Got a letter from the MoE after submitting? Here's what it means

You submitted your application. A few weeks later a letter arrived from the Ministry of Education. Your heart sank.

Maybe it looked formal. Maybe the wording confused you. Maybe you've been quietly convinced you've failed, that you missed something, that your application wasn't good enough.

Take a breath. In almost every case, a letter from the MoE after you submit is not a rejection. It is a request for more information. These letters are routine. They are sent to roughly one in three applicants. Responding to them typically results in approval. You have not failed. You are still very much in the running.

This post explains what these letters usually say, why the MoE sends them, and exactly what to do next.

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Why the MoE sends follow-up letters

The Ministry assesses every Section 38 exemption application against a single legal test: are they satisfied that your child will be taught "as regularly and well as in a registered school"? That test comes from the Education and Training Act 2020.

When a reviewer reads your application, they are looking for specific things: your teaching approach, your plan for covering different learning areas, how you will track your child's progress, and how your approach suits your particular child. If your application covers most of this but leaves gaps, the reviewer will write to ask about those gaps rather than decline outright.

This is actually a good sign. A flat decline means the reviewer read your application and had serious concerns. A letter asking for more information means they read it, saw genuine intent and substance, and want clarification on specific points before they approve.

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What these letters typically say

MoE follow-up letters are written in formal government language, which can make them sound worse than they are. Common phrases include:

"The application does not provide sufficient detail about..."

"Please provide further information regarding your plans for..."

"To be satisfied under Section 38, we require clarification on..."

The topics they most commonly ask about are:

Learning areas. If your application described your general philosophy well but didn't explain how that philosophy will cover literacy, maths, and other key areas, they will ask about this specifically.

Assessment and progress tracking. How will you know your child is learning? If you didn't address this, or addressed it briefly, they may ask you to elaborate.

Structure and regularity. "As regularly and well as in a registered school" is the legal standard. They may ask how often you will teach, and whether there is some form of structure to your week.

Your child's individual needs. If your child has learning differences, health needs, or specific circumstances that you mentioned in passing but didn't fully connect to your approach, they may ask you to explain that connection.

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What the letter is not

It is not a decline. A decline looks different. It will say something explicit about the application not meeting the requirements and will reference your right to appeal. A request for more information letter does not use that language.

It is not a warning. The Ministry is not building a case against you. They are gathering what they need to make a decision.

It is not a sign that your application was badly written. Even well-prepared applications sometimes receive follow-up letters, often because the reviewer has a different focus than the original writer anticipated.

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What to do when you receive one

Read the letter carefully and identify the specific questions. Ignore the formal tone and focus on what they are actually asking. Usually there are two to four specific points. Write them down.

Answer each point directly. Don't rewrite your whole application. Don't send a general document and hope it covers the gaps. Answer each question clearly and in full. Two or three focused paragraphs per question is usually enough.

Use plain, specific language. Describe what you will actually do. "We will work on reading for around 30 minutes each morning using a mix of phonics-based reading and books of her choosing" is more useful than "we plan to cover literacy through a holistic approach."

Refer back to what you already submitted. If your original application covered something in detail and the letter asks about it, you can reference the relevant section and add any missing detail. You don't need to start from scratch.

Send your response promptly. There is no fixed deadline in most cases, but a quicker response keeps your application moving. Two weeks is a reasonable target unless the letter specifies otherwise.

Keep a copy of everything you send. Email is fine. If you post a response, photograph it first.

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After you respond

Once you send your response, the reviewer will read it alongside your original application and make a decision. If your response addresses the gaps they identified, approval typically follows within a few weeks.

In some cases there may be a second follow-up, though this is less common. If that happens, treat it the same way: read carefully, answer specifically, and stay calm. The Ministry is not trying to find a reason to decline you. They are working through a process.

If the MoE does ultimately decline your application, you have the right to request a review. But that outcome is rare among families who engage with the follow-up process in good faith.

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FAQ

Q: Does receiving a follow-up letter mean my application was rejected? A: No. A follow-up letter is a request for more information, not a decline. The Ministry sends these to around one in three applicants. Responding with the information they have asked for typically leads to approval. A formal decline looks quite different and will reference your rights under the Education and Training Act 2020.

Q: How long do I have to respond to the MoE letter? A: Most letters do not specify a hard deadline, but you should aim to respond within two to four weeks. The sooner you respond, the sooner your application keeps moving. If you need more time because of personal circumstances, it is reasonable to email the reviewer to let them know.

Q: Do I need to rewrite my whole application when I respond? A: No. Respond only to the specific questions in the letter. Keep your answers focused and clear. You can reference sections of your original application where relevant, but a targeted response to each point is more useful than a new document.

Q: Can I call the Ministry to talk through their questions? A: Yes, and in some cases it can help. The contact details for the home education team will usually be on the letter. A brief call can clarify what they are looking for before you write your response, which can save time. Be polite and prepared with specific questions.

Q: What if I don't understand what they are asking? A: Read the letter a few times to identify the specific concern underneath the formal language. If it is still unclear, call or email the home education team and ask them to clarify. It is better to ask than to respond to the wrong thing and cause further delays.

Q: What happens if my response still isn't enough and they decline? A: You have the right to request a review of the decision under the Education and Training Act 2020. Most families who respond thoughtfully to follow-up letters do not reach this stage. If you do, it is worth getting help, either from a parent network or a service like Pulled, to make sure your review response is as strong as possible.

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If you would rather have someone write it for you, that is what Pulled does. Start your application