Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn
Catholic Education Office

ENROLLING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

SCHEDULE A

1. When responding to and processing enrolment applications from students with disabilities who seek to be included into regular classes within the school, Principals must refer to:

1.1 CEO Policy and Procedures dealing with aspects of the Disability Discrimination Act (1992) and related Education Standards.

1.2 Relevant sections of the Archdiocesan Special Learning Support Handbook (June 2004).

1.3 The Learning Support Contact Officer for advice.

2. A member of the Learning Support Team must be involved in the processing of enrolment applications via an enrolment process for students with special needs in the following instances:

2.1 Where a student would obviously be eligible for support through the Commonwealth Special Education Program because of an established disability (see pp 23-24 and pp 75-79, Special Needs Learning Support Handbook).

2.2 Where a Principal has been informed of a student's disability such as ongoing medical and/or behavioural condition (eg ADHD) and whilst not eligible for Special Education funding, such a student would require particular considerations for successful inclusion (see p25) Special Needs Learning Support Handbook).

2.3 Where a student with special needs is transferring from another Archdiocesan school.

3. People involved in the enrolment process should include:

3.1 The School Principal

3.2 The School Learning Support Teacher

3.3 The student's parents/guardians.

3.4 An Education Officer from the CEO Learning Support Team.

3.5 Assistant Manager, CEO Planning and Facilities, as appropriate.

  4. The Parish Priest/Chaplain should be informed of the enrolment application and may wish to be involved in the process.

5. People involved in the enrolment process may also include:

5.1 The relevant classroom teacher(s).

5.2 The student.

5.3 Other person(s) deemed appropriate.

6. All those involved in the enrolment process will need to discuss the following matters:

6.1 The student's individual needs.

6.2 The existing school resources, including facilities and DDA requirement as appropriate.

6.3 The expectations of the parents/guardians.

6.4 The types of funding and resources that may be available.

7.0 To ensure effective transition planning (for students with disabilities preparing for a transition between a system primary school to a system secondary college ) the following procedures will occur during Term 1 each year:

7.1 The Catholic Education Office (through Special Needs Education Services) will forward a list of all eligible students with disabilities enrolled currently in years 5 and 6 in system primary schools to relevant secondary college Principals.

7.2 This confidential list will include details of the students' disabilities and, where appropriate, an indication of students with disabilities with high support needs. Students with high support needs are those with a disability relating to one or more of the following:

72.1 a severe to profound intellectual disability.

7.2.2  a significant physical disability or medical condition which seriously affects mobility and/or toileting and self-care (often indicative of the need for major access considerations within the school setting).

7.2.3  a severe to profound permanent vision and/or hearing impairment.

7.2.4  a student with a severe social and/or emotional disorder as related to a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or a mental health diagnosis.

7.3 Parents/guardians will be informed by the primary school Principal that relevant secondary colleges have been notified of the possibility of enrolment enquiries in respect of their child. The Principal in cooperation with the Learning Support Teacher (feeder primary school) will encourage the parents/guardians to make early contact with the relevant secondary college(s).

7.4 Parents'/guardians' enquiries (and lodging of an enrolment application) may be made prior to the secondary college's official enrolment period. Such forward planning on behalf of students with disabilities assists in the preparation and discernment of the needs of the student, their family and the secondary college.

7.5 In certain instances, e.g. where major access issues need consideration/guardians, parents will be encouraged to make contact with the proposed secondary colleges(s) during their child's year 5 year.

7.6 Once the parents/guardians of the student with disabilities have made contact with the college and proceeded with an official enrolment application, the secondary college Principal will inform the CEO Contact Officer from Learning Support to further the enrolment process as per established procedures.

8.0 The following enrolment procedures relate to the additional steps required for the enrolment of students with high support needs ( as defined in 7.2 above). The steps (additional to the procedures described in pp 75-79 of the Archdiocesan Special Needs Learning Support Handbook are:

8.1  During the enrolment panel process the Education Officer (Learning Support) will compile the report of the meeting on behalf of the participants, in addition to providing relevant information and support for the Principal who will chair the meeting. The report will contain the major points of discussion and agreed understandings of the meeting. This summary will be corroborated verbally by the meeting participants, in a general sense, at the end of the meeting.

8.2 The Education Officer will then draft the written report of the meeting in consultation with the Coordinator (Learning Support) and the Principal.

8.3 The Principal will forward a copy to the parents/guardians for comments. An agreed final report will then be prepared and distributed to meeting participants.

8.4 The Education Officer, in collaboration with the Coordinator (Learning Support), will provide a summary report of the proposed model of support for the student's enrolment including:

8.4.1 personnel support (e.g. Learning Support Assistant need).

8.4.2 school and curriculum access needs (e.g. need for building modification, use of Braille).

8.4.3 issues requiring further assessment (e.g. Occupational Therapy report to establish disability access compliance).

8.4.4 cost estimates for the total enrolment period.

8.5 This summary report will be discussed directly with the Principal and then forwarded to the Director and Heads of Divisions of the Catholic Education Office.

8.6 The Director and relevant Heads of Divisions will consider all the details of the enrolment. The decision to enrol and the details of the model of support will be made by the Director based on recommendations through the Heads of Division.

8.7 Based on the outcomes in 8.6 (above) the Principal will draft a response to the parents/guardians e.g. an offer of enrolment detailing the proposed model of support. The Director will review the proposed correspondence and approve or amend as required prior to despatch to parents.

8.8 The Principal will inform the Education Officer, Learning Support, of the parents'/guardians response to the correspondence in 8.7 (above). Transition planning or other relevant actions will follow.

Last updated on March 11, 2008