Enrolment Policy

Background

East Gippsland Specialist School is located in Bairnsdale in a purpose-built facility on Calvert Street. The school caters for students aged from 5-18 with mild to profound intellectual disabilities. East Gippsland Specialist School offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to equip students with skills in preparation for life beyond school.

East Gippsland Specialist School provides a comprehensive and innovative curriculum for primary and secondary students with intellectual disabilities. The school recognises that our students require additional resources and individual and innovative support to enable them to succeed.

Specialist schools, including East Gippsland Specialist School have been established to cater for the specific educational needs of students with a disability or with additional needs. Under State and Federal discrimination law, specialist schools are permitted to set specific enrolment criteria and to not enrol students who do not meet these criteria.


Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to specify the enrolment criteria for students seeking enrolment at East Gippsland Specialist School and the evidence required to support applications for enrolment.

It is intended to provide clarity for the local community on the enrolment criteria and ensure a smooth and supported transition for enrolling students.

Scope

Enrolment at East Gippsland Specialist School is based on a student’s disability and associated educational needs. Subject to capacity, student intake may be at any stage of the year, providing the student is of school age and satisfies the eligibility criteria. All applications for enrolment at East Gippsland Specialist School require regional approval.

Enrolment Criteria

The following enrolment criteria have been specified and approved by the Regional Director, South Eastern Victoria Region (as the Minister’s delegate) under section 2.2.16(b) of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic).

The enrolment criteria have been determined based on the identified education needs of students in the community. A student’s enrolment will be reviewed periodically in line with their needs.

Students seeking to enrol must have:

Intellectual Disability

A diagnosis of Intellectual Disability from a registered psychologist evidenced by:

  1. Sub-average general intellectual functioning which is demonstrated by a full-scale score of two standard deviations or more below the mean score on a standardised individual test of general intelligence, (for example a full scale score of 70 or below on one of the recommended standardised individual tests of intelligence);
    and
  2. Significant deficits in adaptive behaviour established by a composite score of two standard deviations or more below the mean on an approved standardised test of adaptive behaviour,(for example a Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales composite score of 70 or below);
    and
  3. A history and evidence of an ongoing problem with an expectation of continuation during the school years.

A child with special or additional needs entering a Department of Education school may be eligible for additional funding to provide additional assistance through the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD). This applies to mainstream schools and special settings.

The application process can be quite lengthy and includes collection of information about the child including assessments and reports addressing the area of need. It is important this this process is started as soon as possible with the school.

Once a child is funded through Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD), the funding will move with them if they transfer to another Department of Education school.

Evidence And Supporting Information Requirements

To support a student’s application for enrolment, the following evidence and supporting information should be provided:

Intellectual Disability

a) A signed psychologist’s report from within the last 24 months reporting the results of an IQ test and assessment of adaptive behaviour.

The Department provides assessment services to support specialist schools in determining whether the student meets their enrolment criteria. Department regional offices also play a role in supporting specialist schools with enrolment processes.

NOTE: Enrolment applications may not be successful if the requested documentation is not provided or invalid.

Appeal Process

Parents/carers can appeal against the decision not to approve an enrolment. This can occur in relation to enrolments at any age level. Parents or carers seeking to appeal a specialist school’s enrolment decision should lodge a written appeal with the school. The Department will contact parents/carers with further information after an appeal is lodged.

Communications

The East Gippsland Specialist School enrolment policy will be made available to the school community on the school’s website.