The Learning Journey
Early Education Program
Port Phillip Specialist School offers Early Education Programs for children aged 2.8 to 4.8 (on 1st Jan in the year of enrolment). The 3 and 4 years program at Port Melbourne Uniting Kindergarten (offsite) and at Port Phillip Specialist School (onsite) are specifically designed to meet the needs of children with developmental delay within an inclusive and supportive environment.
The educational program is based on the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). In addition, all students have an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) highlighting specific goals for each child. The programs offer a developmental play focus with ongoing assessment. Programs are child-centred addressing the overall development, including receptive and expressive language, cognitive, fine and gross motor, social-emotional, self-help skills and family goals.
About Our School
Port Phillip Specialist School is a dual-mode specialist school catering to students with mild to severe intellectual and associated disabilities from 5 to 18 years of age. We provide a learning environment that meets the social, emotional, and learning needs of every student. We are a child-safe school that respects and embraces diversity.
Our staff consist of Teaching staff, Educational Support and Allied Health and Office Staff. We are all committed to working collaboratively with families, carers, private therapists and agencies to build strong community links. Working together allows students to achieve optimum learning and social and emotional, physical and academic outcomes.
The school is organised into three sub-schools and two Early Learning Programs. Our Therapy team consists of Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, a Physiotherapist and a Mental Health Practitioner. Our class sizes are small – 6 to 10 students per class and are staffed according to the individual students’ needs. All students are supported through School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS), Zone of Regulations and Respectful Relations.
The Victorian Curriculum F-10 encompassing Towards Foundation Level – Levels A-D are taught and assessed across all sub-schools. All school age student’s access:
- English
- Mathematics
- Personal and Social Capabilities
- Health and Physical Education
Specialist Classes include:
- Visual Art
- Performing Art
- Science
- Physical Education
- Aquatics
Students in their final years of schooling have a managed individual pathways plan and, where applicable, a careers action plan.
Specialists
Music
Music is a highly motivating activity for our students. It engages their brains in many locations and taps into their rich creative capacities. Involvement in Music encourages the students to investigate, enquire and experiment.
We use music to teach many other important skills, especially literacy and numeracy. Acquisition of the skills identified in students’ individual goals is a focus within Music lessons. We are constantly refining and adding to teaching techniques and methods that suit each student’s preferred learning style. Taking reciprocal turns, exchanging resources or greetings and reading song charts, musical scores or picture symbols develop our students’ communication and life skills. From receptive to expressive, students are supported in developing their ability to make their mark on their worlds.
We encourage students to enjoy and participate in musical experiences as a means of expressing themselves and connecting with others. Using music as a tool we engage our students in developing a sense of themselves as creative individuals who can make themselves understood and bring pleasure to others. Responding to those around them through a medium where there is no wrong or right, our students experience the joy of self-expression.
Visual Art
Visual Art in the specialist Art room involves the use of various pieces of art equipment to develop each student’s ability to work within a group. Students also use a range of materials to individually solve problems and to stimulate their senses. They make art works where each student can develop their self-esteem through involvement with the whole process of art making.
Working with ‘concrete’ materials enables our students to more meaningfully build their understanding and dexterity with such materials as well as providing a convenient vehicle to develop other skills. These might be listening, attending, selecting, participating, arranging, improvising, designing analysing and adapting skills. Thus students have the opportunity to find avenues for self-expression as well as personal exploration and development within a supportive environment. Visual art used in this way represents a powerful language of expression that enhances the learning process.
Students extend their explorations into dramatic interactions that range from simply responding to and interacting with stimuli such as props, pictures, music, masks and puppets, to varying levels of role play scenarios, to creating and then acting out simple stories and dramatic interactions based on familiar themes and ideas. These experiences engage the students in narrative structure and draw their awareness to the dynamics of communication and interaction.
Physical Education
Physical Education is taught from Early Years to the Transition years. In the Early Years, students learn such skills as turn taking, comprehending and following instructions through games. Through the able assistance of the school physiotherapist the children have the opportunity to learn and practice basic stretches and exercises.
Students in the Foundation and Pathways sub schools have the opportunity to learn and practice skills from a number of sports including Soccer, Basketball and Australian Rules Football.
In Transition Years, students are again taught the rules and skills in a number of sports. On Friday afternoons a selection of students have the opportunity to play in interschool sports. This has been highly successful and not only reinforces the skills specific to the sports they learn in class, but also develops good social and team building skills.
Bike Education is a very exciting and important part of the Health and Physical Education program at our school. With our extensive range of bicycles and three wheelers, there is a bike to suit every student.
The ability to ride a bike offers different benefits for different students. All experience the physical benefits which include muscle strengthening, postural control, endurance, balance and motor planning. Bike riding with family and friends is an inclusive recreational activity and great fun which are important social benefits. For many of our students, bike riding will provide them with a method of transport which will allow them community access.
Aquatic Program
The Aquatic Program is an engaging experience for students aimed at developing physical, social and cognitive skills in a safe and enjoyable environment. Students are given the opportunity and support to build confidence in the pool and gain respect for the water as they participate in water familiarisation, stroke development, safety and survival activities.
During these swimming sessions the main focus is on developing independence, exploring the water, active participation, developing water confidence, learning water safety skills and learning how to move through the water.
Therapists
Using the Integrated Service model, the therapy team assists teachers to promote the development and acquisition of skills necessary for supporting the student’s development. The team works closely with classroom teachers, specialist teachers, and education support staff to embed strategies into daily classroom and school programs. This collaborative model supports students to develop and use their skills throughout the whole day. Support and strategies implemented for different individuals and class groups are tailored to the individual student’s needs.
Occupational Therapy
Is concerned with promoting functional ability, health and well being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable students to participate in the activities of everyday life as independently as possible. This may be through improving the child’s skills or it may be through improving the environment in which the child is expected to function e.g. prescribing special toilet seats or hand rails.
We utilise the vehicles of visual arts (eg painting, paper mache, cutting and pasting visual aids and collages), singing, rhythm, movement and dance to optimise a students’ motivation to engage in learning.
Physiotherapy
At Port Phillip Specialist School the physiotherapist will assess students to establish individual goals and implement programs within a group setting. This aims to maximise each student’s gross motor function and promote their general health and well-being.
Physiotherapy services include:
- Mobility training (walking and assisted walking, bike riding, power and manual wheelchair training).
- Gym Programs (strengthening and balance exercises, treadmill walking, stationary bikes).
- Positioning ( standing, long sitting, stretching).
- Collaboration with Orthokids to assess students orthotic input needs.
- Use of therapy garments such as theratogs for students that require additional postural support.
- Hydrotherapy in collaboration with the swim teacher.
Speech & Language Therapy
The Speech Pathologist’s broad focus areas include expressive and receptive communication, literacy (reading and writing), social skills, play skills and support with Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC). The Speech Pathologists also work with students who require support with developing their eating and drinking skills.
The Speech Pathology team support all staff to use visual resources, which include (but is not limited to) core word boards, visual schedules, first and then charts, visual timers and social stories as well as Key Word Sign. They also support staff in adapting curriculum materials to make them more accessible.
The Speech Pathologists are able to liaise with external Speech Pathologists (e.g. NDIS therapists) to ensure consistency of approach, and also to support the trial and implementation of a student’s individualised AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) system if required.
Mental Health Practice
The Mental Health Practitioner plays a vital role in supporting the mental health and well-being of students across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 levels.
Tier 1 Support
At the Tier 1 level, the practitioner implements school-wide, strengths-based programs that celebrate the positive contributions of students to the community. They also conduct comprehensive assessments to identify the school’s strengths and uncover opportunities for enhancing mental health and well-being within the broader school community.
Tier 2 Support
At the Tier 2 level, the Mental Health Practitioner collaborates with classroom teachers to deliver targeted mental health and well-being literacy programs. These initiatives aim to equip students with a deeper understanding of mental health, practical strategies to foster well-being, and the confidence to seek help when needed.
Tier 3 Support
For students requiring more intensive support, Tier 3 interventions are provided. This includes one-on-one mental health counselling, consultation with staff and families, and facilitating referrals to external services where appropriate.
Through these multi-tiered supports, the Mental Health Practitioner ensures that all students have access to the resources and guidance needed to thrive emotionally and socially.
