Homeschool record keeping around the world: what different countries expect

Home education law varies enormously between countries, and between states or provinces within them. Advice written for one jurisdiction is regularly applied to another where it is simply wrong.

The two broad models

Most jurisdictions fall into one of two camps, and knowing which you are in tells you most of what you need.

• Low regulation: home education is a parental right, with little or no reporting unless a concern arises. England, much of Canada, several US states and New Zealand’s exemption system sit broadly here.
• Notification and reporting: you register or apply, then submit plans or reports on a schedule. Australia, some US states, Ireland’s assessment system and many European countries work this way.

A rough guide by country

• England: no registration duty historically, no required curriculum, no required records. Registers have been legislated for, so check the current position. Evidence matters if the authority makes enquiries.
• Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland: each differs from England. Scotland requires consent to withdraw from a school roll. Do not assume England’s position applies.
• United States: entirely state by state. Some states require nothing beyond a notice of intent, others require standardised testing, portfolio review by a certified evaluator, attendance days and subject lists. Check your state specifically.
• Australia: registration with the state or territory authority is generally required, usually with a learning plan and periodic reporting. Requirements differ between states.
• Canada: provincial. Some provinces are light touch, others require enrolment with a supervising board and regular reporting.
• New Zealand: an exemption must be applied for and granted before you begin, with a description of how you will teach 'as regularly and as well as' a school.
• Ireland: education outside school is constitutionally protected, with an assessment process through the relevant state body.
• Expat and travelling families: your obligations usually follow your residence, and sometimes your citizenship. If you move often, keeping a consistent record matters more, not less, because you may have to satisfy a new authority at short notice.

What to keep regardless of where you live

The specifics vary, the useful core does not. Almost every reporting system asks a version of the same questions: what did you cover, how do you know they progressed, and what comes next.

1. A dated log of activity, by subject area. A line a day is enough.
2. Samples of work across the year showing progression, not everything.
3. Attendance or days of instruction, if your jurisdiction counts them. Some do, most do not.
4. External evidence where it exists: tests, tutors, classes, qualifications, group activities.
5. A short summary each term or reporting period, written while you remember it.

Keeping that core means that whatever a specific authority asks for, you are assembling rather than reconstructing.

How Different Drums helps here

The app is used by families in many countries and does not assume a single jurisdiction. The learning log records by subject and date, and reports can be generated for any period you choose, which maps onto most reporting systems.

Pricing is available in GBP, USD, EUR, AUD and CAD, and the content is not tied to one national curriculum, which matters if you are following a different system or none at all.