ELOUERA ASSOCIATION LTD

Elouera Special School – Enrolment Policy

1. Introduction

Elouera Special School is registered with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) as a Special School, catering to students with moderate to severe or multiple disabilities that significantly impact their educational functioning. Eligible students may have intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder with moderate intellectual disability, or other significant disabilities requiring specialised educational support.

2. Eligibility and Evidence Requirements

Eligibility is determined through professional assessments and documentation of the student’s functional and educational needs. The School may request additional documentation consistent with recognised NSW Department of Education disability criteria.

Autism:

• Students with autism must have a current report from a specialist medical practitioner or registered psychologist with appropriate clinical experience. The report must detail the nature of the student’s disorder. Documented evidence must indicate a developmental disability affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction, that significantly affects the child’s ability to learn. There must be information of a functional assessment consistent with the student’s disorder.

Intellectual Disability:

• To meet criteria for mild intellectual disability, students must have a full-scale IQ score of approximately two to three standard deviations below the mean on an approved individual test of intelligence. There must be information on the assessment of adaptive skills and school performance (where applicable) consistent with, or below this range of scores.
• To meet criteria for moderate intellectual disability, students must have a full-scale IQ score of approximately three to four standard deviations below the mean on an approved individual test of intelligence. There must be information on the assessment of adaptive skills and school performance (where applicable) consistent with, or below this range of scores.
• To meet criteria for severe intellectual disability students must have a full-scale IQ score of approximately four standard deviations or more below the mean on an approved individual test of intelligence. There must be information on the assessment of adaptive skills and school performance (where applicable) consistent with, or below this range of scores.

Additional Documentation:

The School may request further evidence to ensure enrolment decisions are in the best educational interests of the student.

3. Application Process

• Timing: Applications for enrolment may be submitted at any time.
• Enrolment Form: All enrolments require a fully completed Enrolment Form.
• Supporting Documentation: Parents/carers must provide current reports, assessments, and any other relevant evidence.
• Initial Meeting: The School may meet with parents/carers to discuss the student’s educational and support needs.

4. Considerations for Offering a Place

Decisions to offer enrolment are based on:

School Factors:

• Ability to meet the student’s needs after making reasonable adjustments and without creating unjustifiable hardship for the school.
• Available placements and support resources.

Other Considerations:

• Placement on the waiting list may consider alignment of support needs rather than order of receipt of application.

5. Pre-requisites for Continuing Enrolment

Students must:

• Make satisfactory academic progress having regard to the student’s disability.
• Attend school consistently.
• Comply with all behavioural codes of conduct.
• Parents must meet the reasonable requirements of the school, including providing specialist reports when requested.

6. Waiting List

• Enrolment capacity is determined by the support needs of the current students, ensuring each student receives the appropriate level of support.
• If the School is at capacity, new applications will be placed on a waiting list.
• Offers of enrolment from the waiting list are based on the School’s capacity to meet individual educational and support needs, not strictly order of application.
• Priority may be given to students whose support needs align with available placements or who have significant educational requirements.

7. Termination of Enrolment

• If a student requires supports that cannot be provided, the enrolment may be terminated.