MADE FOR FAMILIES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Home education in South Australia, planned for you
Tell Kuraplan your children's ages and what South Australia expects. It writes lessons, worksheets and the records you need, in the language of the Australian Curriculum.
Home education in South Australia: the rules, the registration and a plan that works
South Australia approves home education through the Department for Education's Home Education Unit. The child remains enrolled at a government or non-government school (an 'enrolling school') while being exempt from attendance, and the Department approves the family's learning program for up to twelve months at a time, with a review before renewal. Programs are expected to address the Australian Curriculum learning areas.
The enrolling-school arrangement is unique to SA and confuses newcomers; in practice it mostly means paperwork passes through a school. This guide explains the application, the learning program, the review, and how to renew each year.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Informational, not legal advice. Verify with SA Department for Education: home education before acting.
Step by step
How to start home education in South Australia
- 1
Enrol (or stay enrolled) and apply
Your child must be enrolled at a school, which becomes the enrolling school. Apply to the Home Education Unit for approval to home educate, with a learning program for each child. Approval exempts the child from attendance.
- 2
Write the learning program
Address the Australian Curriculum learning areas with your approach, resources and how you will assess progress. The Department publishes a template.
- 3
The review
A home education officer reviews the program, usually with a home visit or meeting, and recommends approval for up to twelve months.
- 4
Renew annually
Apply to renew before approval expires, with an updated program and evidence of learning. Reviews continue annually.
South Australia requirements at a glance
Legal basis: Education and Children's Services Act 2019 (SA); Home Education Policy and Procedure.
- Approval
- Required from the Department for Education; the child stays enrolled at an enrolling school and is exempt from attendance.
- Curriculum
- Learning program addressing the Australian Curriculum learning areas.
- Hours
- No set hours.
- Assessment
- Annual review by a home education officer; no testing.
- Records
- Required for the review.
Dates to put on your calendar
- Apply before starting; approval periods are up to 12 months.
- Renew before the approval expires.
Curriculum
Australian Curriculum learning areas.
Assessment
Review with a home education officer at approval and annually; no compulsory testing.
Funding
None. Open Access College is the government distance-education alternative.
Plan it with Kuraplan
Turn the rules into a week that works
Kuraplan knows the Australian Curriculum. Tell it your children's ages and it builds lessons, worksheets and the plan or report your SA Department for Education paperwork asks for.
Plans in Australian Curriculum terms
Learning plans, program summaries and progress reports written in the vocabulary your regulator expects, ready to edit and submit.
Lessons for every child at once
One family topic, output at each child's level: a drawing task, a paragraph, an essay. Printables included.
Records without the scramble
Keep completed work together so the annual review, report or portfolio is a summary, not a reconstruction.
One lesson. All your kids.
$49/yr flat, no per-child fees
Write one family lesson, then adjust the reading level, the practice and the response format for each child without rebuilding the day.
South Australia home education FAQ
How does home education approval work in South Australia?
Your child stays enrolled at a school (the enrolling school) and you apply to the Department for Education's Home Education Unit with a learning program. Approval exempts the child from attendance for up to twelve months and is renewed annually after a review.
Why does my child have to stay enrolled at a school in SA?
It is how SA's law is structured: home education is an exemption from attendance rather than a separate registration. The enrolling school has little day-to-day role beyond the paperwork.
Does SA do home visits for home education?
Reviews are usually conducted with a visit or a meeting with a home education officer, at approval and annually.
Do I have to follow the Australian Curriculum in SA?
Your learning program must address its learning areas; how you do so is up to you, and alternative approaches are accepted if coverage and progress are clear.
What is Open Access College?
South Australia's government distance-education school. Enrolling there is an alternative to home education approval.
Informational, not legal advice. Rules and forms change; verify with SA Department for Education: home education before acting. Reviewed 2026-09-07.
Homeschool guides for other countries
Your South Australia home education year, in one place
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