Your first 30 days as a homeschool family in Australia

The 30-day plan, week by week

The biggest stuck-point for new homeschool families is not knowing what to do this week. Reading is endless. The action items below give you four weeks of concrete tasks that move you from "considering it" to "teaching the first lesson."

Week 1 - Research and decide

Total time investment: about 6-10 hours over the week.

• Read your state's homeschooling page on this site - it tells you what the authority expects, the registration timeline, and the fees (free in every state).
• Read the four-step journeyin summary form. You don't need to read every word, just get the shape: Decide & register → Plan curriculum → Day-to-day → Exams & pathways.
• Join one community. Either an HEA membership (the national peak body) or a state Facebook group. The membership pays for itself before you finish your first registration.
• Have the honest family conversation. Who does the teaching? How long is the plan - a year, primary years only, all the way through? What does the child want? These answers shape every decision after this week.
• If your child is currently at school - stay enrolled. Do not deregister until you have at least provisional registration for home education.

Week 2 - Draft the learning plan

Total time investment: about 8-12 hours over the week.

• Open the Australian Curriculumor your state's syllabus. Filter by your child's year level. Read the content descriptions for each learning area - they're shorter than you expect.
• Use a template. HEA sells state-specific learning plan templates inexpensively. Alternatively, use the structure on the Curriculum planning page on this site.
• Write 2-3 paragraphs per learning area: what you'll cover, the resources you'll use, how you'll assess progress. Aim for 8-15 pages total.
• Match the year level. Use the year-level templates on this site for the relevant stage: F-2, 3-6, 7-10, 11-12.
• Don't aim for perfect. Aim for coherent. Authorities want to see considered thought, not a 40-page essay.

Week 3 - Lodge the application

Total time investment: about 3-5 hours over the week.

• Gather documents: child birth certificate or passport, proof of address (utility bill or lease), parent identification, and your finished learning plan.
• Submit the applicationthrough your state authority's portal or process. Each state's page on this site links directly to the registration page.
• Watch your inbox. Most authorities acknowledge receipt within a week. NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT and TAS allow you to begin teaching from provisional registration; SA, NT and WA require full approval first.
• If your child is currently at school and your state allows provisional, time the deregistration carefully - usually after you receive provisional, not before.

Week 4 - Set up the home learning space and rhythm

Total time investment: about 4-8 hours over the week.

• Create a workspace.Doesn't need to be a dedicated room. A defined area with table, light, storage for books, art supplies, and a quiet zone for focused work.
• Block out a sample week using the timetables on the Day-to-day page. Don't over-engineer - keep it loose for the first month.
• Buy or borrow first-term resources. A maths program (Khan Academy is free; Reading Eggs or Mathletics are paid options), a phonics program for younger kids, library access, a workbook or two. See the costs page for the range.
• Start gently. Once your registration permits, do two days of structured work the first week, three the next, then settle into your rhythm. The first three months are about sustainability, not output.

What you'll have at the end of 30 days

• Provisional or full home-education registration in writing
• A learning plan that satisfies your state's authority
• A workspace and a sample week
• First-term resources on hand
• At least one community connection
• An honest plan you can sustain

If the 30 days slip

Nothing here is rigid. If you need 60 days, take 60 days. The point of the checklist is to give a first-time family a concrete shape for something that otherwise feels formless. Move steadily, not anxiously.