Kalinda School

Growing and Achieving

Telephone02 6962 3271

Emailkalinda-s.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Enrolment

Schools for specific purposes (SSPs), previously known as special schools, provide specialist and intensive support in a dedicated setting for students with moderate to high learning and support needs.

Schools for specific purposes support students with intellectual disability, mental health issues or autism, students with physical disability or sensory impairment, and students with learning difficulties or behaviour disorder.

They cater for students from kindergarten to Year 12 who meet the Department's disability criteria.

Specialist support classes in schools have fewer students than mainstream classes. Class sizes depend on the class type and, in some cases, the students' additional learning and support needs.

Every specialist class has a teacher and a school learning support officer. Class teachers – in consultation with parents or carers and allied health professionals, where appropriate – are responsible for planning personalised learning and support for each student.

Students also have access to:

-itinerant support teachers (hearing or vision)

-support teachers transition

-specialist provisions available to students in mainstream classes including disability provisions from NESA for practical support in examinations

-access to transport assistance under the Assisted School Travel Program.

Schools for specific purposes also maintain active links with other nearby schools and their local communities. Students attending SSPs may have access to support classes in mainstream schools or mainstream classes and are supported to participate in community activities and training.

Placement in a School for Specific Purpose (SSP)

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.

A student is offered enrolment in a SSP through a placement panel process. A student's eligibility is determined through the Department's disability criteria as well as the availability of a place in an appropriate specialist support class.

Enrolment arrangements for students with disability and additional learning and support needs are the same as for all students. To get information about enrolment, parents and carers need to visit the local public school first.

Schools for specific purposes review the placement of each student annually. Reviews consider all aspects of a student's personalised learning and support, including whether or not the current placement is best meeting their learning and support needs.

Moving overseas

Moving overseas and need school reports authenticated for DFAT? 

Email document.authentication@det.nsw.edu.au to arrange to bring original documents to 105 Phillip Street, Parramatta 2150.