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Homeschool record keeping in NSW: what the guidelines say
What NSW home schooling guidelines and Department templates say about records for the Authorised Person visit, with an illustrative example week.
Read the guideKey points
• The NSW registration requirements include an adequate system for planning, supervising and recording teaching and learning, and an adequate system for recording the child's progress and achievement [1].
• At renewal, the Authorised Person reviews records of learning activities and assessments of progress [2].
• Registration can run for a continued period of up to 2 years, and the guidelines advise applying 3 months ahead [1] [2].
• The Department's renewal preparation template lists many record formats, including journals, planners, photographs, learning portfolios and annotated work samples [3].
Who oversees registration
On 5 May 2025, oversight of home schooling moved from the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) to the NSW Department of Education [4]. The Department states that the current Guidelines for home schooling registration in NSW "remain in effect until the new policy is finalised" [5]. It states that consultation on a new policy closed on 10 August 2026 [5]. Under the current guidelines, a child's program must be "based on and taught in accordance with the relevant NESA syllabuses" [1].
What the guidelines say about records
Section 4 of the guidelines lists the requirements for registration. Two of them relate directly to records [1]:
• "there is an adequate system for planning, supervising and recording teaching and learning experiences"
• "there is an adequate system for recording the child's progress and achievement"
The same section states: "Records of implementing the child's educational program must be kept to show how the program has been delivered and how the requirements for registration are being met." [1]
Section 5 says that, "as a guide, typically, parents develop and keep plans, records, resources and other relevant information" [6]. The list covers learning needs, program content, progress and interests, syllabus-based activities, time, resources and the learning environment [6]. The guidelines add that the program and its records "may be paper based, project based, digital or a combination of different mediums" [6].
The Authorised Person visit
Under section 6, the Authorised Person makes a home visit to review the current and/or proposed educational program [2]. The child must be sighted during the visit "unless there are exceptional and compelling circumstances" [2]. For a renewal, the Authorised Person considers "records of learning activities and assessments of progress if the child is currently registered" [2]. If the requirements are not being met, the Authorised Person will recommend that the application be refused [2].
The Department's assessment page says a home visit often takes 30 to 90 minutes [7]. It says the Authorised Person will review records for each registration requirement [7]. It also states: "The Authorised Person will not assess your child during a visit." [7] The renewal preparation template says parents will need to provide evidence of the current program's implementation, along with a plan for the next period of registration [3].
How long registration runs
A child may be registered "for a continued period, up to 2 years" [1]. A previously registered child may be given a shorter period, depending on how recently they were registered [2]. If a shorter period was granted, a renewal application may need to be made early in that period [2]. The guidelines say parents can apply at any time but "are advised to apply 3 months in advance" [2]. The Department says the process can take up to 12 weeks, but generally takes much less time [8].
What the renewal template lists
The Department publishes two templates to help parents prepare for the visit, one for initial registration and one for renewal [7]. It describes them as "optional support documents and are not a requirement of registration" [7]. The renewal template gives these examples [3]:
• Recording teaching and learning: "a journal, daily or weekly planner, document, photographs, learning portfolio, social media platforms, textbooks, or another system of your choice". It also mentions samples that show "not just the work completed by the child, but also the activity that it responded to".
• Recording progress and achievement: "marked or annotated work samples, a record of parent / child discussions, journalling", writing processes, sample activities, project plans and syllabus outcomes and content checklists.
• Time allocated to learning: "a schedule, a daybook, whiteboard notes, or another method of your choice".
• Resources: a record of the resources used and how they supported learning across the curriculum areas.
• Supervision: where a parent is not directly delivering some learning, such as maths tutoring or dance classes, "there needs to be an adequate method for supervising learning".
Other Department templates and samples
The Department also publishes syllabus templates for each stage [9]. It says they "can provide you with a starting point" and that "using the templates is completely optional" [9]. Each one contains syllabus outcomes, focus areas and content, with space for parent comments, level of achievement and evidence [9]. Separate record-keeping templates are published by stage and subject, with versions based on syllabus outcomes or syllabus content [9].
The Department's sample plans page includes a "Sample reporting of progress for Stage 2" [10]. That sample is a 2018 end-of-year report for Grade 3 [11]. It records comments on "achievements, strengths and challenges" for each subject, and several entries include an action plan [11].
The six primary key learning areas
The guidelines set the minimum primary curriculum as six mandatory key learning areas each year: English; Mathematics; Science and Technology; HSIE – History and/or Geography; Creative Arts; and PDHPE [12]. Creative Arts covers Visual Arts, Music, Drama and Dance [12]. Programs presented for assessment now need to be based on the new English K–10 and Mathematics K–10 syllabuses [13]. New K–6 syllabuses for the other four areas are available for early implementation [13].
The table below is an illustration only, not Department guidance. It shows one way records might map to each key learning area.
English — Planning record: Outcomes and texts for the term; Log and samples: Reading list; writing from plan to draft to published piece; Progress notes: Reading, writing, speaking and spelling.
Mathematics — Planning record: Outcomes and topic sequence; Log and samples: Marked worksheets; photos of hands-on work; Progress notes: Strengths, gaps, next topics.
Science and Technology — Planning record: Units and investigations; Log and samples: Investigation plans, results, photos; Progress notes: Skills and understanding shown.
HSIE (History and/or Geography) — Planning record: Units and inquiry questions; Log and samples: Project plans, maps, excursion notes; Progress notes: Inquiry and research skills.
Creative Arts — Planning record: Visual arts, music, drama and dance activities; Log and samples: Photos or recordings of work and performances; Progress notes: Skills developed.
PDHPE — Planning record: Health topics and physical activity; Log and samples: Activity log; notes on external classes; Progress notes: Participation and skills.
An illustrative four-part record system
This is an illustrative example only, not Department guidance.
1. Planning record. A page per term for each key learning area, listing syllabus outcomes, topics, resources and weekly time. Programs must be based on NESA syllabuses [1].
2. Learning log. A daily or weekly diary of date, activity, time and resource. The renewal template lists journals and planners as formats [3].
3. Work samples. Dated samples, each with a note of the task it responded to [3].
4. Progress notes. A few lines per key learning area each term on strengths, challenges and next steps, similar in shape to the Stage 2 sample report [11].
An illustrative example of how a week might be recorded
This illustrative example is for a Year 3 child, in Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) [14]. It is not a required format.
Mon — Key learning area: Mathematics; Activity: Place value to 10,000 worksheet; Time: 40 min; Record kept: Marked worksheet, dated.
Mon — Key learning area: English; Activity: Chapter book read aloud; character discussion; Time: 45 min; Record kept: Log entry; note of discussion.
Tue — Key learning area: English; Activity: Planning a narrative; Time: 40 min; Record kept: Plan in writing folder.
Tue — Key learning area: Science and Technology; Activity: Testing which materials absorb water; Time: 50 min; Record kept: Results table; photo.
Wed — Key learning area: Mathematics; Activity: Rounding with number lines; Time: 40 min; Record kept: Annotated sample.
Wed — Key learning area: PDHPE; Activity: Swimming lesson (external); Time: 45 min; Record kept: Attendance note; supervision note.
Thu — Key learning area: English; Activity: Drafting and editing the narrative; Time: 45 min; Record kept: Draft with edits.
Thu — Key learning area: HSIE; Activity: Mapping the local area; Time: 50 min; Record kept: Map sample; resource noted.
Fri — Key learning area: Mathematics; Activity: Review quiz; Time: 30 min; Record kept: Marked quiz.
Fri — Key learning area: Creative Arts; Activity: Watercolour landscape; Time: 45 min; Record kept: Photo of artwork.
Fri — Key learning area: All; Activity: Weekly progress note; Time: 10 min; Record kept: Short note per area.
The swimming row reflects the template's reference to supervising learning that a parent does not deliver directly [3].
Where Noooli fits
Noooli publishes free term planners (/planners) with one maths, English or science topic a week for Kindergarten to Year 6. Each planner lists NSW outcome codes and three ten-minute tasks to tick each week. Noooli also publishes free printable worksheets (/worksheets), with an answer page and a parent tip for every question. These cover three of the six primary key learning areas only. Noooli is not a registered provider and is not connected with any education department. Its NSW page is at /homeschool/nsw. A related article covers home schooling registration in NSW (/learn/how-to-register-for-homeschooling-in-nsw).
References
1. NSW Department of Education, "4. Requirements for registration", Guidelines for home schooling registration in NSW, https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling/registration-guidelines/requirements-for-registration
2. NSW Department of Education, "6. Application and assessment process", Guidelines for home schooling registration in NSW, https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling/registration-guidelines/6-application-and-assessment-process
3. NSW Department of Education, "Preparing for the Authorised Person's visit – Renewal of registration" (Word template), https://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/noindex/2024-08/Renewal%20Registration%20-%20Preparing%20for%20the%20Authorised%20Person%20assessment_revised_20240829.docx
4. NSW Government, "Department of Education to take on oversight of home schooling in NSW", ministerial release, 20 March 2025, https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/department-of-education-to-take-on-oversight-of-home-schooling-nsw
5. NSW Government, "Home schooling", https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling
6. NSW Department of Education, "5. Methods and resources", Guidelines for home schooling registration in NSW, https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling/registration-guidelines/methods-and-resources
7. NSW Department of Education, "Assessment by an Authorised Person", https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling/applying-to-register/assessment-by-an-authorised-person
8. NSW Department of Education, "3. Home schooling registration at a glance", Guidelines for home schooling registration in NSW, https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling/registration-guidelines/registration-at-a-glance
9. NSW Department of Education, "Templates for home schooling parents", https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling/support-material/templates-for-home-schooling-parents
10. NSW Department of Education, "Sample home schooling plans and resources", https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling/support-material/sample-home-schooling-plans
11. NSW Department of Education, "Sample reporting of progress for Stage 2" (PDF), https://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/noindex/2024-02/sample-reporting-of-progress-for-stage-2.pdf
12. NSW Department of Education, "8. Primary education curriculum – Kindergarten to Year 6", Guidelines for home schooling registration in NSW, https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling/registration-guidelines/k-to-6-curriculum
13. NSW Department of Education, "Curriculum reform and home schooling", https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling/support-material/curriculum-reform-home-schooling
14. NSW Department of Education, "7. Curriculum overview", Guidelines for home schooling registration in NSW, https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling/registration-guidelines/curriculum-overview
Common questions
What does the Authorised Person look at when registration is renewed?
Under the NSW guidelines, the Authorised Person looks at records of learning activities and assessments of progress to decide whether the requirements were met in the past period. The Department says a renewal visit reviews both the current and the proposed educational program, including records of implementation.
How long does home schooling registration last in NSW?
The guidelines say a child may be registered for a continued period of up to 2 years. A previously registered child may be given a shorter period. The guidelines advise parents to apply 3 months before they want to start or continue home schooling.
Are the Department's record templates compulsory?
No. The Department describes its Authorised Person preparation templates as optional support documents that are not a requirement of registration. It describes its syllabus templates as completely optional, and says parents can develop their own systems for monitoring and recording progress.
