Special Education

The role of the Special Education Services team at Nazareth College is primarily to assist our students to achieve their personal best within the College environment academically, socially and pastorally. The staff members of the Special Education team are dedicated to providing students who require assistance with the support and encouragement they need to achieve their optimal learning outcomes in academic pursuits. There are many services offered by the Special Education department at the College, all of which are designed to cater to the differing needs of students in the learning community.

The Special Education department provides testing to determine if a student is experiencing a learning difficulty, and comprehensive methods of assistance and guidance are then placed into action for the student to maximise their individual best learning outcomes.

Once a student?s individual needs are determined, there are several ways in which the Special Education team works to improve the learning opportunities for the student. Adaptation or modification of tasks and assessments are implemented where needed, and in-class aid can be provided for the student if required. Support outside the classroom setting is also offered, where students can receive assistance with their school work during recess, lunch time, and before or after school. Students may also have an Individual Leaning Plan implemented that tailors their studies to ensure the expectation of their learning outcomes matches their individual abilities.

The general teaching staff are regularly updated on the progress of students under the care of the Special Education team, and receive information regarding issues the students may be facing academically. Staff are also updated on each student?s required level of assistance and any changes to each individual?s ongoing needs.

The Special Education faculty at the College works collaboratively with outside agencies such as SCOPE to provide Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, as well as the CEO providing visiting-teacher services, speech pathologists and other resources as required.

The Special Education Services faculty is committed to ensuring optimal levels of literacy and numeracy for all students, and provides a strong support program for students, beginning in the Middle School. The faculty aims to equip all students with strong literacy skills, and provides in-class support for all students, as well as a specialised program conducted outside the general English classes for students requiring more intensive assistance.

The numeracy program at the College also aims to challenge each student to achieve their optimal learning outcomes, with Mathematics classes taught using mixed-ability teaching strategies. This enables staff to incorporate a variety of teaching styles and methods within the classroom, and is designed to ensure that all students develop a firm grasp of the core concepts for each unit of study. Consolidation and extension activities are available for students with the aptitude and capability required to undertake further challenges, and all classes receive support from the Special Education Services faculty, which allows all students to strive to achieve their personal optimal learning outcomes.