Can I just pull my child out of school and start homeschooling?

No. In every Australian state, you must register your child for home education with the relevant authority before they stop attending school - or, in states that allow it, at least apply for provisional registration that takes effect from a documented date. Simply ceasing attendance without registration triggers attendance enforcement and can complicate your home-education application later.

What's the sequence - register first, then withdraw?

Yes, almost always. In states that allow provisional or immediate-effect registration (NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, TAS), apply first, receive provisional/effective registration in writing, then withdraw from school. In states that require written approval before commencing (SA, NT, WA), you must wait for the full approval before withdrawing. The school you're leaving will ask for the registration certificate or its equivalent before processing the withdrawal cleanly.

Do I need to give the school a reason?

No. You do not need to justify your decision to the school or to the authority - registration is granted on the basis of your educational program, not your motivation. You will be asked to complete a school withdrawal form which typically asks where the child is going (you write 'home education' and include your registration number).

What about mid-year reports and school records?

Request copies of all the school's records on your child before you withdraw - the most recent report, NAPLAN results (if any), any individual education plan or diagnostic reports, attendance records. These records are sometimes useful in your home-education application (NSW APs sometimes ask for them) and they're your evidence of where your child is academically at the start of home schooling.

How long does it take to switch?

If your state allows provisional or immediate-effect registration (NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, TAS), the practical switch can happen in 2-4 weeks from a complete application - lodge, receive provisional, give notice to the school, withdraw. In states requiring full approval first (SA, NT, WA), allow 8-12 weeks for the approval before any school withdrawal. Always cite a 'school term' as a planning unit.

Will the school try to talk us out of it?

Some do, some don't. Most school principals will accept the decision and process the withdrawal cleanly; some will want a conversation about why you're leaving. You don't have to attend that meeting and you don't have to defend your decision. If the school becomes obstructive, your state authority's home-education team can intervene - this is unusual but documented.

What if my child is at a private school and there's a notice period?

Private school enrolment contracts typically require a term's notice (sometimes a full term's fee in lieu of notice). Check your enrolment contract. The state authority's home-education registration runs separately from the private school contract - you can be registered for home education while a notice period runs out, and the school continues to provide schooling during that time if the child is still attending.

What if my child is mid-Year 11 or Year 12?

Switching during senior years is significantly more complex because external credential enrolment (SDEHS, VSV, BSDE etc.) usually has its own application windows and may not accept students mid-year. Get advice from your distance education school before withdrawing from the current school. In some cases, the right move is to complete the current school year and switch over the summer break.

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For families withdrawing from a current school

Switching from school to homeschooling in Australia

How to withdraw your child from school and move into home education without breaking attendance law. Sequencing for registration, mid-year reports, dealing with the school, and what to do in the first weeks home.

Last reviewed 2026-05-20.

The two rules that govern this

Two rules apply in every Australian state and shape every decision below:

You cannot stop sending a school-aged child to schoolwithout an alternative legal arrangement (home education registration, enrolment at another school, or an exemption). Simply ceasing attendance is an offence under each state's education act.
You must register for home education with the relevant state authority before the child stops attending school. In states that allow provisional or immediate-effect registration (NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, TAS), this can be done quickly. In SA, NT and WA, you must wait for full written approval first.

Get the sequencing right and the switch is straightforward. Get it wrong and you create attendance-enforcement headaches that complicate your registration.

Five-step sequencing

Step 1 - Apply for home-education registration first

Before you tell the school anything, lodge your registration application with the state authority. See Step 1 of the journey for what goes in the application and your state's registration page for the specifics.

NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, TAS: Request provisional or immediate-effect registration. This can be granted within days to weeks of a complete application and lets you move forward without waiting for the full review.

SA, NT, WA: You must wait for full written approval before withdrawing. Plan a school term lead time and keep the child in school until approval is in writing.

Step 2 - Request the school's records on your child

While the child is still enrolled, request copies of:

Most recent school reports
NAPLAN results (Years 3, 5, 7, 9 only)
Any Individual Education Plan (IEP) or diagnostic assessments
Attendance records
Anything in the school file under your name

NSW APs sometimes ask for the most recent school report as part of the registration review. Even where it's not required, these records are your evidence of where the child is starting from in home education. Requesting them is easier while the child is still on the roll.

Step 3 - Give written withdrawal notice to the school

Once you have registration (or provisional registration) in writing, submit the school's withdrawal form. You will be asked where the child is going next - write "home education" and include the registration number.

You are not required to explain your reasons. Most schools process the withdrawal without comment. Some principals want a conversation; you can attend or decline, your choice. If the school becomes obstructive, the state authority's home-education team can intervene.

Private school families:check your enrolment contract for notice periods. Many private schools require a term's notice or a term's fee in lieu. The home-education registration runs separately from the contract - you can be home-registered while a notice period runs out.

Step 4 - Settle the practical transition

Return uniforms, library books, devices and any school property. Collect remaining personal items. Pick a clean transition date - usually the end of a school week, with the next Monday as day one of home schooling.

The transition is as much emotional as logistical. Children leaving a school they liked grieve it; children leaving a school they didn't like take time to decompress. Either way, the first weeks at home need more space than you think.

Step 5 - The first month at home (deschooling)

The first 2-4 weeks at home rarely look like "school but at the kitchen table." Most experienced homeschool families recommend a short deschooling period:

Reduce formal expectations to almost nothing
More play, more outside, more reading aloud
Conversations about interests, what to learn next
Visits to libraries, museums, parks
Gentle re-introduction of structured maths and English by week 3-4

A rough rule families share: one month of deschooling per year the child was at school. Children who spent six years at school often take longer to relax into home learning than children who spent two.

Once you're past the deschooling phase, see Your first 30 days as a homeschool family for the week-by-week of setting up the long-term rhythm.

Special cases

Mid-year switches

Most school withdrawals happen at the end of a term or year. Mid-term switches are possible but messier. If the child is in significant distress at school (bullying, anxiety, a worsening situation), a mid-term withdrawal may be the right call. Document the situation, talk to the school about a short-notice withdrawal, and lodge your registration as quickly as possible.

Switching during Years 11 or 12

This is the hardest case. External credential enrolment (SDEHS, VSV, BSDE, SIDE, OAC, Tasmanian eSchool) usually has fixed application windows and may not accept students mid-year. Before withdrawing:

Contact the distance provider and confirm they have a place for the subjects you need
Get the application timeline in writing
Confirm internal assessment portability - sometimes a school can transfer marks; often it cannot
Consider whether finishing the current school year and switching at the summer break is the lower-risk option

Switching one child while siblings stay at school

Routinely possible. Each child's enrolment is separate. You can have one child registered for home education while other children continue at school - most multi-child homeschool families have this arrangement at some point.

What you'll have at the end of the switch

Home-education registration in writing
School records for your file
A clean exit from the previous school
A deschooling period and a soft start at home
A path into the four-step journey and a year-level template

Frequently asked questions

Can I just pull my child out of school and start homeschooling?: No. In every Australian state, you must register your child for home education with the relevant authority before they stop attending school - or, in states that allow it, at least apply for provisional registration that takes effect from a documented date. Simply ceasing attendance without registration triggers attendance enforcement and can complicate your home-education application later.
What's the sequence - register first, then withdraw?: Yes, almost always. In states that allow provisional or immediate-effect registration (NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, TAS), apply first, receive provisional/effective registration in writing, then withdraw from school. In states that require written approval before commencing (SA, NT, WA), you must wait for the full approval before withdrawing. The school you're leaving will ask for the registration certificate or its equivalent before processing the withdrawal cleanly.
Do I need to give the school a reason?: No. You do not need to justify your decision to the school or to the authority - registration is granted on the basis of your educational program, not your motivation. You will be asked to complete a school withdrawal form which typically asks where the child is going (you write 'home education' and include your registration number).
What about mid-year reports and school records?: Request copies of all the school's records on your child before you withdraw - the most recent report, NAPLAN results (if any), any individual education plan or diagnostic reports, attendance records. These records are sometimes useful in your home-education application (NSW APs sometimes ask for them) and they're your evidence of where your child is academically at the start of home schooling.
How long does it take to switch?: If your state allows provisional or immediate-effect registration (NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, TAS), the practical switch can happen in 2-4 weeks from a complete application - lodge, receive provisional, give notice to the school, withdraw. In states requiring full approval first (SA, NT, WA), allow 8-12 weeks for the approval before any school withdrawal. Always cite a 'school term' as a planning unit.
Will the school try to talk us out of it?: Some do, some don't. Most school principals will accept the decision and process the withdrawal cleanly; some will want a conversation about why you're leaving. You don't have to attend that meeting and you don't have to defend your decision. If the school becomes obstructive, your state authority's home-education team can intervene - this is unusual but documented.
What if my child is at a private school and there's a notice period?: Private school enrolment contracts typically require a term's notice (sometimes a full term's fee in lieu of notice). Check your enrolment contract. The state authority's home-education registration runs separately from the private school contract - you can be registered for home education while a notice period runs out, and the school continues to provide schooling during that time if the child is still attending.
What if my child is mid-Year 11 or Year 12?: Switching during senior years is significantly more complex because external credential enrolment (SDEHS, VSV, BSDE etc.) usually has its own application windows and may not accept students mid-year. Get advice from your distance education school before withdrawing from the current school. In some cases, the right move is to complete the current school year and switch over the summer break.