Specialist Support Classes
Kotara High School has four specialist support classes:
- Autism x 2
- Hearing
- Multi-categorical
Autism Support Class – for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Each class has a maximum enrolment of 7 students.
Hearing Support Class – for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The class has a maximum enrolment of 9 students.
Multi-categorical Support Class - for students who have similar moderate to high support needs. Students may have one or more disability type, including: autism, emotional disturbance, moderate to severe intellectual disability or physical disability. The class has a maximum of 10 students, however, students are rated on a ‘factor of need' and class sizes may be smaller.
Each support class is supported by one Special Education trained teacher and a School Learning Support Officer.
Each Support Class offers a number of subjects, with both regular and Life Skills outcomes, to cater for the wide range of skills and abilities of students in our classes. Subjects such as English, Maths, History, Geography, Science and Health are taught in home rooms with their Special Education teacher. Specialist teachers, such as technology, PE and science teach our students in specialist classrooms.
Some students are integrated in mainstream classes for subjects in which they excel or have a special interest such as Visual Arts, Food Technology, Metal Work, Engineering, Multi Media, Timber and Hospitality. Kotara High School is an inclusive setting and students in support classes attend whole school and year group activities with their peers including assemblies, sporting carnivals, excursions and camps.
Kotara High School Support Faculty uses the resources of the local and extended community for our Community Access Program to support the development of each student's social skills and functional behaviours in the community. Community-based instruction refers to regular planned programs, which take place in the community setting to achieve quality student learning outcomes. Community access education programs focus on the development of student competencies needed in adult life.
Students also participate in a range of extra-curricular special education activities such as sporting competitions, the annual Lions Club Deaf Camp and Hunter Region Signing Choir.
Each student has a Personalised Learning and Support Plan that is student-centred and focuses on goal setting across various domains. Personalised Learning and Support Plans are developed through collaborative curriculum planning meetings with students, parents/carers, school counsellors and other allied professionals. Student plans and goals are then embedded into our programs and teaching, both in and out of the classroom.
Our Support Faculty includes specialist teaching areas and a calming sensory room. Support classrooms are air-conditioned and well-resourced with projectors and interactive screens, a class set of laptops/tablets, double sized desks, a wide range of literacy and numeracy resources, sporting equipment and sensory tools to reduce anxiety. Our teaching staff focus on improved student outcomes in literacy, numeracy and overall achievement through explicit teaching of capabilities, learning habits and skills which will prepare students for life and work as global citizens.
Support Class Placements
Applications for placement are through the Access Request process. An Access Request is usually 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 and calls can be made from anywhere in NSW.
A student is offered enrolment in a specialist support class in a regular school 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.
Learning and Support Teachers (LaST)
The Learning and Support Teacher (LaST) provides specialist assistance to students with additional learning and support needs in regular classes, small groups or individual support. The Learning and Support Teacher works collaboratively with the classroom teacher to support the learning and educational needs of identified students.
The LaST is responsible for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programs to ensure access by students with learning difficulties as well as building the capacity of teachers to support students with a diverse range of learning needs. Students with a diagnosed learning disability have a personalised learning and support plan which identifies their learning needs and how these needs will be addressed.
