WA

In Western Australia when applying to homeschool you must: 

• Register from the beginning of the year in which the child reaches the age of 5 and 6 months 
• Advise the school principal in writing of your intention to apply for registration as a home educator either before the child ceases to attend the school or within 3 days of the child's non-attendance 
• Apply for registration as a home educator within 14 days of removing your child from school (or 14 days after the child would have commenced school in this State)
• Plan an Education Program (more information on how to do this is below or we can do this for you - Join Now to purchase yours) 
• Demonstrate your child’s progress 

Where to Start 

1. Contact your local Education Regional Office via phone and request a Home Education Form. You can find your local office here: www.education.wa.edu.au/contact
2. Complete the form they provide and send it back. This form asks for basic details. You do not need an Education Program at this point
3. You will receive a Certificate of Home Education within 8 weeks. This certificate doesn’t expire
4. You will be appointed a moderator and they will arrange a meeting within your first 3 months of homeschool. You will have another visit each year thereafter in which you are registered

Your Moderator Visit 

The home education moderator will make an appointment to visit you - usually within three weeks but always before three months of registration approval. Their job is to:  

• View and assess your homeschool Education Plan (more information on how to create this is below or we can do it for you - Join Now to purchase yours)
• Ensure you are complying with the WA curriculum 
• Make sure that your child is progressing 
• Offer support or suggestions and answer any questions 

They will prepare a report on your child’s progress based on your records and their assessment. You will be provided with a copy of this report.  

Your moderator meeting can be quite simple, but it helps if you are well prepared. Most moderators are lovely and supportive. Unfortunately, there can be a lack of consistency between moderators, and some require more information than others. Preparation will help you feel more confident. 

During the visit the moderator will wish to: 

• Meet your child/ren (note - although moderators might want to meet the child and see where they work, legislation does not require this. Parents can choose to meet a moderator away from the home and do not have to have their children present) 
• See where your child/ren will do most of their lessons 
• See your Education Plan (more on this below) 

You can also show them: 

• Resources you have sourced 
• Samples of work and how you document work (if you have some)

Creating an Education Program 

Your Education Program is the set of learning activities you choose to support your child to develop knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes relevant to their needs. Learning activities include: 

• Everyday life – e.g. read, cook, ride bikes, grow a garden, watch documentaries, etc 
• Formal learning – Simply Homeschool lessons, a maths workbook, group classes, etc 

Create your Educational Plan the easy way: 

Too hard? That's okay - Simply Homeschool offers a registration service and this provides you with an individualised Education Plan for your child. Join Now to purchase yours.

1. Add Core Programs to your Simply Homeschool Family Learning Plan. If you need assistance with this watch our Navigating Simply Homeschool Videos Part 1 and Part 2 or contact us and we can help you to set this up
2. Create a document with 7 headings. These heading will then be populated with activities. Note that some Learning Areas become optional in high school.   
   • English – reading, writing, viewing (e.g. documentaries), speaking and listening (e.g. audiobooks) 
   • Mathematics – numbers, algebra, measurement, geometry, statistics, probability 
   • Science and Technology – biology (e.g. gardening and pet care), chemistry (e.g. making slime), earth, space, physics 
   • Humanities and Social Science - history, geography, civics, business and politics 
   • Arts- visual arts, dance, drama and music 
   • Health and Physical Education 
   • Languages  - learning a language is not compulsory for all year levels. Ask your moderator what they expect. Auslan (signing for the deaf) is considered an acceptable language to learn
   • Technologies – breed chooks, equine studies, food technology, sewing, motor mechanics
   • Real Life – this is important and fun, remember to leave time for this
3. Make a note (a sentence to a paragraph) of any special needs your child has. This could include the last school report showing lower than expected levels, medical considerations or your child’s learning style
4. Add each Simply Homeschool Core Program you have chosen to any relevant subjects. Most Simply Homeschool Core Programs will be under multiple subject headings.  
5. Add any other resources you will use e.g. Maths Online, into the relevant subject areas 
6. List Daily Life Activities and link them back to the curriculum. The trick is to add these things where they belong on your educational program:  
   • Cooking dinner = health and technology 
   • Keep the bedroom tidy = health (self-management skills)  
   • Walk the dog = daily fitness 
   • Music enjoyed on the radio = music appreciation  
   • Watch a movie = English (discussion of visual media); technology (looking for movie making techniques)  
   • Add sports to Health and Physical Education. Hiking = P.E and Science (nature trails) etc. 
   • Nature walks are Science and Technology (as you are learning about animals and living things),  Humanities and Social Sciences (as you are learning about Geography), as well as Health and Physical Education (as you are walking). 
   • Add art/music/dance & drama lessons into Arts 
   • List excursions. Plan where you will be going on holidays plus any museums or outings you will be doing. Include libraries, the swimming pool, parks, cultural events etc. Add these in under any relevant subjects.
   • Add in all of the books you will read. You can add Just Good Books to your Simply Homeschool Family Learning Plan and we give you the subjects they cover. Look at your bookshelf and add in any that you would like to read in the next 12 months. Don’t forget to add in any audiobooks or ebooks. Include books, websites, computer use, food shopping (economics and food technology) 
7. Add in all “Future Building” activities. These are more relevant for high school and include things like learning to drive, a first aid course etc. 

A few other notes: 

• Although your plan outlines what you intend to cover, you don’t have to follow it exactly. You can modify and change your plans at any time. 
• Not all moderators require you to link your program to the WA Curriculum however, some do. It is helpful to be familiar with what is mentioned at your child’s level.  This doesn’t mean you have to exactly match the grade level as your child may be behind or at a higher level, but you may need to explain why your child is at a different level. It could be that you plan to cover the concept later e.g. Maths-U-See covers topics at different year levels, or it could be that your child needs extra help e.g. dyslexia. Don’t let this overwhelm you though. Just get a general idea of what is in the 8 learning areas and what is included for your child’s year level. 
• It can be helpful to download the scope and sequence (from the WA Curriculum) for each of the learning areas at your child’s level. It provides a summary of what is covered in that learning area and is much easier to read than the curriculum outcomes. Most moderators accept this for your planning and reporting. Some moderators will actually give you a scope and sequence while others do not even require any linking to the curriculum. Your child does not have to complete every outcome in a year and you can show that you are planning to cover a concept at a later date.  
• We've listed details of the curriculum covered by a Simply Homeschool Core Program in your membership. This can be accessed from the syllabus link in your Family Learning Plan (three horizontal lines to the right of the Core Program Title - paid member access only). You can tick these off on a Scope and Sequence, but this is not necessary. 
• The Education Policy is helpful for ways to show your child’s progress. Showing progress is required yearly and not at your very first moderator meeting. 

 Record keeping and how to show progress 

• Within Simply Homeschool, we suggest you use your Lapbook and dated pages to show progress.

 The Department of Education includes the following list of how to demonstrate progress that you can use to supplement your lapbook: 

• Child’s worksheets used to plan a project or to identify the areas to be researched for a particular topic 
• Evidence of progress in an online learning program e.g. copy of progress results 
• Certificates of participation and achievement in courses showing some first draft notes on a report, story, letter or other project 
• Dated writing samples which show progress over time 
• Records of research projects: planning, note-taking, draft writing, editing and final presentation 
• Completed projects to demonstrate learning achievements 
• Diary or other records of the activities where learning achievements have occurred including PowerPoint presentations, photography, internet searches 
• Reflective journal where the child records what they learned about a topic or experience or describes a concept 
• Describe or permit the student to describe some home education experiences and achievements 
• Describe an experience that has not necessarily any tangible evidence but was an occasion for a child’s personal achievement or discovery 
• Photographs to support engagement in natural learning activities supported with a description of the activity and a comment about what was learned 
• Art portfolio 
• Short video clips (or photographs) of drama performances, recitals, participation in concerts 

I still need help!

Don't worry if you still need help. Homeschool registration and planning an Education Program can be time-consuming and stressful - especially the first time you do it!

Simply Homeschool offers a registration service and this provides you with an individualised Education Plan for your child.

If you are already a member, you can purchase this in "Registration" on the member's menu. If not, join now to start your free trial.