LEARNING DIVERSITY

PROGRAM SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS (PSGs)

Meeting invitations for program support group meetings between parents, students, and the learning diversity team will be sent shortly via PAM. You should be able to see the date and time in the PAM calendar once the activity is accepted. This is an opportunity to review personal learning plans, discuss Semester 1 progress, and look forward to future goals.

NATIONAL CONSISTENT COLLECTION OF DATA FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (NCCD)

The NCCD census occurs in August, as mentioned in previous newsletters. This has been completed for 2024. This important survey provides additional funding to the college to support our students through a variety of programs and in the classroom. You can get more information about the NCCD by clicking on the link below.

DIAGNOSING STUDENTS

There has been recent discussion in the media about teachers diagnosing students just for the purposes of obtaining more funding for the school. It is a curious debate, as teachers are not qualified to give a diagnosis. However, when seeking funding, the school can decide to list students without a diagnosis in the NCCD census. The criteria for listing a student without a diagnosis is: 

• evidence of a suspected disability – such as data showing the student is well below the expected skill level 
• adjustments, support, or intervention has been provided to the student 
• consultation with the student and/or parents has occurred and the programs and interventions provided have been evaluated. 

We usually seek professional advice in collaboration with parents and students when students have a significant gap in their ability to learn, demonstrate difficulty in giving focus and attention, and exhibit certain behavioural issues. Although we do ‘input’ a disability, we do progress these observations through to the appropriate professional team for formal consideration of the student’s difficulties and the provision of recommendations. Building a learning profile through the range of assessments we are qualified to complete brings some clarity to the direction of the referral of services. 

The application of funding occurs with retrospective evidence. Therefore we need to have provided the assistance and intervention in a school setting before applying for funding. There are opinions both for and against diagnosis, so each family and individual must consider for themselves why a diagnosis may or may not be important for them. The purpose of allowing a school to input a disability on the NCCD census means that the school can still provide children with support and intervention to progress their learning and seek funding to help do this even if a family has decided not to pursue a diagnosis.

I think this is a great balance between enabling choice for families and ensuring students obtain access to the support they may need in classrooms. 

STAFFING NEWS

In Term 2 we said goodbye to Emily Carfora, who has pursued a different career. We now welcome Harry Midgely to the team. Harry is studying teaching, and since he is a former student, he has seamlessly integrated into the college environment. Harry will be working in classrooms with a range of students. We are very pleased that Harry has been able to join our Learning Diversity Team and wish Emily all the best in her new direction.

YEAR 9 FLOURISH

Although in Semester 1 we were withdrawing students from a class once a week to provide tutoring, we have found that we can give just as much support by having our Learning Support Officers in Year 9 classes and withdrawing students on an as-needs basis. 

Our Learning Diversity Team provides tutoring in the library after school. Tutoring can be arranged through me, or students can just turn up and ask for help. I would encourage students in Years 9–12 to make use of this service. Learning Support Officers are available in the library after school on Mondays to Thursdays from 3:30–4:30pm. This is in addition to our regular tutoring program and can be a more personable or intensive option. 

Ms Melanie Saleta

Head of Learning Diversity