6. Application and assessment process

Overview of the application process

An application for home schooling registration may be submitted at any time of the year. Parents may apply online through Home Schooling Online (HSO). Alternatively, application forms are available on the NESA website.

There are two types of applications for home schooling registration:

• initial registration – for a child who has never been registered
• renewal of registration – for a child who has been registered before. This form should be used for a child who has been registered previously even if the previous period of registration lapsed some time ago.

Each application form provides details of the required information and how to submit the form.
If registration is sought for more than one child, a separate application is required for each child. An application is required to be signed by one parent. If the child is the subject of a court order, a copy of the court order must be attached to the application. NESA will have regard to the provisions of a court order as part of the assessment process.

If the applicant is not the child’s parent, evidence to demonstrate the legal care or guardian authority of the applicant is required.

A parent may choose to withdraw an application by email or in writing:

• email: homeschooling@nesa.nsw.edu.au
• Home Schooling Unit, NESA
  GPO Box 5300
  Sydney NSW 2001.

If there is a need for NESA to vary the assessment process temporarily, such as a pandemic or natural disaster, the changes will be published on the NESA website.

NESA has policies and procedures in place for the security and privacy of personal information. This includes limiting access to certain information to relevant staff only. All NESA staff are subject to NESA’s Code of Conduct.

Overview of the assessment process

The following provides an overview of the key steps in NESA’s process for assessing applications for home schooling registration.

The overview identifies variations in the time it may take to process an application. These variations depend on factors such as:

• whether the application form is complete
• the availability and readiness of the parent
• the number of applications received by NESA at any one time.

Although the process may take up to 12 weeks, the average time is around 7 weeks. It is rare for the overall time to exceed 12 weeks.

Parents can apply at any time but are advised to apply 3 months in advance of when they want to start or continue home schooling.

If a shorter period of registration has been granted, an application for renewal of registration may need to be made early in the period if the parent seeks continued registration.

The Authorised Person’s assessment of an application

Preparing for the application to be assessed

Parents can prepare for the assessment of their application by having available:

• the child’s educational program showing how it is based on NESA syllabuses
• information about the child’s learning needs and how the educational program supports these needs
• materials to show planning, supervising and recording teaching and learning experiences
• materials to show the system for recording the child’s progress and achievement
• materials to show how time is allocated to learning
• information about how the home provides an effective learning environment
• materials to show how resources are adequate to support the child’s learning.

The Authorised Person’s focus and process

The focus of the Authorised Person’s assessment during the home visit is the educational program for the child and whether the requirements for home schooling registration are being met or, for new applicants, could be met. The Authorised Person does not assess the child.

During the process, the Authorised Person will discuss and review the educational program with the parent. Parents are encouraged to explain their approach and record keeping as relevant to the educational needs of the child and the requirements.

In particular, the Authorised Person will consider:

• information showing how the program has been and/or will be implemented, including records of learning activities and assessments of progress if the child is currently registered
• whether this information demonstrates that the requirements for registration have been and/or will be met.

For applications for initial registration, the Authorised Person will consider whether the available information demonstrates a capacity to meet the requirements for home schooling registration should the child be registered.

For applications for renewal of registration, the Authorised Person will consider whether the available information demonstrates that the requirements for home schooling registration were met during the past or current period of registration and whether the requirements for registration would be met if a further period of registration were to be granted.

Authorised Persons understand that education in the home is different to school education. They expect to see how the child’s learning needs are being addressed and how the educational program is being implemented in the context of each family.

During the assessment process, the Authorised Person must sight the child for whom registration is sought unless there are compelling reasons for not sighting the child. NESA will consider such reasons on the individual nature and merit of any particular case. In some cases, for experienced and successful home schoolers, NESA may consider assessing an application by documentation review if there are exceptional and compelling reasons for doing so. NESA will consider each case on its individual nature and merit.

Recommendation by Authorised Person

Following assessment of the application, the Authorised Person makes a recommendation to NESA.

A recommendation for registration will specify the curriculum for home schooling and the recommended period of registration.

In relation to the curriculum, the recommendation could be for a Year or Years of schooling. For example, Year 1 or Years 9 and 10 or, the recommendation could be for primary education, secondary education and/or senior secondary education. The Authorised Person’s recommendation will consider the parent’s preference and educational plan.

In relation to the period of registration, the recommendation is based on the Authorised Person’s consideration of factors such as:

• whether it is the first period of registration
• the availability of records from a current or recent period of registration clearly showing how the educational program was implemented
• the demonstrated planning for a future period of registration that indicates the curriculum and record-keeping approach to be taken.

Generally, a period of initial registration is less than the possible maximum of 2 years as some aspects of the requirements can only be demonstrated once the educational program is being delivered. For example, records of the delivery of the educational program showing how the program has been taught in accordance with the NESA syllabuses are not available until after the program has been taught.

For the same reason, the period of registration for a child who was previously registered may also be less than the maximum period possible depending on how recently the child was registered and the availability of records from that period showing how the program was implemented.

The NESA Authorised Persons Handbook (PDF 430.03KB) provides further information about Authorised Persons’ assessments and recommendations.

Although most applications are approved, if an Authorised Person finds that the requirements would not be met or are not being met, the Authorised Person will recommend that the application be refused. If this occurs, a parent may seek an internal review. See section 13 of the Guidelines for more information.

Certificate of registration

NESA considers recommendations from Authorised Persons and decides, under delegation from the Minister for Education, whether or not home schooling registration will be granted.

A certificate of registration is issued when registration is granted.

The certificate confirms the child’s registration. It should be kept in a safe place and may be produced should a parent be required to provide evidence of the child’s registration.

The certificate specifies the child’s name and home address, the Year level or stage of the curriculum and the period of registration.

Monitoring during a period of registration

During a period of registration, the parent is responsible for the child’s education and for keeping records to show how the program is being implemented.

A monitoring visit to a home schooling family may occur if NESA receives information causing concern about whether the requirements for home schooling registration are continuing to be met during a period of registration. NESA will contact the parent in advance if a monitoring visit is to be undertaken. Such monitoring visits are not common.