School Review

9. Advice for specialist and specific purpose school settings

The School Planning, Review and Annual Reporting Unit will match schools to a reviewer with expertise in working with specialist and specific purpose schools and allocate an additional fieldwork day to the review.

Flexibility for these contexts can be offered and agreed in consultation with the principal, reviewer and senior education improvement leader (SEIL). Schools can also contact the School Planning, Review and Annual Reporting Unit with specific requests or to seek personalised advice by emailing SchoolReview@education.vic.gov.au

If further advice and support is needed to measure achievement against the previous School Strategic Plan (SSP), identify other outcome measures or help set target levels for the new SSP, schools can contact the School Planning, Review and Annual Reporting Unit at Schoolplanning@education.vic.gov.au

For questions about using data from Panorama, schools can contact the Regional Evidence Unit at School.Performance.Data@education.vic.gov.au

The following areas of compliance have special conditions for specialist and specific purpose schools noted in the pre-review self-evaluation (PRSE).

Curriculum and Student Learning Minimum Standard

• The Minimum Standard (Section 1.1.2 on the PRSE) requires schools to present a Curriculum Plan (or equivalent documentation) which outlines, at a high level, the teaching and learning program delivering all 8 key learning areas. Specialist and specific purpose schools can indicate N/A if the school does not offer all 8 key learning areas and make a note confirming it is a specialist or specific purpose school.
• The Minimum Standard (Section 1.2 on the PRSE) requires schools to provide sample timetables that demonstrate how the 8 key learning areas are delivered. Specialist or specific purpose schools that are not delivering all 8 key learning areas must still provide sample timetables (or other documents) that demonstrate how the school is delivering the relevant key learning areas.

Department policy requirements

Specialist schools are not required to demonstrate that they are delivering Holocaust Education (required by department policy) to students in year levels 9 and/or 10 unless they have students who are working towards achieving Level 9 and 10 of the Victorian Curriculum: History. For example, a specialist school with students in Year 10 who are working towards Level 2 of the Victorian Curriculum: History does not need to demonstrate that they are delivering Holocaust Education. Refer to Holocaust Education – Delivery Requirement PAL topic.

Flexible Learning Options (FLOs)

Schools with FLO settings or programs can:

• describe in the PRSE learning and wellbeing outcomes tab how these and related practices and processes have contributed to student learning and wellbeing outcomes
• request an additional fieldwork day for the FLO if needed, particularly where this is offered at a separate location or campus. Requests can be made by the reviewer or SEIL to the School, Planning, Review and Annual Reporting Unit by emailing SchoolReview@education.vic.gov.au

For further information on FLOs, refer to the Flexible Learning Options PAL topic.