Simply Homeschool

Simply Homeschool is an Australian homeschool curriculum sold as a membership. Families get a library of Core Programs and learning pathways, planning tools to build a Family Learning Plan, and help with state homeschool registration, then teach at home at their own pace. The homepage describes it as "flexible homeschool curriculum and support - structured enough to guide you, flexible enough to fit your child," and the program is built around the line "Great Books. Big Ideas. Real Life." The business is Simply Homeschool Pty Ltd, with a Kincumber, NSW address on its site.

According to the About page, founder and CEO Karen Willson homeschooled her own children for 26 years and is "the imagination behind most of our core programs." Most of the staff listed there, from customer service to curriculum writers, homeschool or have homeschooled their own children.

How the program works

The homepage sets out four steps: choose a membership, map out a Family Learning Plan, get your books ready, and start learning. The second step can go two ways:

• Get Set Plans are the quick and easy route, which the site recommends for new homeschoolers, busy parents and families who want less planning. The FAQ calls them "a more ready-to-go path with less day-to-day planning."
• Your choice of Cores is the flexible route for interest-led learners, experienced homeschoolers and families who want to build their own plan from the Core Programs.

The site also points to unit studies, parent workshops, a shop, and sections on special needs, travel and university.

Simply Homeschool is self-paced. Asked whether families must follow a fixed daily timetable, the FAQ answers no: "Some providers run set class times and daily deadlines, like a school day at home. Simply Homeschool is self-paced - you decide when and how your week runs, and can adjust as life happens." It is not tied to one philosophy either. The FAQ says it "isn't tied to a single philosophy," naming Charlotte Mason and classical as examples, and offers "a flexible, family-centred framework" instead.

The parent stays involved. "Most Core Programs are designed to be completed with parent support rather than as fully independent work," the homepage notes, and the FAQ adds "you're guiding, not just supervising." The level of support depends on a child's age, confidence and learning needs.

The structure is built for several children at once. The FAQ says it handles "multiple children, different year levels, and different paces, without needing separate systems for each." The homepage names the learners it aims to serve: reluctant learners, highly independent children, creative and hands-on kids, academically focused students, neurodivergent children, children learning at a different pace from their age peers, and those with strong interests and passions.

Memberships and pricing

The pricing page lists four memberships, with "no lock-in contracts" and the option to upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time from account settings:

• Mini Membership: $0. It includes the Welcome & Seasons Core Programs plus sample lessons. The sign-up page says members can view and complete two lessons in four different Core Programs, get full access to the Seasons Core Programs as each is released at the start of its season, track progress, join the Facebook Community Group, browse tutorials and talk to staff about a Family Learning Plan, with "No expiry."
• Standard: $45.95 a month or $419.95 a year. The pricing page calls it the choice of most families and says it includes "full access to Core Programs, planning tools, customer support and our parent community."
• Premium Single: $71.95 a month or $719.95 a year, with one Student Profile and login.
• Premium Family: $99.95 a month or $944.95 a year per family, with multiple Student Profiles.

All memberships can be used for multiple children, and families can use the Family Learning Plan with several children whatever the tier. The comparison table lists features across the plans including customer service support, the Facebook Community Group, paid registration help, access to Britannica School, a scheduling calendar, individual student profiles and logins, uploading comments and photos, student reports by core program and student progress tracking.

The pricing page sets this against a "boxed" curriculum with a single upfront cost: a membership gives ongoing access to an expanding library of Core Programs plus planning tools and support.

Registration support

Registering to homeschool is free in every Australian state and territory, the pricing page says, and it summarizes this for NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory. Simply Homeschool cannot register a family itself; that is done with each state or territory's homeschool office. Every membership includes free registration guidance for every state, "including NSW, QLD, VIC, WA and SA," and families who want personal help can buy a bespoke registration document as an optional extra. Two staff members on the About page help members register and report.

Self-paced art classes

Alongside the Core Programs, the site sells pre-recorded art classes with environmental artist Kim Michelle Toft: Coral Reef, Open Ocean, Polar Places, Rainforest Retreat and Tropical Oasis. Each self-paced class has 4 lessons of 45 minutes, is added to the Family Learning Plan, and stays available for 4 months from purchase. Classes cost $60.00 for members and $72.00 for non-members, need acrylic art supplies, and "can be used by the whole family." Resource packs are sold in the Resource Shop.

Support and content

Customer service staff answer calls, emails and texts, and the site lists a phone number and an email address. The footer is open about tools: "some of the content provided (e.g. word lists, images, etc.) may have been initially generated with the assistance of AI," and the company says all content is "created, researched, fact-checked, and edited by experienced homeschoolers."

Parents quoted on the homepage include Jo ("High-quality content... We can tailor it to our child and go at their own pace. We love it!!!"), Warwick and Sandy, who writes, "We are into our 4th year."

Who it suits

Simply Homeschool suits Australian families who want a structured starting point without a fixed school-at-home timetable, and especially households teaching several children at different levels. New homeschoolers can lean on the Get Set Plans and the registration guidance; experienced families can pick their own Cores. The free Mini Membership lets a family try real lessons before paying.

It suits fewer families who want a child to work entirely alone, since most Core Programs expect a parent alongside, or who want live classes, since the classes on offer are pre-recorded. The registration help and the pricing guide are written for Australian states and territories.