Students with Special Needs have the options of following the mainstream curriculum, electing to follow a Life Skills Curriculum or choosing to complete a combination of both. Each student's Individual Education or Transition Program will reflect their chosen program of study.
Usually, students in Years 7 & 8 follow a mainstream curriculum and, if all appropriate accommodations and modifications to their learning are not successful , a decision is made as to whether a Life Skills program is more appropriate in Years 9 & 10, 11 & 12.
All Special Needs students receive a School Certificate and a Higher School Certificate. Life Skills subjects are identified on the certificate.
Alternative Placement
If special needs students do not wish to be placed, or are not eligible to be placed in a support class situation they have the option of attending mainstream classes and receiving some support through Integration Funding and / or modification of mainstream class work. Special Education staff are avilable to assist mainstream staff to modify their curriculum for special needs students.
Itinerant Support Staff – Vision and Hearing are available to assist students with vision and hearing impairments to participate effectively in any classroom setting - mainstream or special education classes.
Special Provisions
The STLA and class teachers nominate those students who they feel require support to complete in-class assessment tasks and exams. In Years 10 & 12 application is made to the Board of Studies for students to receive special provisions for their School Certificate and Higher School Certificate exams. In Years 7 – 9 students are provided, as best we can, with special provisions in order to give students the opportunity to get used to using their provisions and to enable them to demonstrate effectively what they have learnt.
Provisions include – coloured paper, readers, writers, extra time, separate room, breaks.
Please Note: Special Provisions for Dyslexia can not be provided unless the school has received official notification from a recognised source (within the last two years) that the student needs these special provisions.