Online School & Homeschool in Australia

Live online Cambridge IGCSE, A-Level, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma, and American AP for diaspora, returning-expat, regional, and Cambridge-pathway families across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and regional Australia. Australian public schools are free and capable and we do not compete with them — Smartious is for families whose academic needs sit alongside or outside that system. Classes run in the Australian afternoon, not late at night, and we are clear about one thing: we are not Australian-registered and do not replace your state homeschool registration.

From USD 423/month (~AUD 643). Small live classes 4-6 students, Cambridge / IB / American AP through to A-Level — against an independent-school tier at roughly AUD 25,000-45,000, with A-Level results converting to ATAR equivalents through your state admissions centre.

Where our Australia families are

Smartious Australia families concentrate across Sydney (Greater Western Sydney's South Asian heartland and the returning-expat corridor, inside NSW's regulated NESA regime), Melbourne (the Wyndham-Tarneit growth corridor and the country's largest African-Australian community, under Victoria's lighter VRQA path), Brisbane and the Gold Coast (Queensland's plan-based HEU regime, the most workable in the country), Perth (mining, FIFO, and the best-aligned Australian time zone), Adelaide (defence, space, and universities), and regional and remote Australia (a century of distance education, and no local Cambridge or IB anywhere). Six markets, eight registration regimes, and one curriculum that travels between all of them.

Homeschool laws and regulation in Australia

Australia is the one country we serve where the most important thing to say is about our own position. Homeschooling is legal everywhere here — but registration is a state matter, the states differ sharply, and no online school can register on your behalf. Here is the whole picture, plainly.

Legal everywhere, legislated separately

Home education is legal in every Australian state and territory, and each writes its own law — which means the requirements a family faces depend entirely on where they live. Queensland is the most workable: plan-based registration with the Home Education Unit, no home visits, and an annual report. Victoria is moderate: registration with the VRQA and a brief education plan, without mandatory home visits or testing. New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory are more regulated: registration with the state authority, formal curriculum alignment, periodic home or moderator visits, and regular renewal. Tasmania and the ACT sit in the moderate band.

No reciprocal recognition between states

This surprises families more than anything else in the Australian system: registration does not travel. A family registered in Queensland who moves to New South Wales registers again from scratch with NESA, on that state's terms. It is worth knowing before a move rather than after — and it is one of the reasons an interstate-portable curriculum matters here: the registration resets, but the child's education does not have to.

What we are, and what we are not

Smartious is an internationally accredited online school based in Nairobi, Kenya. We are not Australian-registered, we are not a registered Australian school, and we cannot and do not substitute for state homeschool registration. We say this on every Australian page because families deserve to know it before enrolling, not after. What we do provide is what a registration application or review actually asks for: a structured international curriculum, live teaching by degree-qualified subject specialists, continuous assessment, and documented progress reports. Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level are widely accepted as equivalents to the Australian Curriculum for registration purposes in most states — but that judgement belongs to your state authority, and we never predict it. We discuss each family's state-specific setup during admissions and point you to your own authority for the rest.

No free window after sixteen — stated plainly

Many countries we serve end compulsory education at fifteen or sixteen, opening a framework-free window for the A-Level years. Australia does not. States require participation in education, training, or employment until about seventeen after Year 10 — the "earn or learn" requirement — so the senior years run inside registration or alongside an enrolment. We will not tell an Australian family they have a window they do not have.

Where the qualifications lead

Cambridge A-Level results convert to ATAR equivalents through the state admissions centres — UAC, VTAC, QTAC, TISC, SATAC and equivalents — with the conversion and programme requirements confirmed with the relevant centre; some universities also award advanced standing credit for matching subjects. Every Australian university recognises Cambridge, Edexcel, and IB qualifications, including the Group of Eight. Internationally the same results are read natively by UCAS, serve the Common Application, and support applications to Indian, South African, Nigerian, and Kenyan universities — which for diaspora families is frequently the entire point: one school record, several continents.

Who this actually suits

We are specific about this because Australia deserves specificity. Smartious is built for South Asian diaspora families wanting Cambridge alignment with home systems; African and Caribbean diaspora families keeping their children academically connected home; Australians returning from postings abroad whose children are mid-IGCSE or mid-IB and would otherwise lose a year to curriculum mismatch; registered homeschooling families — particularly in Queensland and Victoria — wanting a real school's structure behind their registration; regional and remote families with no local Cambridge or IB option; and students who want A-Levels alongside or instead of ATAR for wider university optionality. Families well served by their local public school generally do not need us, and we would rather say so.

Why Australia families choose Smartious

Honest about our position

Not Australian-registered, not a substitute for state registration — stated on every page. What we supply is the curriculum, teaching, assessment, and documentation your registration needs.

Classes in the Australian afternoon

Timetabled so students join during their own afternoon and early evening rather than at midnight, with every session recorded for unlimited rewatch.

Continuity for returning expats

A child mid-IGCSE or mid-IB keeps the same curriculum, teachers, and examination board instead of losing a year to ATAR-curriculum mismatch.

Diaspora ambition, one record

Australian, UK, US, Indian, and African universities from a single Cambridge or IB school record — which is exactly what diaspora families ask us for.

Regional reach without boarding

The same live teaching a Sydney student gets, delivered to a station or a regional town — the alternative to sending a fourteen-year-old away.

A curriculum that survives the move

Interstate or international, registration resets but the education does not: same teachers, same board, no enrolment break.

Fees and admission

From USD 423/month for Primary, payable termly; varies by curriculum and level. One-to-one tuition: USD 15/hour.

Frequently asked questions

Is homeschooling legal in Australia?

Yes — in every state and territory, though each legislates separately. Queensland is the most workable (plan-based HEU registration, no home visits, annual report); Victoria is moderate (VRQA registration with an education plan); NSW, WA, SA and the NT are more regulated (alignment, home visits, renewal); Tasmania and the ACT sit in between.

Can Smartious register my child for homeschooling?

No — and this matters. Smartious is not Australian-registered and does not substitute for state homeschool registration. We provide the structured curriculum, live teaching, assessment, and progress documentation your registration application or review needs; the registration relationship stays between your family and your state authority.

What happens if we move interstate?

There is no reciprocal recognition between states — you register again from scratch with the new authority. The Smartious curriculum, teachers, and examination board continue unchanged, which is what makes the transition manageable.

Will Australian universities accept Cambridge A-Levels?

Yes — every Australian university recognises Cambridge, Edexcel, and IB qualifications, and A-Level results convert to ATAR equivalents through UAC, VTAC, QTAC, TISC, SATAC and the equivalent centres, with conversion and programme requirements confirmed with the relevant centre. Some universities also award advanced standing credit for matching subjects.

We are returning from Singapore or the UAE mid-IGCSE — can our child continue?

Yes, and it is one of our most common Australian scenarios. Most Australian schools follow the state curriculum and ATAR pathway, so a child mid-Cambridge or mid-IB cannot simply continue. Smartious keeps the curriculum, examination board, and teaching intact, with mid-term enrolment year-round.

Is there a free window after Year 10, like other countries?

No. Australian states require participation in education, training, or employment until about seventeen, so the senior years run inside registration or alongside an enrolment. We will not claim a window that does not exist here.

How do the fees compare with Australian private schooling?

Independent and IB schools commonly run AUD 25,000-45,000 in the senior years; Smartious runs USD 5,076 annually. We do not position on price — the value is internationally recognised qualifications, live small-group teaching, and portability.

Where do Australian students sit examinations?

At authorised Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel private-candidate centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra, with IB examinations through authorised IB World Schools. Smartious handles registration and confirms the centre per family per session; regional families plan capital-city travel per series.

How do live classes work given the time difference?

Australia sits 5 to 8 hours ahead of our Nairobi teaching base — Perth closest, the eastern states furthest — so live morning teaching lands in the Australian afternoon and early evening, not late at night. Every session is recorded for unlimited rewatch.

Which parts of Australia does Smartious cover?

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide, and regional and remote Australia have dedicated pages with local market and registration context. Live online delivery works identically anywhere with a stable connection — which in regional Australia is precisely the point.

Guides for families in this country

What parents say

Rated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 130+ reviews. Read our Google reviews

“I'm very much pleased by the teaching methods at Smartious eschool, the tutors are caring, they never fail to reach out to their students in any need. Highly recommend!” — Valentine M., Google review

Start with Smartious