IE Term 3 2020

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Newsletter

2020 Term 3 | Issue 1

Note from the IE Team

Greetings from the IE team, Inside this issue

It is interesting to reflect how much has changed in many different aspects of our lives over Term 3 Timeline ......................3
the past six months and how these changes will impact us in the future. Semester 1, 2020 NCCD Update ..........................3
has certainly demanded adaption and a ‘new normal’ in our lives personally and also State Per Capita Funding.........3
educationally. As we navigate through the easing of Covid-19 related restrictions, the IE Gifted Education .....................4
team will be available for school visits and face to face professional learning from Term 3
onwards with the necessary precautions still being maintained. Please contact your
consultant regarding any professional learning requirements and enquiries. Also check the
AISWA website for PLs at AISWA.

As you would be aware, Round 2 Inclusive Education funding applications are open with Spotlight on: Vision Impairment
the closing date being Monday 3rd August at 3pm. We understand that especially at this ................................................ 4

time, it is vital that schools receive funding to support students with disability and

therefore need to adhere to closing dates for the applications to be processed. If you Resource Review .....................5
require any assistance please contact your IE consultant or refer to our website for Senior Secondary ...................5
application instructions. https://www.ais.wa.edu.au/funding-information-students-

disabilities Professional Learning .............6

Please also be aware there are some minor amendments to NCCD requirements for 2020 Disability Royal Commission
only. For all students to be included in NCCD this year, there is 6 weeks of evidence Update ....................................7
required instead of 10 weeks for 2020 only. Please refer to the NCCD section of this

newsletter for details or contact us if you require further information. The Disability Standards Review

The Disability Standards for Education (DSE) 2005 are currently being reviewed by the ................................................ 7
education sector. The IE team will be contributing to this review. If you have any ideas you Child Protection ......................8
would like to contribute, please contact your IE consultant. We will be informing you of the

review results and will be in contact about the amendments. These amendments can then Mandatory Reporting
be added to your AISWA Students with Disability: Guidelines for Inclusive Education folder. Information ............................9

Mandatory Reporting The Department of Communities is upgrading the Mandatory Contact Us ..............................9
Reporting Information System. The new system will come online and be available for use

from 12:00pm on Saturday 25th July 2020. For more information, please see the

‘Mandatory Reporting Information’ on Page 9 of this newsletter. For additional information find us at
We look forward to continuing to support you moving forward in a year of change. www.facebook.com/IndependentSchools/

The Inclusive Education Team

Please note: You have received the link to this newsletter because you have ticked the ‘Inclusive Education
Newsletter’ box on the AISWA website. To unsubscribe please login to the AISWA website and update your
subscription preferences via ‘My Dashboard > Update My Details’.

2020 Term 3 | Issue 1 Page 2

Term 3 Timeline NCCD Update

(*NCCD = Nationally In response to disruptions caused by the COVID-
Consistent Collection of 19 pandemic, the 2020 NCCD Guidelines have
Data on School Students been updated to incorporate special provisions.

with Disability) Evidence of adjustments is reduced from a
NCCD minimum of 10 weeks to a minimum of six weeks in the 12 months preceding the
reference date. However, schools are encouraged to collect 10 weeks of evidence
The Validation phase: where there is capacity to do so to ensure continuity of best practice.
In the Validation phase
schools schools verify and Evidence requirements are revised for specific cohorts of students with disability.
confirm NCCD data and Please see the updated Guidelines on the NCCD Portal https://www.nccd.edu.au/
sites/default/files/2020_nccd_guidelines_accessible_final.pdf
submit it.
State Funding Term 3 = Validation Phase

Round 2: During the Validation phase, typically in Term 3, schools verify and confirm NCCD data
3 August 2020 and submit it.
Applications Due for
AISWA Admin Check What you need to know by now: Reference Date:
(Monday of Week 3 by Step 1 – Is there an adjustment? Friday 7th August 2020
Step 2 – What is the level of Adjustment?
3.00pm) Step 3 – What is the category of disability? Data to be submitted by:
7 August 2020 Principal # Refer to evidence to support decisions. Friday 14th August 2020
Confirmation Due. (Friday
of Week 3 by 3.00pm ) Key Activities during Validation Phase
Notify parents, guardians, carers of NCCD
Schools will have Enter data into SchoolsHUB
approximately 1 Verify and conform NCCD data, backed by evidence
week after the results Submit NCCD information via SchoolsHUB
letter has been sent, to
complete the appeals The NCCD Portal has many Case Studies covering a range of year levels, categories of
disability and levels of adjustment. These are a valuable way of assisting schools to make
process. decisions on the levels of adjustments for their NCCD students.
https://www.nccd.edu.au/resources-and-tools/case-studies

A useful resource on the NCCD portal for the Validation Phase, to validate that there is
sufficient evidence to include the student on the NCCD prior to submission, is the NCCD
Evidence Management Template (Hyperlink)

This is also a useful tool to assist schools in updating their evidence collection processes.
https://www.nccd.edu.au/sites/default/files/2020-04/NCCD%20Evidence%
20Management%20template.pdf

State Per Capita Funding Round 2

During term 3 the second round of additional State Per Capita Funding for students with disabilities is processed. The AISWA
website has been open to receive applications since 25th May and many schools have already completed their applications.

Please note the submission date of 3rd August is for an administration check only and it is essential that the Principal Confirmation
is completed by 3pm Friday 7th August.

Last round the committee processed over a 1000 new / review applications. Our biggest round yet! This is a clear indication that
schools are enrolling more students with disabilities and providing a valuable education to students.

2020 Term 3 | Issue 1 Page 3

Gifted Education

Do Workbooks Help Preschoolers Learn?

A recent article by Angela Pyle in Gifted Children Australia divulges into this
question discussing the use and usefulness of worksheets for gifted young children.

The article would be relevant for EC teachers and the justification of play-based learning for young children with gifted
characteristics as opposed to giving them worksheet/seated type learning, even though they may be able.

In summary Angela is saying that all children need hands on learning in order to develop their individual skills and abilities at their
own levels; and they do this better through play-based and social skill learning, and families should not be looking for centres or
schools that focus on worksheets and not developing the whole child. She actually outlines the need for a gifted child to play to
develop all necessary skills, and cites worksheets and seated learning as stifling.

Workbooks assume, even necessitate the existence of other skills.
https://www.gifted-children.com.au/do-workbooks-help-preschoolers-learn/

Spotlight on Vision Impairment

Vision impairment is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a limitation of one or
more functions of the eye, or the visual system (brain/eye).

Vision impairment results when there is partial or full loss of sight in one or both eyes. The
impairment may be the result of disease or injury, may be stable or progress over time, and may be
temporary or permanent. Impairment is present when the loss of vision cannot be appropriately
corrected with visual aids (eg glasses, aids) or with medication or surgery.

Students with vision impairment may require teaching and learning adjustments in order to have equitable access to education.
Vision impairment is a disability under Australian legislation and as such schools are obligated to provide reasonable adjustments
for students who are blind or who have low vision in line with the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (DSE).

In most instances students who have low vision or who are blind learn alongside their sighted peers in schools, with adjustments
facilitating their access to the curriculum, instruction and environment.

In addition to the required curriculum often these students also need specific additional instruction in the Expanded Core
Curriculum (ECC) for students with Vision Impairment which may be provided in class and with input from Specialist Teachers
(Vision Impairment) who are specialists in this field.

Did you know?

• According to WHO there are around 2 billion people in the world who have a vision impairment
• Previous estimates were that there are at least 800 Australian children aged 0-4 years and 3500 children aged 5-17 years

who have low vision or are blind (WHO, Keeffe, 2015)

• The impact of vision loss on functioning may be different for all children even those with a similar eye condition, so one size

does not fit all when it comes to vision impairment and adjustments!

• One of the AISWA Inclusive Education Consultants is a qualified SPEVI Specialist Teacher (Vision Impairment) and can offer

advice or vision impairment PL to school staff upon request

For further information on adjustments and information please contact your IE Consultant.

The links below have more information and guidelines in this area:
 Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) Classroom adjustments:

https://www.nccd.edu.au/professional-learning/classroom-adjustments-vision-impairment
 Department of Education (SSENS – Vision Education): http://www.ssens.wa.edu.au/vision-education1.html
 VisAbility: https://www.visability.com.au/
 Vision Australia: http://www.visionaustralia.org/

2020 Term 3 | Issue 1 Page 4

Resource Reviews

Young Exceptional Children

Young Exceptional Children (YEC) is written for teachers, early care and education personnel,
educational administrators, therapists, families and others who work with or on behalf
of children from birth through 8 years of age who have identified disabilities, developmental delays,
are gifted/talented, or are at risk for future developmental problems. It offers useful, friendly
articles that help readers implement research-based strategies and interventions across many
settings. Free to DEC members - access the latest issue of YEC here.

Teaching Protective Behaviours.

Finding It hard to teach young students to say no? Why not try reading ‘Don’t
let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!’ ? This is a short story for very young students
and teachers soon find out who can say no and who can be persuaded to —
let that pigeon drive the bus!

There are also a series of videos which teachers can use as an additional resource to reading the story.

Senior Secondary

Enabling Career Pathways

Enabling Career Pathways (ECP) is a collaborative project currently being undertaken by National Disability Coordination Officers
(NDCO). The NDCO Program is funded by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment. The goal of the NDCO Program is to
drive change so that people with disability have equitable opportunity to access, participate and achieve their goals in tertiary
education and subsequent employment.

Background: The Enabling Career Pathways (ECP) project commenced in 2018 with a national survey facilitated by the NDCO
network to understand the flow and accessibility of career related information as a person with disability transitions from school to
post-school tertiary education and subsequent employment. The survey focused on Disability Employment Services (DES) and
surveyed 113 DES consultants nationally.

Following this survey, focus groups were conducted in South East Queensland and NSW with stakeholders including people with
disability, schools, DES and NDIS providers, the National Disability Insurance Agency and Department of Social Services. The survey
and focus groups revealed major breakdowns in the flow and accessibility of information between services.

Problem Statement: For a person with disability, the repetitive and inconsistent approach to accessing/enabling career and
education pathways, coupled with the lack of centralised and personal ownership of data,

Impact: significantly impacts the potential for successful transition and integration into meaningful and productive learning or
employment opportunities.

Solution: ECP will effectively address the need for an interactive online career platform to engage and empower people with
disability to achieve economic participation by maintaining flow and accessibility of information as a participant transitions from
school to post-school services, tertiary education and subsequent employment. Elements of the platform will be easily shared with
stakeholders involved in a person’s career journey allowing for smoother transitions. This project will ensure people with disability
have the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to set and achieve their goals toward tertiary education and subsequent
employment.

By maintaining the flow and accessibility of information, a person with disability will be able to set a plan in place to achieve their
education and employment goals, with an aim to empower the person to follow their hopes and dreams toward a meaningful
graduate career. As a national platform ECP can be utilised by people with disability across Australia engaging with all government
and non-government services.

Should you want to know more about this project please contact
Kirsty Runciman: National Disability Coordination Officer
Telephone: (08) 9286 6600

2020 Term 3 | Issue 1 Page 5

AISWA Professional Learning Opportunities The AISWA IE team
are now also available
Term 3 sees the Inclusive Education team resume Face to face professional learning both in
schools and at AISWA. for in school
consultation.
The following professional learning will be presented face to face at AISWA please refer to
the website for registration. Please feel free to
contact us, we would
• Teaching Year 11 and 12 Preliminary Foundation Courses to Students with love to hear from you.
Disabilities : 2 Sep 2020
If you are unsure of
• Child Protection: Including Mandatory Reporting of Child Sexual Abuse, Grooming and who your school’s
Child Abuse Prevention by all staff : 9 Sep 2020 consultant is, please

• Understanding the important role of an Educational Assistant : 20 Oct 2020 click here.

For school based professional learning please contact your consultant.

Please be aware should you prefer us to provide a webinar we are more than happy to
accommodate . During Term 2 we found the following professional to be highly successful as
webinars : Child Protection, NCCD, Disability Discrimination Act, Documented Plans, State
Funding Process and Code of Conduct.

Log in to your AISWA account & follow the links to ‘IE’, ‘Professional Learning’ to stay
up to date with any upcoming centralised professional learning.

Additional Learning Opportunities

Just a reminder the NCCD website has fantastic professional learning opportunities providing a comprehensive understanding of
the Disability discrimination Act and Disability Stands for Education.
https://www.nccd.edu.au/resources-and-tools/professional-learning/format/e-learning-5
Modules are designed to meet the specific needs of an individual according to their role in education and cohort of students they
are working with. Considering the current Disability Royal Commission and 2020 review of Disability Standards these modules
would be of particular benefit to educators.

2021 AASE National Conference

The 2021 AASE ( Australian Association of Special Education) National Conference to be held at the Hilton
Adelaide from Wednesday, 8th – Friday, 10th September, 2021. This Conference will provide an opportunity for educators,
academics, professional support staff, families, community members and key stakeholders to come together to collaborate, share
knowledge, network and learn together. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity in Adelaide in September, the link below will take
you to the AASE website and registration.
https://www.aaseconference.com.au/2021-aase-national-conference/register/Site/Register

Please note: The AISWA IE team disseminates information about external organisations in good faith, but
is not responsible for the quality of delivery or professionalism of the presenting organisations.

2020 Term 3 | Issue 1 Page 6

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation
of People with Disability

https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/
Since the initiation of the Royal Commission they have received 1162 submissions, 4463 phone call enquires, produced 9
submissions and received 213 responses to issues papers. So is it about time you made a response?
The latest papers can be found at: https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases
Of particular interest to schools would be the Restrictive Practices Issues Paper. Restrictive practice refers to any action that limits
the rights or freedom of movement of a person, this includes:
• Seclusion: where a person is confined to a physical space and prevented from leaving.
• Physical: where a personal is physically held and prevented from moving
• Environmental: preventing access to an area
• Pyschosocial: constantly preventing a person from participating in an activity without reasonable justification
The Chair Ronald Sackville AO QC said restrictive practices are a key area of inquiry for the Royal Commission.
‘We are asking for information about when, where, how and why restrictive practices are used on people with disability.’ Whilst
issues papers have deadline submission dates the Royal Commission will accept responses at any time.
Submissions can be made by email, post or phone, or directly from the website under the tab ‘Share your Story’.
Whilst we will endeavour to keep you updated with the latest findings from the Royal Commission you may also want to subscribe
to their newsletter - https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/news-and-media.

Disability Standards Review

The Disability Standards for Education legislation of 2005 cover the legal obligations and
responsibilities of education providers. Areas covered include:
• enrolment
• participation
• curriculum development, accreditation and delivery
• student support services
• elimination of harassment and victimisation
The standards are reviewed every 5 years the following link will take you to the website where there are several ways to engage.
• Make a submission
• Complete a questionnaire
• Make an expression of Interest
https://disabilitystandardsreview.education.gov.au/
Public consultations will run from 16 July 2020 to 25 September 2020.

Please note both the Disability Royal Commission and the Disability Standards for Education are welcoming both formal and
informal responses from all members of the public. As educators making a submission gives us an opportunity to comment on our
successes and where we see improvement can be made. The Disability Standards for Education questionnaire is easy to navigate
and does not take long to submit so why not be part of this process?

2020 Term 3 | Issue 1 Page 7

Child Protection Focus

The challenges over recent months serve as reminder to ensure your school is meeting its
obligations as a child safe organisation. What better time to review your policies, procedures
and guidelines and ensure all staff and relevant personnel have the skills, knowledge and tools
to monitor the safety of children and respond to and report any concerns or disclosures of
child abuse.

Theme: ‘Putting children first’
For more information on how your school can put children first please visit NAPCAN:
https://www.napcan.org.au/national-child-protection-week/

National Child Protection Week is coming! 6 -12 September 2020
How to create a child safe environment?
Three key elements of child safe environments according to Dr Daryl Higgins (Director, Institute of Child Protection Studies,
ACU) are:
1. Screening for known perpetrators
2. Managing situational risks
3. Managing positive cultures
Screening – ‘pre employment vetting is the first chapter in the book’ not the last (Dr D. Higgins).
Reporting concerns and abuse (including Mandatory Reporting), reportable conduct and Code breaches are also important
screening elements.
Situational risks – a focus on creating safe environments rather than a focus only on safe individuals; not tolerating certain
behaviour and removing excuses; opportunity reduction. Creating a ‘situational prevention’ approach based upon risk
assessment, prevention and ongoing monitoring.
Positive cultures – Child centred practice based on safe environments, respectful relationships and emotionally safe settings
where reporting occurs and appropriate responses are provided in the event of disclosures and reporting of concerns.
(Reference: Dr Daryl Higgins, Australian Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, 2000)
Concerned about a child?
Anyone including school staff, governing body members, volunteers and community members can report a child abuse concern
directly to the Department of Communities – Child Protection and Family Support (DC-CPFS) by either phoning the Central
Intake Number on 1800 273 189 or in regional areas by contacting the nearest DC-CPFS office or emailing the Department on
[email protected]
Non Government or Government organisations can also choose to submit a Child Protection Concern Referral Form 441 to
report any concerns. This can be found here: https://www.dcp.wa.gov.au/ChildProtection/Pages/
Ifyouareconcernedaboutachild.aspx
Mandatory Reporters who form a belief about child sexual abuse must provide a written report to the Mandatory Reporting
Service: http://mandatoryreporting.dcp.wa.gov.au/Pages/Home.aspx
In an Independent School in WA, staff are also required to follow the school’s child protection policies, procedures and
guidelines in reporting and responding to child abuse concerns and disclosures and reporting matters to the school and/or
Governing Body. Follow your school’s procedures and seek advice from your Principal.

2020 Term 3 | Issue 1 Page 8

Important Mandatory Reporting Information

The new Mandatory Reporting Information System will have an updated look and be easier to use, particularly when entering
information into fields and navigating between screens in the system. The format and order in which information is entered will be
slightly different to the existing system, and there will be new questions incorporated into the system that will assist to provide
more focussed, relevant and detailed information to the Mandatory Reporting Service. There will be detailed user guides
embedded into the system to assist and guide in the use of the system when making the Mandatory Report.

Additionally, unlike the old system, the new system can be used in any browser, including Internet Explorer or Chrome, and there
is no longer the restriction preventing use of the system in Internet Explorer.

The new system can be accessed through the same link in the Mandatory Reporting website.

http://mandatoryreporting.dcp.wa.gov.au/Pages/Home.aspx

Note. If you have bookmarked the old system, please delete that bookmark and do not rely on it from Saturday 25/07/2020
onwards.

Please note that the current system will go offline and will not be available from Saturday 25th July 2020 at 8:00AM. If a report
needs to be submitted to the Mandatory Reporting Service during Saturday, between 8:00AM and 12:00PM, please download and
complete the PDF of the Mandatory Reporting form that’s available in the Make a Report area of the Mandatory Reporting
website. The completed form can be emailed to the Mandatory Reporting Service at [email protected]

There are 923 words that break the 'i'
before 'e' rule.

Only 44 words actually follow that rule.

Inclusive Education Team Contacts

Lynne Nixon (IE Coordinator, Mon—Fri) Tania Wray (IE Consultant, Mon—Thurs)
[email protected] [email protected]
9441-1606 or 0447 502 560 9441-1672 or 0457 822 178

Amanda Mackmin (Admin Support, Mon—Fri) Maggie Balfe (IE Consultant, Mon—Wed)
[email protected] [email protected]
9441-1601 9441-1612 or 0418 212 284

Michele McErlain (Admin Support, Mon—Thurs) Bronte Morgan (IE Consultant, Mon—Fri)
[email protected] [email protected]
9441-1666 9441-1646 or 0438 183 525

To find out which consultant is allocated to your school, Karen West (IE Consultant, Mon—Fri)
please log in to the AISWA website and go to [email protected]
https://www.ais.wa.edu.au/ieconsultants 9441-1689 or 0436 007 319

2020 Term 3 | Issue 1 Page 9

Suite 3/41 Walters Drive
Osborne Park WA 6017

+61 (08) 9441 1600

[email protected]
www.ais.wa.edu.au