Revised School Registration Manual
In September 2023, NESA published a revised Registration Manual which can be found here on NESA’s section of the NSW Government website.
The revised Registration Manual took effect 1 January 2024.
Its aim is to:
- reduce repetition
- provide clearer descriptions of the requirements and evidence of compliance, and
- reduce unnecessary evidence and administrative burden.
NESA has published a detailed overview of the amendments to the Registration Manual here.
If a school is currently complying with the registration requirements, the school will still be compliant with the revised Registration Manual without changing anything immediately. Schools may need to make minor changes over time. AISNSW will support members through this transition period.
NESA’s regulation of Independent schools
NESA's regulatory program is risk-based. NESA uses two main approaches to regulate schools, including:
- Renewal of registration, which for most schools is every 5 years. It may include an inspection visit.
- Short notice inspection visits by random selection.
Since 2023, NESA has been increasing the number of registration renewals with no inspection visit and this will continue in 2024. At the same time, NESA has expanded and continues to expand the number of schools who receive an inspection visit at short notice by random selection.
NESA also can inspect a school if there is cause. For instance, a with cause inspection may occur if NESA substantiates a complaint, which may mean there is cause for an inspection visit.
Process for renewal of registration in 2024
In 2024 the way a school renews registration will be determined by its context and operations.
NESA considers a range of factors about a school’s context when deciding what the renewal of registration process will be, including:
- optional registration requirements that apply to the school’s operation, such as boarding or distance education
- if NESA is making a recommendation about a school that impacts another government agency, such as for CRICOS, Special Schools and Special Assistance Schools
- if the school is in the first year of operation or is growing, including from primary to secondary or into the HSC
- any indicators that arise from NESA’s risk assessment process.
As each school has its own context, the renewal of registration process will likely be different from one school to the next.
Process
When a school’s registration is due to be renewed, a NESA inspector will contact the principal in Term 4 the year before the renewal process begins.
The NESA inspector will confirm details of the school’s context and explain how the renewal process will work.
Generally, the renewal of registration process will be either:
- Principal certification only (no documentation uploaded in RANGS Online or inspection visit).
For this process there are no documents uploaded in RANGS Online and NESA does not visit the school.
The principal will need to complete a certification and submit the renewal of registration application form in RANGS Online by 31 March.
If a school is renewing registration via this process, the school is still it the pool for a short notice inspection in its renewal year.
OR
- Principal certification and an inspection visit (some documentation uploaded in RANGS Online).
For this process some documents are uploaded in RANGS Online and NESA does visit the school.
The NESA inspector will tell the principal what documents need to be submitted with the renewal of registration application form in Term 4 the year before the renewal process begins.
The principal will need to complete a certification, upload documents and submit the application form in RANGS Online by 31 March.
In the lead up to the inspection visit, the NESA inspector will tell the principal what documents will need to be available when NESA visits the school.
If a school renews registration with this process, NESA will not randomly select the school for a visit at short notice in its final year of registration or the following year (for 2 years).
NESA makes it clear that things can change at any point in the renewal process. Because their process is risk based and responsive, if the school context changes NESA might change its process.
AISNSW has a team of Regulation consultants available to support member schools through this process.
What notice is provided before a short notice inspection visit?
The minimum notice for a short notice inspection visit is 10 calendar days.
What is looked at during a short notice inspection visit?
In Term 4 of each year, NESA publishes the focus areas that may be looked at in the following year’s program for short notice inspections. It is a narrow selection of registration requirements. Current information about short notice inspections is here on the NESA website.
Member schools could review the NESA published focus areas as part of their annual self-assurance processes.
How are schools selected for short notice inspection visits?
Schools from all sectors can be chosen for a short notice inspection.
Any Independent school can be chosen for a short notice inspection, however there is one key exception. Independent schools that renew registration with an inspection visit will be excluded from the short notice inspection pool in the year of renewing registration and the following year (for 2 years).
Independent schools renewing registration via principal certification can be selected for this NESA program in the year they are renewing registration.
AISNSW has a team of Regulation consultants to support member schools if NESA contacts them to say they have been chosen for a visit. Member schools are welcome to call the Regulation Team for support.
