Girton prides itself on providing education and support for students with specific academic, social or emotional needs, which cannot be fully met in mainstream classes. Our current Inclusive Education services include:
THE PATHWAYS HUB
The Pathways Hub is located at 36 Wattle Street and is primarily focused on providing students with an alternative Education Pathway. Students from Years 7 to 12 can access the services in the Pathways Hub and may still decide to undertake a mainstream VCE course. However, from Year 11, if students access the Pathways Hub full time, while they are able to undertake some VCE units, they will be unable to complete a full VCE.
In the Pathways Hub, students follow an individualised education plan which could be, or lead to for younger students, a combination of VCAL, VET or VCE subjects, with additional academic support accessible via the LRC. The programs that can be accessed via the Pathways Hub are evidence-based and recognised by industry. They include; Certificate II in workplace skills, which is part of the VCAL program, and industry-specific skills via partnerships with local organisations such as Bendigo TAFE.
Any project-based learning undertaken within the Pathways Hub will be aligned with the Australian Curriculum or other recognised Curriculum, and the targeted Literacy and Numeracy classes delivered in the Pathways Hub will be evidence-based programs, such as MultiLit and Maths Pathways Programs. Several teachers are currently undertaking specialised training to deliver these alternative academic programs.
You should be aware that Girton is currently becoming VCAL registered and is expected to have the relevant certification by the end of 2020. All students who undertake VCAL subjects next year, will be granted the relevant certificates retrospectively, early in 2021.
65 WATTLEÌý
65 Wattle, located where its name suggests, provides social and emotional support to students. Services in 65 Wattle are accessible to all students, and we provide structured support to students who have a known difficulty in school engagement, especially those with a professionally diagnosed condition such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and those requiring social and emotional skills training.
65 Wattle is designed to be a proactive centre, with some students accessing services on a regular timetabled basis, as well as having the capacity to support students on a daily as-needed basis.
Students in 65 Wattle will learn vital life skills such as time management, emotional skills based on the RULER Approach and they will be guided in the daily social and world issues that affect their peers in a developmentally appropriate way. The aim is to maximise each student’s ability to attend school, and their potential to function independently at school.
65 Wattle features a consulting space, allowing for onsite appointments during school hours for students who currently use external professionals such as Speech Pathologists. This has the further benefit of providing an environment where the child’s Care Hub teachers are in contact with external experts, allowing for the sharing of important student information.
The School Nurse is situated in 65 Wattle and is available to students for a range of counselling and health-related services.