Inclusive Practices and Adjustments in Secondary Schools - Mt Eliza Secondary College
[Sean Hogarth, Disability Inclusion Learning Specialist]
Mt Eliza Secondary caters for about 850 students. From year 7 to year 12. It sits on the land of the Bunurong people on the Mornington Peninsula.
The philosophy we work towards, this notion that really good, inclusive practices should be useful for everybody. Essential for some of the students, but harmful to none of them. Approaching things in that style. We're ensuring that every young person gets the best chance to succeed in their learning.
[Amanda Curtis, Classroom Teacher]
Our role here is to, really work closely with our inclusion team. Their role is to identify those students who require that extra support. And once they do that, they put together, an individual education plan. Which is a really good opportunity for students to identify their strengths. And what specifically do they need within that classroom to thrive.
I feel as though if you get to know your students, you take that time to build that rapport. Everything sort of flows on from there.
[Sean Hogarth]
We operate with a response to tiered intervention approach, so we have a lot of universal approaches. Our expectation is that our teachers will utilise those in every classroom.
At tier two and tier three, we have more of that kind of intensive or more frequent and highly individualised approaches. One of the students we work with, Hayden, for example, who just requires a little bit more one on one support with chunking information together,
slowing the process down a little bit, and just ensuring that he's got enough time to understand the task and then complete the task. We also insist on using the sound field device because he has a hearing impairment.
Hayden's external supports are fantastic, so we utilise the visiting teacher service for his hearing and for the physical side of things. All of the recommendations and strategies
that have been given to us by his psychologists, the occupational therapists and the speech therapists, we embed all those in the IEP, which we share out to the teaching staff to ensure that they are just using all of those recommendations. And then part of the process with our student support group meetings is just to ensure that as Hayden develops and matures and as he changes, we change the document to make sure that he's getting the best supports he can get.
[Hayden, Student]
I get like a little late pass. So I don't need to run and on top of that I’ve got a little HM unit, with the sound field as well. I've also got the aides that help me with it. I also get some extra time for things. I get some visuals, if I need it. I also have brain breaks and toilet breaks, which is good if I need to. I can also fidget and I can have my phone with me to monitor my seizures.
I try and find what I'm good at, what I'm bad at, and if, I'm really bad at something, then I’ll set my goal to work on that.
[Sean Hogarth]
Because we have this consistent approach, with the student voice, they they can communicate really effectively what is working and what isn't working. What we see with these students when it's going really well, is just happy young learners who are doing the best they can and will struggle from time to time, but have the the capacity and the kind of
strength to communicate with, certainly myself and the other team I work with about what those needs are. And they come out of it looking happy, smart and prepared, which is our school motto, and that's what we're seeing with the kids when they get their supports in place.
[On-screen text]
Disability Inclusion, Education for All
Education State / Department of Education logo
Victoria State Government logo
Authorised by the Victorian Government, Melbourne.
[End transcript]
Updated