samples available which cover a variety of ages & circumstances.
Before you submit your application
Checklist
HEN checks learning plans for our members. Email yours to support@home-ed.vic.edu.au together with your membership number.
Submission and Approval
Submission
To submit your application to the VRQA, email it to home.schooling@education.vic.gov.au . You will receive a confirmation email. If you don't receive that, check your spam folder, check your email was sent to the right address and, if still no response, wait a day and phone the VRQA on 9637 2806 to check they received it.
Approval
Approval takes an average of 9 days, no more than 28 days.
Attendance while waiting
School-aged children are obliged to attend school while waiting. If they are unsafe, don't send them, instead ask the principal to approve their absence, get a medical certificate. If these options aren't available see our advice.
If your child has a disability, you may be eligible for a federal payment called Assistance For Isolated Children Scheme (AIC), and can apply as soon as your registration is granted. For more information on the AIC payment, please visit https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/assistance-for-isolated-children/