When I first applied for homeschooling in NSW, I thought it would be a quick process. Fill a form, wait a couple of weeks, and done.
But the truth is, registration takes time, patience and a little bit of emotional preparation.

If you’re about to start, I want to share exactly what happened in my journey so you can feel more confident than I did.

This is the guide I wish someone gave me.

 

Step 1: Submit Your Application to Home Education NSW

This is where it all begins.
You’ll find the official link here:
https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling

 

You will need to submit:

• Your details
• Your child’s details
• Your intended start date

It sounds formal, but you don’t need perfection.
Just a clear idea of what your homeschool will look like.

 

Step 2: The Waiting Begins (This Took Me 12 Weeks)

Most parents hear “up to 12 weeks,” but I didn’t think it would actually take that long.
It did.
I waited full 11 weeks before I heard anything.

At week 11, I finally received an email from my appointed Authorised Person (AP). It was a simple message asking to schedule a home visit, and honestly, I felt instant relief seeing that email.

 

Step 3: Preparing for the AP Visit

Your AP will usually email you a list of what they want to see. It sounds formal, but it’s really just checking that you’ve thought through how learning will happen at home. Here’s what mine asked for and the exact resources I brought with me.

A learning plan for each child
This is just a document showing what you plan to teach in each subject. You can base it on the NSW syllabus here:
https://curriculum.nsw.edu.au/
I kept mine simple, one page per child.

A sample weekly plan
This gives the AP an idea of your routine. It doesn’t need to be hour-by-hour. A simple layout like:
Maths in the morning, reading after lunch, weekly nature walk.
Free planners you can use:
https://www.twinkl.com.au/resources/timetable-and-routines

A list of resources
These are the books, websites or apps you’ll use. You don’t need a full curriculum. My list included:
Khan Academy → https://www.khanacademy.org/
Maths Online → https://www.mathsonline.com.au/
Teach Starter free printables → https://www.teachstarter.com/au/free/
BorrowBox for reading → https://www.borrowbox.com/

Where learning will take place
The AP just wants to see a safe, organised space. It can be:
the dining table
a desk in the corner
an outdoor table
a reading nook

They do not expect a Pinterest classroom.

How I plan to document progress
This is important. I explained that I would log:
photos
samples of work
reading lists
notes on improvement

You can use anything, but I now use BeyondWalls because it keeps everything in one place:
https://www.beyondwalls.app/

Examples of activities or books we’ll use
I brought a few things to show variety:
maths books from Big W
a science kit
library readers
a nature journal
printables from Teach Starter
a booklist from Ambleside Online → https://www.amblesideonline.org/

This was enough to show I had a plan.

I didn’t need a perfect classroom setup. I just made sure the dining table was clear, our books were easy to reach and my laptop was open with our digital resources. The AP mainly wants to see that your child will be supported, not that your house looks like a school.

 

Step 4: What To Expect During the Visit

The visit was far more relaxed than I expected.
My AP was friendly and reassuring.

Here’s what happened:

 

• • They asked me about each child.
  • They wanted to know their strengths, challenges and learning style.
  • They checked my plan to see if it covered the syllabus requirements.
  • They looked at my environment (just a quick visual check).
  • They asked how I would measure progress.
  • They checked if I understood the NESA outcomes.
  • They asked about social opportunities and community engagement.
  • They asked how I planned to manage multiple ages.

They did NOT judge my house, my children or my parenting.

They mainly wanted to see:

 

Is this child going to learn?
Is this parent able to provide a safe, structured environment?

That’s really it.

 

My Biggest Mistake (Learn From This One)

My kids were enrolled in private school, and I didn’t realise the term notice requirement was strict.
I thought I could pull them out as soon as my registration was approved.
I was wrong.

We needed to give a full term notice, so even after my approval, I ended up wasting three months of my registration because I couldn’t start homeschooling legally until the school notice period ended.

Please check your school’s withdrawal policy.
Private schools are strict and will charge a full term’s fees if you don’t follow it.

 

Step 5: Approval Email and What Happens Next

After the AP visit, I received my approval email shortly after. (I think it took 3 days)

It included:

 

• • Length of registration
  • Conditions
  • Review date
  • Your responsibilities

Once you receive approval, you can officially start home educating.

What’s next after approval:

Begin your homeschooling program
Start logging learning (daily or weekly)
Follow your learning plan
Keep evidence (photos, workbook pages, reading logs)
Be ready for renewal next year

Most of the stress disappears once that approval email lands in your inbox.

 

My Honest Experience

It took 12 weeks overall.
The AP visit was calmer than I expected.
The wait was the hardest part.

The paperwork felt heavy at first but manageable once broken down. The biggest pain point was dealing with the private school notice period. And once we started homeschooling… everything fell into place.

 

 

How BeyondWalls Helped Me Organise Everything

I wish I had BeyondWalls before my registration because it would’ve made the planning much easier.

Now I use it daily to:

 

• • Log activities with a quick photo
  • Let Auto-Tag match outcomes
  • Store reading logs
  • Track learning across all subjects
  • Generate a clean PDF report for renewal

It removes the pressure of remembering everything or proving learning later. Everything is stored automatically.

If you’re about to start homeschooling in NSW, this app honestly saves you hours every week.

Try BeyondWalls free for 14 days
https://www.beyondwalls.app/

 

NSW homeschool registration looks overwhelming on paper, but once you take it step by step, it becomes manageable.

Your AP is not there to intimidate you.
You do not need a perfect homeschool room.
You don’t need to teach like a school.
You just need to show a thoughtful plan and a safe space for learning.

If I could do it with zero experience, cold coffee and mild panic, you can too.