QUICK GUIDE to teaching your children at home!

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The information in this guide can also be found in Beverley's comprehensive The Educating Parent Resource Directory, a free download.

• About Home Education
• Is it Legal? Registering
• Getting Ready: learning plans, environment and resources
• Assessment
• Keeping Records

Registering as a Home Educator

Generally speaking, the Australian home educating regulatory authorities need assurance that the children will receive a high quality education, using resources and in an environment that adequately and appropriately meets the developmental, social and learning needs of the child. It is expected that you will keep records of your child's educational activity and the resources used. Home education registration is usually renewed annually, with most states requiring a review report and / or interview.

The application is variously known as 'registration', 'dispensation', and 'obtaining exemption from attending school' depending on where you live. Officers assessing the application and reviews are called 'home education officers', 'moderators' or 'authorised persons (Aps)'.

Information is provided by all states and territories about the process of applying for home education registration.

The type of information sought by the authorities varies, but the focus should be on the quality of the proposed learning plan and environment. Be firm and assert that it is the learning plan that is under consideration, not the child's current educational abilities and understandings. As the home educator it is your responsibility to monitor the educational and developmental progress of your child not the office giving permission for you to home educate. Some authorities require more detail than others which is why it is important to seek local knowledge when applying.

At all times read information and forms carefully. Never sign anything with which you are not entirely happy: rewrite using your own words if necessary.

Remember you are an 'educating parent': officers processing your application will feel less inclined to treat you as just 'another parent' if you approach your application in a serious and business-like manner.

File records of any communication, including copies of emails and letters, together with detailed notes of any telephone conversations where you can easily find them.

Insist of written (emailed) confirmation of details discussed over the phone. A 'paper trail' encourages everyone to remain accountable and respectful.

If your state requires a home interview, ask for an outline of what will be discussed to be sent to you at least a week beforehand to enable you to prepare and have on hand what is required.

It is possible to gain access to the reports written following home education interviews through the Freedom of Information Act. Keep records of home education registration until the child is past compulsory schooling age.

You don't need to be alone during the home interview, you can have a friend present to help you look after the children, take notes and reduce your anxiety. Let the authority know beforehand you'll have a friend present.

It will help if you start recording your child's education as soon as you decide that you are going to home educate. You don't need to wait until you are officially approved. Maintaining some kind of record of our children's learning helps to b uild our confidence as home educators. It can be as simple as a diary with dated entries marking the days our children do educational activities (the equivalent of a school roll book).

Dated records are also legal evidence that your children are being appropriately educated.

Do you have to follow the School Curriculum?

Some states and territories require you to follow their state syllabus or the Australian Curriculum, others don't. The following information was obtained from the various state and territory government websites.

In Victoria, "there is no expectation that you will follow a curriculum (though you can if you wish)."

In South Australia, the requirement is that parents create "a suitable education program that meets the goals of the Australian Curriculum (or similar), including strategies and tools to monitor your child's progress". There is no requirement to 'follow' a particular one.

In New South Wales, it is a requirement that "the child's educational program is based on and taught in accordance with the relevant NESA syllabuses as determined by the [Education] Act".

In Queensland, parents need to supply "a summary of the educational program to be used" and "demonstrate that your child will receive a high-quality education". Note: no mention of any particular curriculum that needs to be followed

In Western Australia, parents "need to develop a curriculum program which meets the requirements of School Curriculum and Standards Authority Act 1997," and use resources "available for Pre-primary to Year 12 on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority's website. You can also include materials from other sources." Note: you need to meet the standards but you can use whatever materials and methods that work for your child.

In the Northern Territory, "your child's home education curriculum can be self-developed or purchased from a commercial provider. But it must meet the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) requirements."

In Tasmania, "there is no requirement to follow the Australian Curriculum or any particular curriculum."

In the ACT, parents need to show how they will "provide a high-quality education for the child" and that it will "deliver an education consistent with the principles mentioned in the Education Act 2004 (the Act), section 128 (d)."

Prepare a basic learning plan (curriculum) for the year ahead, perhaps using dot points under the required subject areas. All states and territories have adopted or incorporated the Australian Curriculum , which list the following subjects as key learning areas (these may be worded or arranged differently):

• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Health and Physical Education
• Humanities and Social Sciences: HASS (years F-6/7); History (years 7-10); Geography (years 7-10); Civics and Citizenship (years 7-10); Economics and Business (years 7-10)
• The Arts: Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music, Visual Arts
• Technologies: Design and Technologies, Digital Technologies
• Languages (other than English)

You can and should write your own learning plan (curriculum). Most families do, especially after the first year or so as their confidence grows and they get the hang of homeschooling.

It makes it easier for the authorities to assess your application if you use terminology with which they are familiar, but you don't have to, and it may help you to use your own words to describe what and how your children are going to learn.

To help you create your own learning plan, think about what your child will be developmentally and educationally ready to learn over the coming year for each area of learning (subject). What kind of activities, projects or unit studies can you do to cover that? Focus on your child more than the curriculum requirements.

Base learning activities on your child's level, ability, learning needs, preferences and style. Once you've done this, then add some student workbooks, textbooks or online learning programs, as well as other resources (also known as people, places, things!) Can you build some activities around personal or family interests, hobbies and chores? Most can be easily related to one or more curriculum subjects. Add them in too!

Keep it simple, keep it basic! There is no need to write reams: most of us go way overboard when we write our first home education learning plan. We worry about covering everything our child needs to learn, but it is like most things in life: as we travel along the path the detail becomes visible, we fill in the gaps, or switch focus or direction.

To give you an idea of what is normally expected there is a list of examples of approved learning plans.

If your state requires one (not all states do), during the home interview you can ask for advice or where to find appropriate resources: the officer conducting the interview will have considerable teaching experience and should have lots of ideas. Even if they don't view their job as such, you can view them as someone there to help you build an excellent education for your child, rather than someone there to judge you, your child or your home.

And remember: your learning plan is only a plan, it isn't set in concrete and is likely to change quite a bit by the end of your first month! The authorities understand this too. Your end of year report doesn't have to look anything like your initial plan. And that's true for families who have been home educating for years as well as beginners: life happens and we will naturally take advantage of whatever educational opportunity or resources come our way throughout the year.

Jotting down a few notes about your children's learning should only take a few minutes several times a day. It is okay to try different approaches to keeping records until you find one you're happy to use on a regular basis. If you are looking for a ready-made recording system, consider the Always Learning Planner, Diary and Reports available from Always Learning Books. Recording make it easier to put together your annual review as well as tweaking your learning plan along the way.

Your home educating records belong to you and your children: never give away original documents or children's work. If samples are required, photocopy and forward them later. Look in our recording and evaluating section.

Make sure to make it obvious in your appli cation and home interview that you have support from other home educators : leave a copy of your local homeschool newsletter, or HEN's Otherways magazine on display and mention membership of local and online support groups.

And most of all, don't stress too much. If your plan isn't approved, ask them to tell you what is missing so you can amend your application. Don't accept 'no' as an answer. Negotiate and seek to solve any problems that have arisen. Most states have an appeals process: ask how you can appeal the decision. Some home educators have also requested to be assessed by a different home education officer.

Focus is always placed on socialisation and adequate provision for contact with peers. It is a myth that home educated children are less socialised than school children. In most situations, home education broadens the children's social sphere by removing them from school. Social activities include regular interaction with people from all age groups. Families list cultural, religious, sport and personal interest social activities, as well as participation in home education group activities and camps. A photo album showing incidences of group interaction may help.

Most applications for home education registration are approved. There are processes to appeal should you be declined, and to ensure your application covers everything it needs to it helps to seek advice from local home educating families before applying.

Read the next page of this guide: withdrawing your child from school.