Academic Engagement Team

At Chifley College Senior Campus, our highly experienced Academic Engagement Team plays a vital role in supporting students who need extension and remediation to access the curriculum and meet their educational goals. This includes meeting the specific needs of children with disability and additional learning and support needs.

The Academic Engagement Team at Chifley College Senior Campus consists of:

• Head Teacher Academic Engagement
• Academic Engagement Teachers
• SLSO’s (Student Learning Support Officers)

How do we help?

The team works collaboratively with teachers, caregivers and students to offer support in the form of:

• Minimum Standards Support: Additional literacy and numeracy instruction is provided to students in order for them to complete the Minimum Standards test and qualify for their HSC.
• Year 11 and HSC Disability Provisions: Exam and assessment provisions, in line with NESA’s guidelines, are provided to qualifying students to ensure they have the required provisions to access their assessments.
• SLSO support: In-class and in the Learning Hub: Some students with diagnosed disabilities may be able to access personalised SLSO support in classes. All students, however, will have access to SLSO support after classes on Thursdays and Fridays in the school’s Learning Hub, which is a perfect opportunity for students to complete homework and receive feedback and guidance on assessments.
• Transition Planning: Some students with disabilities may qualify for additional support with planning for their future pathway with the assistance of the Student Transition Teacher, in conjunction with Learning and Support Teachers.
• NCCD: Students with additional needs in the classroom are known and accounted for in Chifley Senior through the school’s Nationally Consistent Collection of Data processes, whereby classroom teachers and the Learning and Support Team collaboratively plan for and respond to student needs in the classroom.
• Individual Education Plan Meetings: Identified students and their carers have the opportunity to liaise with a Learning and Support Teacher to identify the student’s strengths and academic goals, as well as strategies to attain them.
• Out of Home Care Meetings: Identified students, their carers, and their caseworkers have the opportunity to liaise with a Learning and Support Teacher to identify students’ strengths, interests, academic goals, and wellbeing needs to ensure a smooth transition into Year 11 and into their post-school pathway.
• Aboriginal Education Team Collaboration: The Learning and Support Team works closely with the Aboriginal Education Team (AEO, Clontarf, NASCA) to support our Indigenous student’s academic progress.

Additional Information - Support that fits your child's needs

Some students need extra support to feel confident and do their best at school. We work closely with families to make support plans and adjustments  that suits each child’s needs.

Additional learning support can include:

• teachers and support staff working together with families (and students, if needed)
• specialist support for students learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D)

• providing tailored programs to help high potential and gifted students with their advanced learning needs

• small group tutoring to provide targeted literacy and numeracy support for students

• regular check-ins to review and update the planned supports

• changes to the classrooms:

  • accessible classrooms
  • assistive technology
  • instructional resources

• extra guidance, simpler content or different focus during lessons

• assessment adjustments:

  • more time
  • simpler language
  • breaks during tasks
  • different ways to complete a task (e.g. oral presentations instead of written tasks).

We know when a student needs help when:

• teachers notice changes in learning or behaviour
• reviewing assessment results and learning progress
• parents and carers raise concerns or ask for support.

Adjustments are planned with parents and carers. They are reviewed regularly and changed when needed.  If you think your child may need extra help, contact us.

Learning and support team

Our learning and support team helps make sure every student gets the help they need at the right time. The team works with families, teachers and support staff to:

• understand each student’s needs
• plan adjustments and supports
• monitor progress
• connect with other services if needed.

Our learning and support team may include:

• learning and support teachers
• school learning support officers
• school counsellors
• school psychologists

• student support officers
• itinerant teachers for vision or hearing
• English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) teachers
• Aboriginal education officers
• community and home school liaison officers.

Contact us to meet with a member of this team to talk about your child’s strengths, interests and areas where they may need support.

Have a question about learning support?

We’re here to talk through your options. Contact us to speak with the principal or learning and support team.

Contact us