Disability Inclusion
by Mr Michael Oaten, Assistant Principal
Disability Inclusion is part of the Government’s approach to inclusive education. It provides extra support for students with disability in Victorian Government schools.
Disability Inclusion has been rolled out to Victorian government schools since 2021, and our Inner East Region is the final regional implementation across the 5-year cycle. The new Disability Inclusion Reform replaces the old ‘Program for Students with Disabilities’ and It involves:
a tiered funding model.
a new Disability Inclusion Profile to determine student needs, and
initiatives to help build knowledge and skills in inclusive education in schools.
At Box Hill High School, we have continued to educate our staff and apply effective resourcing to ensure we are going above and beyond in instilling inclusive practices in our teaching and learning programs (e.g. Individual Education Plans, Student Support Group Meetings, teacher professional learning, quality differentiated teaching practices, parent/carer engagement).
We focus on strengths-based approaches and effective whole-school planning when catering for students with additional needs. To further ensure that BHHS is welcoming and inclusive for all students, we have engaged with the regional ‘Inclusion Outreach Coaching’ team. Inclusion Outreach Coaches (IOCs) will work with our school across Terms 3 and 4 to further build our capability in inclusion to support students’ learning and wellbeing. IOCs support school leaders, teachers, education support staff and other staff with a focus on providing guidance and expertise around implementing, embedding and monitoring high quality inclusive practices.
If you are a parent/carer of a child with a disability, and wish to raise a concern, please contact the school. The below resource provides further information which supports parents and caregivers of students with disability to raise, escalate and resolve concerns with their school.