Inclusive Education

Inclusive education ensures that schools are supportive and engaging places for all students, teachers and caregivers. It is about building communities that value, celebrate and respond to diversity. It is underpinned by respectful relationships between learners, teachers and caregivers. It is supported by collaborative relationships with communities and governments. It is about shaping the society in which we live and the type of society to which we aspire. (Slee, R. 2005)

An inclusive practice is the provision of educational opportunities that may require reasonable adjustment but does not impose an unjustifiable hardship on the school, for students with a wide range of abilities, backgrounds and aspirations in school settings (van Kraayenoord, Elkins, Palmer & Richards, 2000, p.9).

Catholic schools cater for students who have a diverse range of personal characteristics and experiences. These characteristics and experiences may be attributable to physical, religious, cultural, personal health or wellbeing, intellectual, psychological, socio-economic or life experiences. This diverse range of personal characteristics and experiences enriches the communal life of schools.

Governing Documents:

• Disability Discrimination Act  (DDA) 1992
• Disability Standards for Education (2005)
• Queensland Catholic Education Commission  (QCEC)  Inclusive practices in Catholic schools in Queensland
• Brisbane Catholic Education Students with Disabilities Policy
• Department of Education and Training (DET) Deed of Amendment  (2008-2011)

Supporting Document:

• Supporting Children with a Disability at School – A Guide for Parents

Enrolment Support and Transitions

Enrolment Application and Support Procedure (EASP)

This process seeks to reveal and clarify the needs of the student and to identify the educational adjustments required for accessing the learning program for the student. Adjustments are made for students with a disability to enable them to access the curriculum, achieve curriculum outcomes and participate in school life. An adjustment is any change made to help a student participate at school, learn, and be comfortable and safe.

More information is available in the Supporting Children with a Disability at School – A Guide for Parents.

Transitions occur when a student has to move from or into a new educational setting. Transitions may occur when students are moving:

• Into prep
• From one year level to another
• From one phase of learning to another
• From primary to secondary school, or
• To prepare for the most appropriate career pathway throughout life.

Before a transition process commences, parents, with support, are encouraged to take time to visit all possible educational settings when considering a placement for a student with a disability. The Enrolment Application and Support Procedure (EASP) is one way of identifying the support and personnel required to make the transitioning as smooth as possible. The purpose of a transition meeting is to discuss and plan, collaboratively, a suitable course of action to assist the move as effortlessly as possible.

Dual Enrolment

A dual enrolment occurs when a parent requests enrolment in a Brisbane Catholic Education school and concurrently in another setting. This usually occurs when the child:

• attends early intervention settings and it is intended they will progress to a full time enrolment into a primary school; or
• is on a pathway to a full time primary or secondary school enrolment, but currently requires significant support with learning from a specialist education setting; or
• requires intensive daily support with learning which cannot be provided in a primary or secondary school and parents are seeking a Catholic education and/or social opportunities.

Deed of Amendment  has been made between the QLD Department of Education and Training; the Queensland Catholic Education Commission and the Association of Independent Schools of QLD to represent the shared understanding in relation to dual enrolment and special education services.

Education Adjustment Program

The Education Adjustment Program (EAP) is the system for identifying the educational adjustments that are provided by a school to meet the learning and teaching needs of students with disabilities.  The EAP has two distinctive features, EAP verification and EAP Profile.  This process is supported by various support personnel, depending on category of disability.

Hearing Impairment Information

• Cochlear Implant Policy Statement
• Guide for Deaf Parents Requiring Interpreter Services

Individual Education Planning

Within the context of class planning, individual education planning is a decision making process that relies on a range of evidence about the learner and ongoing partnerships with parents and other professionals. Decisions about the knowledge, skills and understandings that form the student’s experiences at school are planned for, evaluated, assessed and reported.
Individual Education Plans focus on:

• Teacher planning to enable the student to authentically engage with the Australian Curriculum
• Partnerships between parent/carer and school personnel to facilitate the student's access to and   participation in the Australian Curriculum
• Specific planning to meet needs that enables the student to access Australian Curriculum content
• Partnerships that enables students to access learning. These partnerships include appropriate interactions between the class teacher and specialist support, students and parents.

Therefore the IEP is no longer mandatory as schools have a variety of ways to document their planning for individual students or groups of students. Schools meet their requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1992 legislation in a variety of ways to document their planning for individual students or groups of students. If the student is enrolled in more than one education facility, it is important that the planning is aligned.

Specialist Personnel:

The Support Teacher - Inclusive Education works in collaborative partnership with school/college leadership, teachers, parents, consultants and other professionals, in fostering a school/college culture that enhances the educational outcomes for all students.

The Guidance Counsellor has a focus on fostering the development and mental health of all students, including those considered at-risk and those with special needs. This focus is achieved by applying guidance and counselling skills through direct and indirect processes and through systemic and individual interventions - thus contributing to equitable educational access, participation, and outcomes for all students.

The School Pastoral Worker is committed to a ministry which values the dignity and potential of individuals within the school community. School Pastoral Workers walk with students, particularly the marginalised and disadvantaged, through the course of their lives at school, as well as being supportive of parents and staff.

The Consultant - Inclusive Education has key partnership responsibilities with the school/college leadership, teachers, parents, and other professionals, in fostering a culture that enhances the education outcomes for all students in the area of inclusive education. Inclusive Education Brochure.

The Speech Pathologist has key partnership responsibilities with the school/college leadership, teachers and other professionals to enhance spoken and written language skills of students. The Speech Pathologist supports school communities to identify students with significant educational needs arising from Speech Language Impairment and/or significant communication disorders. Speech Pathology Services Brochure.

The Visiting Teacher - Hearing Impairment has key partnership responsibilities with school/college leadership, teachers, and other professionals to maximise access for students with a hearing impairment in the development of listening, language and social competencies. Hearing Impairment Services Brochure.

Contact Details: