Senior School Handbook

Special Provision 

Eligibility & Process for Special Provision 

As soon as a teacher is made aware of a situation that a student may require special provision they are to detail this in an email to the Senior School Coordinator. The coordinator will then take this to the VCE Panel. The Lakes South Morang College VCE Panel is responsible for making the initial recommendation (which is then passed on to the Principal who has the sole determination, in consultation with the VCAA, on if the recommendation is accepted by the school or not) on if a student meets the criteria of the VCAA for Special Provision. 

The timeline for any decisions should be as follows:

  1. 2 school days from receipt of email to go to VCE Panel
  2. 2 school days for VCE Panel to take to Principal
  3. 5 school days for Principal to make final recommendation (and gain recommendation from VCAA Special Provision team as required)

Ideally any form of special provision arrangement will be sought prior to the student undertaking any VCE subjects (whilst the student is in either Year 9 or Year 10). Students should be identified by the school from prior knowledge before the end of the academic year, immediately when a student may have acquired an issue that requires special provision or during the enrolment process if a student is new to the school. The process for application for special provision if the student has already commenced VCE/ VCAL/ VET should be conducted immediately as it becomes apparent that a student may be eligible. Students may be eligible for Special Provision if, at any time, they are adversely affected in a significant way by:

• an acute or chronic illness (physical or psychological) 

• factors relating to personal circumstance (severe hardship)

• an impairment or disability, including a learning disorder. 

 

These circumstances do not include matters or situations of the student’s choosing, such as involvement in social or sporting activities or school events. Prolonged absence from school or study is not grounds for Special Provision. Students granted Special Provision must still complete all school work related to satisfactory completion of the outcomes of a VCE or VCAL unit. Students absent from school for prolonged periods must still comply with the school’s authentication procedures to demonstrate that they have completed the work and that the work is their own. 

Students who are eligible for integration funding may not necessarily meet the eligibility criteria for Special Provision in the VCE or VCAL. English as an Additional Language Students who have been granted English as an Additional Language (EAL) status on the basis of unfamiliarity with the English language are not eligible for Special Provision on this basis alone, unless they qualify for EAL status because of a hearing impairment. 

The VCAA requires that The Lakes South Morang College maintains records of decisions. The school will be required to take into account professional testing and reports, educational assessments and teacher observations before any decision is made.

 

Intellectual disability 

The principal has the discretion to approve the enrolment of students with an intellectual disability in the VCE and VCAL. The VCAA does not place restrictions on this discretion. The principal is responsible for advising students of the likelihood of successfully achieving the published unit outcomes and for deciding appropriate arrangements at the school level. If a student will be unable to succeed within the specified framework of the VCE or VCAL, it may be more appropriate for the student to undertake a parallel, individualised teaching and learning program rather than enrol in VCE or VCAL studies. This strategy allows the student to participate in class with their peers and continue social engagement, and is more likely to eventuate in a positive outcome. In this case, the school would issue its own report on the student’s individual achievement. An integration support group within the school may advise the principal that formal enrolment in either a full or restricted VCE or VCAL program is the most appropriate action. In either case, the school decides the most appropriate program for the student. The VCAA does not approve Special Examination Arrangements solely on the grounds of an intellectual disability. 

 

Types of Special Provision

Special Provision is available to students completing the VCE or VCAL for the following:

  • classroom learning and School based assessments (at discretion of the principal in consultation with the VCAA) which include: rest breaks, extra learning time, separate rooms, use of computers and/or assistive technology, group computer rooms, readers, electronic readers, scribes, electronic scribes, clarifiers, alternative format examination papers and venues
  • VCE external assessments (VCAA have sole discretion on this) which include: all VCE examinations, the Extended Investigation Critical Thinking Test and oral presentation and the General Achievement Test (GAT), the VCAA is responsible for determining eligibility and for granting approval in the form of Special Examination Arrangements and the Derived Examination Score (DES). 

Management of students requiring Special Provision 

If a student requires Special Provision but is still deemed to be at risk of not being able to meet either the unit outcomes or satisfactory completion of the VCE or VCAL, the school will develop a management plan. One of the first steps in developing a management plan will be the continuation of the support group that the student will have had at the College or the creation of a support group. The support group will manage the students program of study (including the types and amount of subjects a student will undertake), additional resources the student may need, make decisions through a formal process and be a conduit between the family and school. The use of new and emerging technologies should first be discussed with the VCAA, to avoid using technology that is not appropriate or suitable for use in a VCE external assessment as part of Special Examination Arrangements

 

Assistance from aides 

Students may require assistance from an aide in order to effectively engage in the process of learning. If this is required, other assessment provisions, such as additional time to complete tasks, may be required. Assistance from aides may take the form of, for example, a reader, clarifier or scribe, depending on the nature of the student’s circumstance. Generally, this provision is for students with long-term disabilities. A student’s current aide is not eligible to be appointed as a reader, clarifier, scribe or supervisor in a VCE external assessment, unless in exceptional circumstances. 

 

Withdrawal from Units

Any deferral of VCE studies Students completing a VCE study at Unit 3 and 4 level may be eligible for Compassionate Late Withdrawal if they are suffering major adverse circumstances and are unable to complete Unit 3. Students who are unable to complete Unit 4 because of adverse circumstances should consider an application for Interrupted Studies. 

 

Classroom learning and School-based Assessment 

Schools may approve special provisions and arrangements for both classroom learning and School-based Assessments. The VCAA recommends that schools approve arrangements for classroom learning and School-based Assessments that are consistent with the Special Examination Arrangements likely to be approved by the VCAA. Students who are suffering long-term conditions and have not been granted arrangements by the school for classroom learning and School-based Assessments may not be eligible for similar Special Examination Arrangements for these long-term conditions. 

 

Strategies for Course completion 

There are a number of ways in which schools can make alternative arrangements to assist students with their learning and enable them to be assessed against the unit outcomes, including: 

• rescheduling classroom activities and/or an assessment task 

• allowing the student extra time to complete work or an assessment task 

• setting a substitute task of the same type 

• replacing a task with a different type (but must be comparable in expectation)

• using a planned task to assess more outcomes, or aspects of outcomes, than originally intended 

• using technology, aides or other special arrangements to complete classroom learning and/or undertake assessment tasks 

• deriving satisfactory completion of outcomes or a score from other assessments or work completed by the student (if the provisions already mentioned are not feasible or reasonable). 

 

The decision made by the school needs to reflect the best interests of the student and should be based on the available medical or other professional advice. Students who are granted an extension of time are required to complete the work and undertake the task in the same way as other students. Semester 1 to Semester 2, but not into the next academic year. Flexibility exists within the VCAL for students who require more time to complete the work. Extensions of time must not exceed the deadlines for the reporting of results to the VCAA. 

 

Administering approved Special Examination Arrangements 

Schools must ensure a copy of any approved Special Examination Arrangements are distributed to the student, relevant school personnel (i.e., VCE Coordinator) and the examination chief supervisor. School personnel must ensure there is a common understanding between the school, student and supervisor as to precisely what any approved Special Examination Arrangements entail. 

 

Emergency Special Examination Arrangements 

Schools may submit an emergency application if a student experiences a sudden illness, accident or personal trauma immediately before or during the assessment period. Medical evidence for emergency applications must contain: 

• a diagnosis 

• the date of diagnosis 

• the date of onset 

• an outline of symptoms and treatment 

• comments on the likely effect of the illness or condition on the student’s capacity to complete VCE external assessments 

• any medical recommendations for particular Special Examination Arrangements 

 

As it does with all its Special Examination Arrangements decisions, the VCAA will apply consistent criteria when assessing emergency applications. For situations that arise just before an assessment period, schools should use the Emergency Special Examination Arrangements application form. This application will be available two weeks prior to the commencement of each period for VCE external assessments. If a student is ill on the day of, or during, an external assessment, the school should contact VCAA Special Provision to request and seek approval for immediate Emergency Special Examination Arrangements. Follow-up medical documentation must still be provided. Any attempt by a student to falsely claim to an examination supervisor to have Special Examination Arrangements when these have not been approved by the VCAA may constitute a breach of examination rules and must be reported to the VCAA.

NB. In the above case the Senior School Coordinator and School Principal will be responsible for the decision to apply for this application.

 

Confidentiality

All protocols in relation to the Special Provision process are to be kept confidential and all discussions and meetings involving any student or discussion about any condition are to be kept under the strictest confidentiality. Only staff that need to be made aware of arrangements are to be involved in any discussions about any said special provision being granted to a student. No discussions will be entered into with other staff or students about any arrangements that are made under this provision and the students rights must be adhered to at all times.

 

VCAA Consultation

If the school is unsure how to proceed, consultation with the VCAA Special Provision team will be sought before a decision is made.