The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) has released draft updated Guidelines for the Minimum Standards for School Registration. The stated aim is to improve clarity, provide more practical guidance, and ease the overall compliance burden for schools. The focus is on making it easier for schools to understand what is required and how to demonstrate compliance.
Consultation on the draft guidelines is currently open and closes at 5:00 pm on 5 June 2026. The final version is expected be available from Term 3 and to apply from 1 January 2027.
What has changed?
Whilst the underlying standards remain the same, the way they are presented has been significantly improved. The key changes relate to structure, clarity and usability.
A clearer structure
The updated guidelines are now organised into six clearly defined sections, with the first five applying to all schools and covering major areas of school operations such as governance, student attendance and learning, student safety, staff, and infrastructure. The sixth section applies specifically to schools delivering senior or foundation secondary programs. Each requirement within these sections is numbered, making it easier for schools to navigate the document, reference specific requirements, and align their internal documentation.
For school leadership teams, this structure is intended to make it simpler to map policies and procedures to the relevant standards and to organise evidence in a more systematic way.
Clearer explanations of compliance
The draft includes expanded explanatory material that describes what compliance looks like in practice. This goes beyond restating the regulatory requirement and instead provides practical guidance and examples.
This is particularly useful for areas that have historically required interpretation, such as governance oversight, student wellbeing processes and curriculum implementation. The guidance helps schools understand not just what is required, but how that requirement is expected to operate in a real school context.
Areas of expanded information include:
- there must be a majority of independent directors on the governing body,
- governance delegations,
- schools must operate as a not-for-profit including that all money and property received by the school are only applied towards the conduct of the school,
- arrangements with related parties are required to be clearly documented and on at least commercial terms and in the best interest of the school,
- Schools cannot under any circumstances provide loans, guarantees or securities to another entity or person including a related entity or affiliated entity,
- Operating online/hybrid schools,
- Curriculum expectations are more explicit and measurable,
- Highlights that having a policy is insufficient, school must have evidence of implementation of Child Safe Standards.
Clear distinction between new schools and existing schools
The updated guidelines more clearly distinguish between requirements for new school applicants and those for already registered schools. Visual markers and structured sections identify when evidence is required for initial registration compared to ongoing compliance.
In practical terms, this means:
New schools are expected to demonstrate their capacity to comply, including planned policies, procedures and systems.
Existing schools are expected to demonstrate that these systems are in place and operating effectively, supported by current evidence and records.
This distinction should make it easier for independent schools to focus on the evidence that is relevant to their situation.
Consultation: why it matters
VRQA has invited feedback on the draft guidelines, and schools have an opportunity to help shape the final version. Submissions close at 5:00 pm on 20 May 2026.
Providing feedback can be valuable, particularly where:
- The guidance could be clearer in a particular area,
- The examples of evidence do not reflect how schools operate in practice,
- There is still uncertainty about what is sufficient to demonstrate compliance.
Feedback from schools will inform the final guidelines and help ensure they are practical, proportionate and aligned with how schools actually operate.
What these new guidelines mean for independent schools
All levels of your school must understand the VRQA requirements and the expectations in their role. Responsibility for compliance will be shared across the school but ultimately accountability sits with the governance and leadership.
Once the final guidelines are released, schools will need to understand applicability for their schools and any changes they need to make to ensure they are compliant by 1 January 2027.
Final thoughts
The proposed updates represent a refinement rather than a redesign of the regulatory framework.
The key benefit for schools should be greater clarity around expectations and a more straightforward approach to demonstrating compliance.
Our experts work with Education Sector clients to interpret regulatory updates and embed compliant systems that support both operational agility and funding eligibility. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.
