Home Education in Victoria (2026): VRQA Registration, the Learning Plan & Records Made Simple

Victoria sits in the moderate middle of Australia's home education spectrum: real registration, no home visits, and, unusually, a Learning Plan you typically only ever write once. Here's exactly how it works, under the Education and Training Reform Act.

Registering: one plan, submitted once

Children aged 6 to 17 not attending school must be registered for home education with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority. To register, complete the registration application form for each child, and submit a Learning Plan describing how you'll address the eight key learning areas: English, mathematics, science, humanities, health and PE, the arts, languages, and technology. Learning plans do not need to be school-like, don't have to follow a set curriculum, and don't need to be lengthy, and the authority publishes sample plans covering a range of ages and approaches. Keep your child enrolled at school until approval arrives, typically within 28 days.

The detail that surprises new Victorian home educators is that you generally only submit a Learning Plan once. Each subsequent year, the authority simply emails asking whether you want to continue, a yes or no response, with no fresh plan required unless your circumstances change substantially.

The 10% review

Each year, up to 10% of registered families are randomly selected for a review, checking that regular and efficient instruction has genuinely been provided across the eight learning areas. If you have multiple children, only one is selected, not the whole family. Reviews can be electronic, phone-based, or face-to-face, and home visits are not compulsory. You're notified early in the year, around February to March, with the approximate review timing, giving time to prepare. Once reviewed, most families are exempt from another review for two years.

NAPLAN, Australia's national literacy and numeracy test, is not compulsory for home-educated children, though home educators can arrange for their child to sit it via a registered school if they choose.

The honest note on what "once ever" doesn't mean

Submitting the plan once describes the paperwork, not the standard. The underlying legal requirement, substantially addressing the eight learning areas, all year, every year, never goes away. Only the annual re-filing does. Families who read "once ever" as "never think about it again" are the ones who struggle if their year is selected for review and they have nothing current to show.

Making the records painless

Since 90% of families in any given year are not reviewed, and the plan itself is filed once, Victoria makes it easy to under-document.

• Log real learning moments in seconds, tagged to one of the eight learning areas, the ongoing evidence that your original Learning Plan is actually being lived, whether or not this is your review year.
• Keep a light [portfolio](/blog/unbundled-learning-k8-record) across the eight areas, exactly the kind of recorded samples reviewed families are asked to submit.
• A yearly written summary per area. If your family is ever in the 10%, this is the difference between a comfortable conversation and a scramble in March.

Where a records tool fits

Ivy Waters International is a Texas-based private school with a records platform, built for families who want the Victorian promise of regular, efficient instruction across real learning areas to be visibly, continuously true, whether or not this year lands in the review lottery. Capture a moment in about ten seconds, tagged by subject, and the evidence accumulates on its own. Enrollment is planned at USD 279 per student per year, so check current exchange rates for the AUD equivalent when budgeting.

Open the Free Welcome Library today, or explore what annual Enrollment includes.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to submit a new Learning Plan every year in Victoria?

Generally no. You submit the Learning Plan once at registration, and in subsequent years the authority simply asks whether you want to continue, unless your circumstances change substantially.

What happens if my family is selected for Victoria's annual review?

The review checks that regular and efficient instruction has been provided across the eight learning areas, and can be done electronically, by phone, or face-to-face. Only one child per family is selected, and home visits are not compulsory.

Is NAPLAN testing required for home-educated children in Victoria?

No. NAPLAN is not compulsory for home-educated children, though families can arrange for their child to sit it through a registered school if they wish.

How often could my family be selected for a review in Victoria?

Up to 10% of registered families are randomly selected each year, and once reviewed, most families are exempt from another review for two years.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Requirements are stated per the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) and VRQA guidance as checked July 2026. Verify current details with the VRQA.