Allocating time for home schooling

In Years K to 6, the syllabuses include advice about time allocation for each course. Advice is specific to a school context, but you may find it helpful as a guide.

The Guidelines provide a chart to show the suggested proportion of time that might be spent on each key learning area for primary education. These times are for advice only and are expanded to provide parents with an overview of weekly and annual hours that may be helpful when designing an educational program.

Documenting allocated time - primary years

Parents may wish to record the allocation of time to each key learning area using a schedule. An example has been provided as a guide.

This example demonstrates:

• a formal schedule for learning
• minimal hours of syllabus-based learning (some subjects are in excess of the suggested time allocations)
• a range of additional activities in excess of the suggested hours
• inclusion of a music tutor to support Creative Arts requirements.

To show that you are covering the curriculum, you must allocate enough time to each course.

In Years 7 to 10, the syllabuses include advice about time allocation. Advice is specific to a school context, but you may find it helpful as a guide.

The secondary curriculum requirements of home schooling parents are covered in Section 9 of the Guidelines.

In addition to the mandatory KLAs, you must choose 2 optional syllabuses, each from different key learning areas of:

• Creative Arts
• PDHPE
• Languages
• Technology and Applied Studies.

You may choose from the range of HSIE syllabuses for your educational program; you are not limited to the study of History and/or Geography.

Documenting allocated time - secondary education

Parents may wish to record the allocation of time to each key learning area using a schedule. An example has been provided as a guide.

Example 1

This example demonstrates:

• a formal schedule for learning
• suggested hours for syllabus coverage (some subjects, in particular English, are in excess of suggested time allocations provided in schools)
• a HSIE syllabus: Work Education
• 2 optional syllabuses:
  • Agriculture (TAS)
  • Modern Languages (Languages).

Example 2

This example demonstrates:

• a flexible schedule for learning
• suggested hours for syllabus coverage
• a HSIE syllabus: Aboriginal Studies
• 2 optional syllabuses:
  • Photographic and Digital Media (Creative Arts)
  • Computing Technology (Technological and Applied Studies)
• suitable time allocation for:
  • community engagement (Aboriginal Studies)
  • practical experiences (Computing Technology, and Photographic and Digital Media).

In Years 11 and 12, the syllabuses include advice about time allocation for each course. Advice is specific to a school context, but you may find it helpful as a guide.

Syllabuses identified as 2 units of study are based on 120 hours for each year. This equates to approximately 3 hours per week over 40 weeks for each syllabus.

Documenting allocated time - senior secondary education

Parents may wish to record the allocation of time to each key learning area using a schedule. An example of a structured approach is included.

Pattern of study

Possible Schedule

This example demonstrates:

• compliance with requirements of registration
• suggested hours for syllabus coverage (some subjects, in particular Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation, are in excess of suggested time allocations).