Special education

Committed to improving the learning and social outcomes of students with additional needs

Our classes

Our Special Education Unit at St Johns Park High School supports students with mild or moderate intellectual disability. Our specialised support classes have fewer students than regular classes with each having a classroom teacher and school learning support officer. We have 4 support classes that include:

IO classes - Students with intellectually moderate disability
IM classes - Students with intellectually mild disability

Students in our Special Education Unit have the opportunity to participate in the school and community activities. Students attend athletics and swimming carnivals and participate in some elective mainstream classes such as art, music, science and sport with the assistance of learning support officers.

Placements and review

Applications for placement are through the Access Request process. An Access Request is arranged by the school learning and support team at the local public school, but can also be organised through the local Educational Services team if a child is not yet enrolled. Teams can be contacted on 131 536.

Personalised learning for every student

Class teachers in consultation with parents and carers and allied health professionals where appropriate, are responsible for planning personalised learning and support for each student. Teachers work with parents, carers and students to monitor progress toward student goals and maintain regular contact with families.

Programs to support student growth

Our Special Education students are provided with a variety of activities. These include:

Zones of Regulation: A social-emotional learning program

In order to further encourage a safe and respectful learning environment, students participate in a social-emotional learning program called the Zones of Regulation with the support of the school’s Occupational Therapist and Speech Pathologist. The aim of this program is to encourage students to self-regulate their behaviour and utilise strategies to manage their emotions in positive ways.

Big Picture Class

Big Picture is a senior IM class set in an individualised learning space. The aim of this class is to encourage resilience and work ethics among students in order to lead them on to successful post-school pathways. Students are provided with chances to pursue their academic interests as well as opportunities to further their skills by attending work experience and completing discreet TAFE courses.

Post-school transition support

At St Johns Park High we work closely with the school’s support teacher transition officer so that students and their families are aware of all the options their child has when they finish school. Students attend post school options expos, which provide great opportunities for students to explore, gather information and make links with government and community agencies.

Community access

As students in the Special Education setting utilise the Life Skills syllabi with a focus on practicing numeracy, literacy and social skills in real world settings. Our students are given ample opportunities to do this during excursions into the local community, where they make purchases, read timetables and practice their communication skills with members of the community.