"Our focus is tailoring education so each child can make progress and reach their potential."
- Jeff Bull, Deputy Principal, Special and Inclusive Education
Our Special and Inclusive Education Faculty caters for students with moderate to high learning and support needs.
Each of our Special Education classes has a dedicated teacher, as well as learning support staff. It is a highly supportive learning environment.
Each of our 8 classroom's include flexible seating and sensory/calm spaces, supporting students to engage in learning and other school experiences in a comfortable and safe space. All our classrooms are also fitted with assistive technologies.
Our teaching and learning programs cover an adjusted curriculum to meet the specific needs, goals and abilities of each of our students. Integrated Units and interest based activities are used to promote student engagement and support learning adjustments so that all students can participate and experience success.
All our students are welcome to participate in our school’s extra-curricular activities.
We expect our students to adhere to the ethos of the school and become safe, respectful learners who achieve to the best of their ability.
Beyond daily classroom experience
In addition to our focus on academic outcomes, we place a big emphasis on developing students’ social skills, work readiness skills and other important life skills.
We offer:
- fortnightly community access programs where students are supported to engage in external programs and/or excursions to build social skills, travel skills, and/or community participation
- integration and inclusion in mainstream classes, for students with specific learning interests or strengths
- work experience programs and workplace training opportunities for senior students
- supported engagement into a variety of TAFE short courses for senior students
- our students participate in a different sport each term as part of our weekly sport program; and students are invited to select a special interest elective subject each year from Year 8 as part of our school’s EXCEL elective program.
- workplace experience as part of our Special Education Faculty Café, Café Obsidian; which runs weekly, catering for staff lunches. This experience promotes teamwork, food technology and hygiene practices, work experiences, mathematical skills (time, measurement, and finances), and builds student confidenceWe teach student meditation and mindfulness to assist with emotional regulation.
- We integrate team work challenges into daily classroom activities to assist in building important skills in collaboration, communication and problem solving.
- We go on regular excursions and community access activities where students learn about trip planning, money management, as well as practice their social skills.
- We assist our senior students develop work readiness skills through work experience, Obsidian Café and gardening programs
- We offer our students the opportunity to participate in Future Choices Expos so they can meet professionals from different fields and gather information to help them make informed decisions about their future pathways.
Communication with families
We know that strong partnerships with families ensure the best results for our students so collaboration and communication are prioritised as part of our support for students.
We are in daily communication with our students' families. We share student’s classwork via the Seesaw App and we regularly phone families to discuss their child’s progress and wellbeing.
We invite families to participate in planning and reviewing their child's Individual Education Plans.
Individual Education Plan meetings are conducted each year and provide an opportunity for students, parents, teachers and support service professionals to discuss educational programs and wider support needs.
Callaghan Tutorial Centre
Callaghan Tutorial Centre is an intensive educational support program for secondary school students with behaviour barriers to learning. Our focus is supporting students to re-engage with their education through differentiated learning.
Find out more about the Centre.