Step 3: Prepare a learning plan

What's a learning plan?

A learning plan is a document you use to explain how you'll address the learning areas within the home learning environment. The learning areas are:

English
mathematics
sciences (including physics, chemistry and biology)
humanities and social sciences (including history, geography, economics, business, civics and citizenship)
the arts
languages
health and physical education
information and communication technology, and design and technology.

You must submit a learning plan with your application for registration.

Your learning plan specifies :

when and where instruction will take place
the subject matter you'll cover for each learning area
the educational materials and resources you'll use
how you'll record your child's learning outcomes

It should cover the initial period of registration.

Learning plan templates

You can use one of our templates to prepare your learning plan or you can develop your own.

Subject-based learning plan

This template helps those intending to follow a curriculum or structured learning approach. It divides your intended program across the learning areas.

For a copy of the template, see:

Template: subject-based learning plan (docx - 74.32kb)

Activity-based learning plan

This template helps those intending to unschool or follow a natural learning approach. It addresses the learning areas through educational activities.

For a copy of the template, see:

Template: activity-based learning plan (docx - 69.65kb)

Completing the template

The following information helps you work your way through our templates. It's also a good point of reference for those designing their own.

It'll help you submit a complete and correct application the first time so you can get going with your child's educational program.

Section 1 – Child details

Add your child's full legal name, as it appears on their birth certificate
Add your child's full date of birth

Section 2 – Overview

Describe where the education will take place. This is typically a list that includes the primary location and places you'll visit regularly.
Example: learning will occur at home, museums, swimming pools, weekly home education groups, and at the offices of my child's tutor.
Describe when the education will take place. This is typically a brief sentence highlighting the general schedule of learning.
Example: learning will occur Monday to Friday, with some activities on weekends as required. Tuition and sport classes occur once a week.
Describe how you intend to record your child's learning outcomes. This is typically a list of the main methods used.
Example: outcomes will be recorded through a diary, portfolio of completed activities and general observations, along with tutor assessments as appropriate.
Identify if you are seeking an exemption.
Remember: don't include any content in these learning areas.
Advise if your child will hold a partial enrolment and identify the relevant learning areas. Remember: you will need to include content for these learning areas.

Section 3 – Considering your child's needs

This section is optional.
Here you can give context to your learning plan by summarising your child's needs. This may include a summary of your child's strengths, areas of interest, or the areas in which they may require some additional support.
Do not include specific medical information. If you wish to reference specific needs, a general comment explaining the impact on the learning plan is fine.
Example: my child has individual needs that impact his reading. We will need to revise previous learning and revisit text, sometimes more than once, so that he builds a strong foundation. I bought ability-appropriate resources and we have weekly sessions with a speech therapist.

Section 4 – Learning activities plan

This section differs depending on which template you're using. Read the example on the template. It provides the appropriate level of detail needed.

Subject-based template (structured or curriculum-based learning)

For each learning area (English, languages and so on) give specific details of how the learning area will be substantially addressed.
Example: Languages:
Spanish – we will explore Spanish. We'll start by introducing basic words and greetings using an app that we access about twice a week. We'll also learn a bit about Spanish culture (humanities) by researching Spanish traditions online and making some Spanish food. We will also make greeting cards in Spanish for family occasions (the Arts).
It's not enough to generalise into 'learn Spanish' or 'learning about Spain'.
If you're using a textbook, you can give details from the table of contents for each relevant learning area.
If you've purchased a curriculum, summarise the subject matter in each learning area or submit the details issued by the provider. Make sure the purchased curriculum addresses each learning area, unless you've applied for exemption. Make sure you still fill out Sections 1–2 of the template. Section 3 is optional.
In Resources and educational materials, give specific details such as full book names, URLs, computer programs and apps, or specialist services such as private tutor, music lessons, sports teams and so on. It is not enough to list resources as 'books' or 'the internet'.

Activity-based template (unschooling or natural learning)

In the Activities column, list the general activity your child will complete. This could typically be one word:

cooking, gardening, experiments

Or it could be a short sentence:

helping with the renovations of our home, improving reading ability

In the Details column, list the activity's specific elements. This needs to be detailed and you may need several bullet points.
Example: a gardening activity:

read the nutritional labels on different foods and discuss nutrition and the importance of healthy eating
visit family friends who run a free-range chicken farm – talk about ethical practices, animal care, and how the eggs end up in our breakfast
make and maintain a vegie patch – choose plants, design layout, monitor growth, harvest and eat!
record growth of vegies – measure weekly and create table of growth in Excel – discuss what we can do to support growth

Under Resources and educational materials give specific details such as full book names, URLs, computer programs and apps, or specialist services such as private tutor, music lessons, sports teams and so on. It is not enough to list resources as 'books' or 'the internet'.
Example: a gardening activity:

food packaging
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation website
(www.csiro.au)
Victorian Healthy Eating Enterprise
construction equipment
garden tools

In the final column Learning areas, list the learning areas relevant to the activity. Align each area to the descriptions in the Details column.
Example: a gardening activity

English
HPE
HSS
ICTDT
Mathematics
Sciences

We don't set the number of activities you need to include. It's up to you to make sure that the information you provide clearly shows that all learning areas, except exemptions, will be substantially addressed.

Sample learning plans

We have some sample learning plans to give you an idea of the level of detail you should include in your plan.

For more information, see:

Sample learning plans

Helpful hints

Whether you're using one of our templates or designing your own, keep in mind:

we can only assess your application on the detail you provide, so include as much relevant information as possible in your learning plan.
make it clear if you're applying for a learning area exemption. If you are, don't explain that learning area in your learning plan.
If you intend for your child to go to school for one or more learning areas under a partial enrolment, you will need to explain how that learning area will be addressed in your learning plan.