How to Homeschool in Victoria (VIC), Australia — A Complete Guide

1. What is the VRQA and what does “approved home education” mean?

The VRQA is the independent statutory authority responsible for registering and monitoring educational providers in Victoria — including schools, TAFEs, RTOs, and home-educating families. Under section 2.2.26 of the ETR Act, a parent or guardian may apply to the VRQA to be the person responsible for their child's education, in lieu of school attendance.

“Approved home education” is the formal term for VRQA-registered home education. Once approved, your registration serves as the legal basis for your child to be absent from school. Operating without registration — educating at home without VRQA approval — is an offence under the ETR Act and can result in a compulsory schooling notice.

VRQA approval is personal to the registered parent or guardian and the individual child. If you have multiple children, each child requires a separate registration. Registration is renewed every 1–2 years and must be actively maintained.

2. The registration process: who must register and how

Registration is required for every child of compulsory school age — that is, children aged 6 to 17 who are not enrolled in a registered school. Children who have turned 17 may choose to continue home education without formal registration, as they are past compulsory schooling age.

How to apply

1. Create a VRQA portal account at portal.vrqa.vic.gov.au. The portal is the only accepted channel for new applications; paper applications are not processed.
2. Complete the application form. You will need your child's full name and date of birth, your relationship to the child, your current school enrolment details (if your child is currently enrolled), and a written learning program.
3. Upload a learning program. This is the most important part of the application. It must cover all eight Schedule 1 learning areas (described in Section 3 below). The VRQA provides two optional templates — activity-based and subject-based — but you are not required to use them.
4. Submit and wait. The VRQA acknowledges receipt and aims to decide within 28 days. You will receive approval or a request for additional information via the portal.

There is no application fee. Registration does not require you to withdraw your child from their current school before applying — in fact, the VRQA recommends you have approval in place before withdrawing.

3. Writing your learning plan: the 8 learning areas

Schedule 1 of the ETR Act specifies eight learning areas that a “suitable” home education program must address. These mirror the Australian Curriculum v9 learning areas:

• English — reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing
• Mathematics — number, algebra, measurement, statistics, and probability
• Science — biological, physical, earth and space, and chemical sciences
• Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) — history, geography, civics, economics
• The Arts — dance, drama, media arts, music, visual arts
• Technologies — design technologies and digital technologies
• Health and Physical Education — movement and physical activity, health understanding
• Languages — at least one language other than English

Your learning plan must describe, for each learning area, what you intend to teach and how you plan to do it. The VRQA assesses whether the plan is “suitable” — meaning it is commensurate with the child's age and ability, regularly delivered, and covers the required areas.

The VRQA offers two templates: an activity-based template (describing what activities the child will do week-to-week) and a subject-based template(describing content by subject area). Most families find the activity-based format more natural, especially if their approach is project-based or child-led. Neither template is mandatory — a well-written prose document or a structured curriculum outline is equally acceptable.

4. What VRQA assessors look for during monitoring visits

VRQA assessors are authorised officers who conduct monitoring visits to verify that registered families are delivering their approved program. Visits are not surprise inspections — the officer will contact you in advance to schedule a mutually convenient time.

Evidence of learning

The assessor will ask to see evidence that your child is receiving an ongoing education. Acceptable evidence includes:

• A learning diary or lesson log — even brief entries noting the date, subject, and activity are valuable
• Work samples — written pieces, maths workbooks, science notebooks, art portfolios, photos of projects
• Assessment results — quizzes, comprehension tasks, oral reading records
• External evidence — receipts for excursions, library records, certificates from extracurricular activities

Time allocation

The VRQA does not prescribe a minimum number of hours per day or week, but your records should indicate that learning is “regular and sustained.” Most assessors expect to see evidence of educational activity most days, broadly covering the eight learning areas across a typical fortnight.

The child's voice

Assessors appreciate when the learning plan and evidence reflect the child's interests and input. A program that is clearly tailored to a particular child — rather than a generic template — signals genuine engagement and is more persuasive to an assessor than a polished but impersonal document.

5. How Docent helps Victorian home educators

Docent is a voice-first AI tutoring platform built specifically for home-educating families. Every lesson is mapped to an ACARA v9 content description — the same framework the VRQA uses as its benchmark — so your compliance records are built automatically as your child learns.

Frequently asked questions

How long does VRQA registration take?

The VRQA aims to process complete applications within 28 days. In practice, straightforward applications with a well-structured learning program are often decided in 2–3 weeks. Incomplete applications — those missing a signed declaration or a program that does not address all eight learning areas — will be returned for revision, which can add several weeks. Submitting a detailed, curriculum-aligned program from the start is the best way to avoid delays. Docent's VRQA document generator produces a compliant draft in minutes.

Do I need to follow the Victorian curriculum (VCAA) when home educating?

No. The VRQA does not require you to follow the Victorian Curriculum F–10 (VCAA) or any specific commercial curriculum. The requirement is that you deliver a "suitable" education across the eight learning areas listed in Schedule 1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. You may use ACARA v9, an international curriculum, unit studies, Charlotte Mason methods, or any combination — provided you can demonstrate coverage of the required learning areas.

What happens during a VRQA monitoring visit?

A VRQA authorised officer will contact you to arrange a visit, typically at your home. The visit is a structured conversation about your educational program: how you are covering each learning area, what your child has been working on, and how you are tracking progress. You will be asked to show your learning records — lesson logs, work samples, portfolios, or digital records. The officer is not testing your child; they are assessing whether a suitable program is being delivered. VRQA visits normally last 1–2 hours and occur approximately every two years for registered families.

Can I deregister if we decide to return to school?

Yes. If your child enrols in a registered school, your VRQA home education registration is automatically superseded and you do not need to take any separate deregistration action. The school will notify the relevant state database of the enrolment. If your circumstances change before you find a school place, you should notify the VRQA in writing.

What if my child has special needs or a disability?

The VRQA assesses all applications on the basis of whether the proposed program is "suitable" for the individual child. You can and should note any diagnosed conditions, individual education plans (IEPs), therapies, and adjusted learning approaches in your program submission. The VRQA accepts differentiated programs, including programs where some learning areas are taught through specialist therapists or alternative methods. Docent supports adaptive pacing and can generate an evidence report showing how the program is tailored to your child's needs.

Ready to register for home education in Victoria?

Docent generates your VRQA learning program and evidence portfolio from your child's actual lessons — so your paperwork is always ready.