2024 School Fees
Enrolment fee – Non-refundable administration fee of $500 payable on enrolment (included with the first term charges)
Annual tuition fee – $12,240 ($3,060 per term)
The tuition fees applicable for the 2024 School year are charged in four (4) instalments at the beginning of each school term in advance and are payable within 14 days of billing.
The tuition fee covers the costs of all stationery and materials, ICT equipment, incursions/excursions and special events.
Enrolment Eligibility Criteria
The Currajong School offers a path to personal and academic achievement for students who have struggled or may struggle to find success in the mainstream model. Students must have an average to high IQ to benefit from the program.
The criteria on which offers of enrolment at The Currajong School are made are as follows:
Severe Emotional Disorder
Children who require special education provision as well as psychiatric or psychological treatment – or monitoring – in relation to the social, emotional and behavioural problems they are experiencing.
Age
Children should be the ages to attend primary schooling during their placement at The Currajong School. They should be no older than 11 years of age at the time of enrolment. Students can enrol at The Currajong School from the year that they turn 5 years old, and their final year of schooling will be the year that they turn 12. Consideration may be given to students who turn 12 in November and December.
Family Involvement
Parents and caregivers need to be aware of The Currajong Schools Conditions of Entry and school policies and undertake to comply with these.
Duration of Placement
There should be a clear understanding by referrers and families that placement at Currajong is full time over a three-year period. This can be extended according to individual need and is dependent on the age of the child upon enrolment and will be discussed well in advance with families.
Intellectual Ability
Children need to be functioning within or above the normal range of intelligence (as measured on a standardised test), to be able to benefit from the programs offered at The Currajong School. As the level of intelligence may be difficult to determine in very young children with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties, such children may be referred on to a more appropriate school placement following periodic review.
Prognosis for Change
There should be positive indicators of children’s ability to sustain changes made and to reintegrate into mainstream education following placement at The Currajong School.
Enrolment Process
Enquiries and referrals may come from child and family agencies, medical and mental health professionals as well as directly from families. Children may also be referred from Government, Catholic and Independent schools or from pre-schools.
Parents are invited to contact the school to arrange an initial interview. It is required that both parents attend this interview which includes information about our school programs, a short tour of the school and a discussion with parents about the child’s history and presenting problems. All relevant professional reports need to be provided.
Professionals involved with the child, or a supportive friend or family member may be invited by parents to attend this initial interview with them.
A report from a psychiatrist or psychologist confirming the need for special education placement, as well as the need for regular treatment or monitoring is required prior to commencement at Currajong.
If placement is considered to be appropriate, an offer of enrolment will be made by the School Principal. An administration fee is required to finalise enrolment or to place a child on a waiting list for enrolment. Children may commence at Currajong at any time during the school year subject to availability of a place.
The Currajong School is an Independent School and is not zoned. Families may travel from any location to enrol their child at the school.
You can read our enrolment policy and procedure in the School Documentation.
Enrolment Enquiry
If wish to enquire about enrolling at The Currajong School, you can fill out our Enrolment Enquiry Form, or get in touch via our contact details, and Belinda will get back to you.
1. Initial enrolment enquiry (phone call) – with Belinda Wright
Details of child’s diagnoses, behaviour at school, behaviour at home, treating therapists, medication and assessments. School fees are discussed. If parent would like a school tour they are requested to email recent reports including school report, psych/paed including WISC, OT and Speech reports prior to the tour. A date and time is set with parents to meet with the Principal.
2. Reading reports
3. Parent zoom interview
The principal meets with the parents via Zoom and further details are taken of the child, and the parents learn more about the school. The parents are explained the enrolment process and offered a tour after school hours with their child.
4. Observations at current school
5. Student enrolment interview & tour
The parent and child attend after school hours for an interview. The child is taken on a tour of the school.
6. Trial sessions
The student is offered a couple of trial sessions, and is placed in the class similar to where they may be enrolled.
7. Enrolment decision – Principal, Assistant Principal and Allied Health Team
The leadership team discuss the student’s eligibility for enrolment based on all criteria and documentation.
The Principal then approves or declines the enrolment.
8 a. Proceed to enrolment – Business Manager
When enrolment is approved the family are invoiced the admin fee and the administrative tasks for enrolment commence.
8 b. Decline enrolment
When an enrolment is declined, the Principal advises the family of the decision.
Class Groups at The Currajong School
At The Currajong School, our class groups are named using the Australian Indigenous names for Australian animals.
Our group names are:
- Marram (Kangaroo)
- Wadherrung (Platypus)
- Gawa (Echidna)
- Warrin (Wombat)
- Wimbi (Wallaby)
Each classroom has one classroom teacher and two teacher assistants based on the need of the class. Class sizes at The Currajong School range from 10-12 students.
At The Currajong School we aim to keep our prep students together during their first year at the school, and aim to keep our grade six students together as a cohort in their final year at our school, as we believe this supports student transitions in and out of the school. However, based on being a small school and enrolments this is not always possible.
Classes at The Currajong School are composite classes, and based on the enrolments each year may have a mix of age or year levels. Generally, our aim is to keep students with in a two year age range such as 5-7 year olds, 8-10 year olds etc.
Creating student classes at The Currajong School is a process that involves input from all the staff and the process starts usually at the beginning of Term 4. When we place students in a class, we consider the following;
- Age
- Personality and relationship with other students
- Learning abilities
- Social, emotional, and behavioural needs
Transition Support
Students that come to The Currajong School make many formal transitions in and between schools: from home or preschool to school, from grade to grade, from primary school to secondary school. Some students also make transitions as they transfer from school to school or back into school after illness or other forms of extended absence. Transitions can also involve a change in family and environmental circumstances.
At The Currajong School, we understand that each of these transitions involves students’ expectations and concerns, and the processes of leaving one location, settling into another, leaving old friends, making new friends, and continuing learning and development. Transitions are not just isolated events but involve the context in which they happen.
These points of transition are critical moments in determining students’ wellbeing and learning. Many of the important transitions between educational settings occur at times of rapid student growth and development, when they are concerned about issues of identity (who am I?), relationships (how do I relate to others?) and future (what will I be?). How they approach these transitions, and how they fare through them, may be determined by many factors at home, the community and at school.
Our experience at The Currajong School, has shown us the challenges that are involved in school transitions shape students’ development in positive or negative ways. In some cases, these transitions provide students with a chance to break from previous negative experiences and make a fresh start.
A successful transition for these students is defined by key features or indicators and these contribute to their continued learning and growth:
- Developing new friendships and improving self-esteem and confidence
- Settling well into the new school life, so there are little concerns for parents
- Showing an increasing interest in school and schoolwork
- Getting used to new routines and school organisation
- Experiencing continuity in ready to learn behaviours
Times of major transition can be cause for concern and anxiety for many parents, who ask themselves the question, ‘how best can I support my child through this time of transition?‘ At The Currajong School, we believe it is our job to actively support and guide the family with this process. We have structured systems and process to support all students with transitions into, through and when they leave The Currajong School.
Student Support Group Meetings
The Student Support Group represents a partnership in the educational planning process between:
- the parents/guardians/carers of the student
- the parent/guardian/carers advocate
- the teacher/s
- the principal or nominee (to act as chairperson)
- the student (where appropriate).
The aims of the Student Support Group are to:
- ensure that those with the most knowledge of, and responsibility for the student, work together to establish shared goals for the student’s educational future
- plan reasonable adjustments for the student to access the curriculum
- provide educational planning that is ongoing throughout the student’s life
- monitor the progress of the student.
The Student Support Group is responsible for:
- identifying the student’s needs
- determining any adjustments to be made to the curriculum, teaching and learning
- planning an appropriate educational program
- developing a personalised learning and support plan
- discussing the plan with teachers and providing support to implement the learning plan
- providing advice to the principal concerning the additional educational needs of the student and what may be required to meet these needs
- reviewing and evaluating the student’s program once per term, and at other times if requested by any member of the group.
Student Support Group Meetings (SSG’S) at The Currajong School
Based on parent feedback and updated staff Victorian schools agreement, 2024 SSG meetings will occur every term across week 4 and week 5. SSG’s will be scheduled Monday to Wednesday between 3.30pm and 4.30pm of week 4 and week 5. Families and parents will be reminded of these dates through all parent communication portals.
Note: SSG Fridays will no longer be a Student Free Day. Students will attend school as a regular school day.
Parents/Carers will login to the Sentral Parent Portal to select a preference for times to attend an SSG on the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of Week 4 or Week 5. In the instance that a family or parent is unable to attend on those days, a telephone/zoom SSG can be scheduled for the same day.
SSG’s will follow a clear whole school agenda and depending on class sizes, will be scheduled 30 minutes in length. For grade 5 and 6 students it is encouraged that they also attend the SSG to comment on their learning as part of student agency and voice, however we will leave this to the decision of parents and care givers. Minutes will be taken by the teacher assistant or a specialist teacher. SSG minutes will be sent home to be signed and returned to the classroom teacher once finalised.
Supports for Our Families
When you enrol your child at The Currajong School, you become part of a small community of students, parents and staff that provides support, guidance, ideas and reassurance. We have both formal and informal avenues of support:
Coffee Chats
Once a week morning parents/carers/guardians are welcome to join our psychologist in the Parents’ Room for information-sharing in a relaxed and supportive environment. Important and relevant issues are addressed and discussed with the experts in the room – the parents!
Happy Families
The Currajong School has teamed up with Happy Families to help support our ongoing commitment to wellbeing. Our entire school community now has access to resources which will help families, staff and students to flourish. Every family at The Currajong School now has access to their own Happy Families Premium Membership. These memberships contain a library of parenting resources to offer calm assurance, vision, direction and solutions you can trust.
Parent Information Sessions
As part of our service delivery to support and upskill families The Currajong School will hold regular Parent information sessions through out the term. These are often facilitated by the Allied Health and Leadership Teams at the School.
We encourage our families to let us know any topics or interests they would like us to focus on, so they are helpful and relevant.
Currajong Parent's Room
Our school has a dedicated parent’s room onsite. Many of our families use this room to catch up and build connections with other parents and carers, forming on-going relationships with one another.
The parent room is also a comforting space for our parents to be whilst their child starts the transition process at The Currajong School.
Communication at The Currajong School
Maintaining positive and effective communication with families is important to us at The Currajong School. To ensure communication is timely, accessible, and reliable we use two platforms to communicate with families.
The Sentral Parent Portal (from 2022)
Whole school communication and our school management system. The parent portal gives parents access to student reports, the student learning continuum tracker, and access to the school newsletter. Any important and significant communications from school leadership will also be sent via email through the parent portal.
Seesaw Family App
This is used for communication at a classroom level between teachers and families. It is used like a communication diary, and also a system to share student learning and achievement.
School Newsletter
Our families also receive a school newsletter 3 times a term. In week 1, the newsletter has a principal report and important key dates for the Term ahead. In weeks 5 & 10 the newsletter is much more detailed with contributions from all classes, allied health, specialists and leaders to showcase what has been happening in the school. The newsletter has both written content and photos to celebrate the achievements across the school.
Lunch Orders
Classroom Cuisine is The Currajong School’s supplier of lunch orders for students. This popular service is provided by a commercial organisation that supplies two or three course lunches to a number of schools in the local area, from Monday to Friday.
All ordering is done online via their website.
School Documentation
School Policies
Child Safe Standards
- Child Safe Informing The School Community Policy
- Child Protection and Mandatory Reporting Policy
- Child Safe ‘Child Friendly’ Information on the Right to be Safe Policy
- Child Safe Code of Conduct
- Child Safe Leadership and Governance in a Safe Environment Policy
- Child Safe Response and Support for Child who Disclose Policy
- Child Safe Staff Selection Policy
- Child Safe Student Wellbeing Policy
- Commitment to Child Safety Policy
Management
- Adventure Activities Policy
- Asbestos Management Policy
- Board Confidentiality Policy
- Bus Safety Policy
- CCTV Policy
- CCTV Privacy Notice
- Class Placement Policy
- Communication with Staff Policy
- Community Grievance Policy
- Compliance and Risk Management Policy
- Conflict of Interests Policy
- Critical Incident Management Policy
- Dogs at School Policy
- Duty of Care Policy
- Enrolment Policy
- Enrolment Contract Terms and Conditions
- Excursions and Off site Activities Policy
- External Providers Consultants Protocol Policy
- Induction for School Board Members Policy
- Maintenance Policy
- Mobile Phone Policy
- Onsite Supervision of Students Policy
- Parent Dispute Policy
- Personal Property Policy
- Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy
- Playground Equipment Policy
- Privacy Policy
- Procedures to Maintain Staff Register Policy
- Professional Development Policy
- Reportable Conduct Procedures and Policy
- Respect for School Staff Policy
- School Philosophy Statement Policy
- School Vehicles Policy
- Staff ICT User Agreeement Policy
- Staff Leave Policy
- Staff Grievance Policy
- Student Attendance Policy
- Student ICT and Electronic Equipment User Policy
- Visitors Policy
- Volunteer Policy
- Whistleblower Policy
As part of being a collaborative school community and a Child Safe School, The Currajong School welcomes parent feedback on school policies. All feedback can be sent to admin@currajong.vic.edu.au