Tusla R1 Form Help Guide: How to Fill It In Correctly

The R1 form is the registration application you submit to Tusla AEARS when you are registering your child for home education under Section 14 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000. It is the first document Tusla sees — before any phone call, before any visit, before any assessment. What you write on it shapes the assessor's initial impression and, in some cases, determines whether your preliminary assessment goes smoothly or generates questions that could have been avoided.

Most families download the R1 from the Tusla AEARS website, look at it for ten minutes, and then either fill it in too briefly (leaving gaps the assessor has to follow up on) or overthink it and write something that sounds more formal than it needs to be. This guide walks through the form section by section with practical notes on what each field is asking for and the most common errors.

Where to Find the Current R1 Form

The official R1 form is available from the Tusla AEARS section of the Tusla website (tusla.ie). The form has been updated over the years — do not use a version printed or shared by another family unless you can confirm it is the current version. Given the regulatory changes introduced by S.I. No. 758/2024, any R1 form or guidance shared before late 2024 may not reflect current requirements.

Tusla also publishes the Home Education Guidelines PDF on the AEARS section of its website. This is worth reading before you complete the R1, particularly the sections on what "a certain minimum education" means in practice and how the assessment process works.

Child and Family Information Sections

The opening sections of the R1 form collect basic details:

• Child's name, date of birth, PPSN. Standard identifying information. The PPSN is required — if you do not have it to hand, locate it before starting the form.
• Parent/guardian names and contact details. Use the contact details you want Tusla to use for correspondence and appointment scheduling.
• Current address. This matters because Tusla AEARS has regional coverage and your address determines which office handles your registration.
• School previously attended (if applicable). Include the school name and ROLL number if known. If your child has never attended school, mark this clearly.
• Date withdrawn from school / date home education commenced. If you have already withdrawn your child, use the actual date. If you are submitting the R1 before formally withdrawing, note the anticipated start date.

One common error here: families who are still in the process of withdrawing sometimes leave the withdrawal date blank or put a vague entry. Tusla needs a clear date to calculate when the Section 14 registration obligation kicks in.

Educational Approach

This is the section that carries the most weight at assessment stage, and it is where the most variation — and the most errors — occur.

You are being asked to describe how you intend to educate your child. There is no prescribed format or required approach. You are not being asked to choose from a list of approved methods. You are being asked to explain, in plain terms, what your home education will look like.

What a good response includes:

• The general approach or philosophy (structured curriculum, child-led learning, eclectic, unschooling, Montessori-inspired, etc.)
• The main subject areas or domains you will cover — not a full curriculum map, but a clear indication that language, mathematics, and age-appropriate subjects are being addressed
• Any specific curriculum resources or programmes you are using
• How you will assess or track your child's progress (this does not need to involve formal tests — portfolios, work samples, and parental observation all qualify)

What a weak response looks like:

• "We will follow the Irish national curriculum" — vague and tells the assessor nothing about how you'll actually implement this
• "We will focus on our child's interests and learn through play" — adequate for a very young child, needs more detail for school-age children
• A single sentence with no indication of subject coverage or assessment approach

Irish language: The R1 form will typically ask about provision for Gaeilge. This is one of the sections many English-speaking families struggle with. You do not need to deliver the same standard of Irish language teaching as a school. However, you should have a position. Options include: using a structured Irish language resource (Rosetta Stone, Clár, Irish language apps), participating in Irish language community activities (Gaeltacht camps, Comhaltas), informal maintenance of conversational Irish, or a clear explanation of why Irish language provision looks different in your child's situation. Leaving this blank or writing "not applicable" without explanation will generate a follow-up question.

Special Educational Needs

If your child has any diagnosed or suspected special educational needs — dyslexia, ADHD, autism, sensory processing differences, speech and language delays, or anything else — this section should address them.

You are not required to have a formal diagnosis to note relevant learning differences. What the assessor is looking for is evidence that your educational approach accounts for your child's needs. If your child has an IEP from school, attach it or refer to it. If you are withdrawing partly because the school was not meeting your child's needs, say so clearly — it provides useful context.

Leaving this section blank when a child clearly has significant learning differences will often result in the assessor raising it during the preliminary assessment interview, and it is better to address it proactively in writing.

Previous Education History

For children withdrawing from primary or secondary school: include the name of the school, the year/class they were in, and the date of withdrawal. If your child has attended multiple schools, include the most recent.

For children who have never attended school (elective home educators from birth): state this clearly. The R1 process is the same, but the assessor's questions will be different — there is no school experience to refer back to.

If your child was previously enrolled in a distance learning programme, an AIM-supported programme, or any other formal provision outside of mainstream school, note this and provide brief details.

Completing the Declaration Section

The declaration at the end of the R1 confirms that the information provided is accurate and that you understand your obligations under Section 14 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000. Read it before signing — it is brief but confirms that you accept responsibility for providing a certain minimum education.

Both parents or guardians who hold parental responsibility should sign where required. If there is a custody arrangement that affects who can consent to home education, this is worth noting separately in your covering correspondence to Tusla (see below).

Submitting the R1: What to Include

Submit the completed R1 form with the following:

• A brief covering letter confirming you are applying for registration under Section 14, noting the date your child was (or will be) withdrawn from school, and stating that you are available for a preliminary assessment at Tusla's convenience
• Any supporting documentation referenced in the form (IEP, assessment reports, previous educational records if relevant)
• Contact details and preferred contact method

Do not attach a full curriculum plan or a lengthy educational philosophy statement at R1 stage unless specifically requested. A clear, complete R1 form with a short covering letter is the appropriate submission. If the assessor wants more detail, they will ask for it at the preliminary assessment stage.

After Submission

Tusla will acknowledge receipt of your R1. The timeline for scheduling a preliminary assessment varies by region and caseload — in some areas this happens within weeks, in others it can take several months. If you have not heard anything after six to eight weeks, a brief follow-up email is appropriate.

The period between R1 submission and preliminary assessment is the time to develop your educational plan, gather your resources, and prepare the documentation you'll bring to the assessment interview.

The Ireland Legal Withdrawal Blueprint includes a completed R1 example alongside the school withdrawal letter template and the full assessment preparation sequence, covering everything from the initial school notification through to Section 14 registration.

The R1 form is not complicated, but getting it right at submission reduces friction at every subsequent stage. A complete, clear R1 that addresses the educational approach, any special needs, and the Gaeilge question is the single best thing you can do to set up a smooth preliminary assessment.

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