What each state and territory asks
This is a summary of the authorities' own pages, read on 7 October 2026. It is a starting point, not legal advice, and the authorities change their wording and processes. Always confirm on the official page before you register.
- NSW
- Authority
- NSW Department of Education
- Registration
- Required. A child can be registered if they turn 5 on or before 31 July.
- Curriculum
- Program based on NESA syllabuses
- VIC
- Authority
- Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority
- Registration
- Required, with a learning plan
- Curriculum
- Must address the eight learning areas; the Australian Curriculum is not required
- QLD
- Authority
- Queensland Home Education unit
- Registration
- Required, ages 5 and a half to 18
- Curriculum
- Australian Curriculum is an optional template
- WA
- Authority
- Department of Education WA
- Registration
- Required, with a home education moderator
- Curriculum
- WA Curriculum is optional
- SA
- Authority
- Department for Education, Home Education unit
- Registration
- Required, as an exemption from school attendance
- Curriculum
- Program must cover the eight Australian Curriculum learning areas
- TAS
- Authority
- Office of the Education Registrar
- Registration
- Required, with a home education program
- Curriculum
- Check the Registrar for current requirements
- ACT
- Authority
- ACT Education Directorate
- Registration
- Required by law, ages 6 to 17
- Curriculum
- Not mandatory; awareness of the Australian Curriculum is encouraged
- NT
- Authority
- NT Department of Education and Training
- Registration
- Approval required each year
- Curriculum
- Programs are expected to meet Australian Curriculum requirements
| State | Authority | Registration | Curriculum |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | NSW Department of Education | Required. A child can be registered if they turn 5 on or before 31 July. | Program based on NESA syllabuses |
| VIC | Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority | Required, with a learning plan | Must address the eight learning areas; the Australian Curriculum is not required |
| QLD | Queensland Home Education unit | Required, ages 5 and a half to 18 | Australian Curriculum is an optional template |
| WA | Department of Education WA | Required, with a home education moderator | WA Curriculum is optional |
| SA | Department for Education, Home Education unit | Required, as an exemption from school attendance | Program must cover the eight Australian Curriculum learning areas |
| TAS | Office of the Education Registrar | Required, with a home education program | Check the Registrar for current requirements |
| ACT | ACT Education Directorate | Required by law, ages 6 to 17 | Not mandatory; awareness of the Australian Curriculum is encouraged |
| NT | NT Department of Education and Training | Approval required each year | Programs are expected to meet Australian Curriculum requirements |
What a learning app can and cannot do
What an app can support
- Regular practice in maths and English between larger projects.
- A record of what a child has done, to include in a portfolio.
- Content tagged to curriculum outcomes, which helps if your authority asks you to address them.
- A routine for a child who works well with short sessions.
What it cannot do
- It is not a full curriculum. It will not cover every learning area.
- It does not replace your program, plan or reporting to the authority.
- It does not provide teaching. Someone still has to explain new ideas.
- It cannot satisfy a registration requirement on its own.
Programs home educators use
- Studyladder
- Covers
- Maths, English and Science, Foundation to Year 6, tagged to ACARA outcomes
- Price
- A$129 a year for one student; family from A$189 for up to four
- IXL
- Covers
- Maths, English and Science, Preschool to Year 12. IXL describes its family memberships as perfect for home education.
- Price
- From A$129 a year for one subject
- Mathletics
- Covers
- Maths, ages 5 to 16, with weekly reports
- Price
- A$99 a year per child
- ABC Reading Eggs
- Covers
- Reading from age 2 to 13, and Mathseeds for ages 3 to 9
- Price
- A$149.99 a year for up to four children
| Program | Covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Studyladder | Maths, English and Science, Foundation to Year 6, tagged to ACARA outcomes | A$129 a year for one student; family from A$189 for up to four |
| IXL | Maths, English and Science, Preschool to Year 12. IXL describes its family memberships as perfect for home education. | From A$129 a year for one subject |
| Mathletics | Maths, ages 5 to 16, with weekly reports | A$99 a year per child |
| ABC Reading Eggs | Reading from age 2 to 13, and Mathseeds for ages 3 to 9 | A$149.99 a year for up to four children |
Prices are the vendors' own published figures, checked on the dates in the sources below. See the cost guides for each program for what is and is not included.
Where PebbleYard fits
PebbleYard is a set of short practice topics for children aged 5 to 11, sequenced to the Australian Curriculum v9.0 with an ACARA reference on every topic. A parent chooses what their child works on and in what order, can write their own topics, and sees results that are graded on our servers and kept as a record. The Family plan covers up to three child profiles and two parent logins for one price.
PebbleYard prices today
- Solo$12 a month, or $89 a year
- Family$19 a month, or $149 a year
Read live from our pricing page. See what each plan includes.
For a home educator, the useful parts are the parent-set order, the topics you can write yourself, and a permanent record: every attempt is graded on our servers and saved, and a saved result cannot be edited afterwards.
Who should choose which
These are different kinds of help. Here is how to tell which one fits your family.
Choose a broader program if
- You want Science and other areas in the same subscription: Studyladder or IXL.
- You have a child learning to read and want a dedicated phonics program: ABC Reading Eggs.
- You need content beyond Year 6 or ages above 11: IXL runs to Year 12.
Choose PebbleYard if
- You want short practice that follows your own plan, in an order you set.
- You want to write topics yourself, for projects or interests.
- You want a record you can show, and one family price for up to three children.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Studyladder: parent pricing, checked 07/Oct/2026
- Studyladder Australia, checked 07/Oct/2026
- IXL Australia: family membership pricing, checked 05/Oct/2026
- IXL Australia, checked 05/Oct/2026
- Mathletics: home subscription pricing, checked 05/Oct/2026
- Mathletics Australia, checked 05/Oct/2026
- ABC Reading Eggs: home subscription pricing, checked 07/Oct/2026
- ABC Reading Eggs: free trial page, checked 07/Oct/2026
- NSW Government: registration at a glance, checked 07/Oct/2026
- VRQA: home education, checked 07/Oct/2026
- Queensland Department of Education: home education, checked 07/Oct/2026
- WA Department of Education: home schooling, checked 07/Oct/2026
- SA Department for Education: guide to home education, checked 07/Oct/2026
- ACT Government: home education, checked 07/Oct/2026
- NT Government: home education, checked 07/Oct/2026
Prices and features change, so check the vendor's own page before you buy. Product and company names are used to identify them and belong to their owners. PebbleYard is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any company named on this page.
Related reading
Written by the PebbleYard team
We build the app and use it on our own kids.
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