Registration and Accreditation Requirements

Renewing Registration/Accreditation

A school’s registration/accreditation can be approved for a maximum of 5 years (1 year for initial registration).

To renew registration/accreditation, a school needs to apply to NESA in the final year of its current registration period. For example, if a school has registration from 2021-2025 then the renewal application must be submitted by 31 March in 2025.

NESA takes a risk-based approach to assessing applications for renewal of registration.

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 process will work.

Generally, the renewal of registration process will be either:

1. 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
   
   
2. 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).

Because NESA’s regulatory processes are risk based and responsive, if the school context changes NESA might change its renewal of registration process.

AISNSW has a team of Regulation consultants available to support member schools through this process.