Autism schools – stages of schooling (Reference 148)
Stages of schooling refers to a per-student allocation for eligible students attending autism schools. Stages of schooling is a type of individual student disability funding. Other types of individual student disability funding include Disability Inclusion Tier 3 and the Program for Students with Disabilities Level 1 to 6.
Eligibility
To be eligible for stages of schooling, students must have a verified disability category of ASD or ID. A disability category can be verified via the Program for Students with Disabilities or Specialist School Enrolment Verification Service.
Students not eligible for stages of schooling may be funded via specialist school Core Index Stages 1 to 3 (Reference 5), Disability Inclusion Tier 3 (Reference 138), and/or the Program for Students with Disabilities Level 1 to 6 (Reference 15) as appropriate.
Funding eligibility is calculated at the Indicative and Confirmed budget cycles. Funding is allocated through credit funding.
The following schools are eligible for stages of schooling funding:
- Bulleen Heights School
- Eastern Ranges School
- Jacana School for Autism
- Jennings Street School
- Niddrie Autistic School
- Northern School for Autism
- Southern Autistic School
- Western Autistic School
Calculation
Stages of schooling is divided into 4 age ranges, using the student’s age at 1 Jan of the corresponding school year. Funding is calculated at a campus level
[Stages of schooling component] = [applicable enrolments] × [component rate]
Example: 'Sample Autism School' has 60 enrolled students that are eligible for stages of schooling, across all age components.
| Component | Students | Rate* | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stages of Schooling 4 to 6 | 40 | $54,870 | $2,194,800 |
| Stages of Schooling 7 to 8 | 10 | $51,839 | $518,390 |
| Stages of Schooling 9 to 11 | 8 | $47,621 | $380,968 |
| Stages of Schooling 12+ | 2 | $45,617 | $91,234 |
| Total stages of schooling funding | $3,185,392 | ||
*Rates based on 2025 figures.
Rates 2025
| Age | 4 to 6 | 7 to 8 | 9 to 11 | 12+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit | $54,870 | $51,839 | $47,621 | $45,617 |
Reviewed 31 December 2024