Inclusive education means all students can access and fully participate in learning, supported by reasonable adjustments and teaching strategies tailored to meet their individual needs.
Inclusive education in NSW is defined as all students, regardless of disability, ethnicity, socio-economic status, nationality, language, gender, sexual orientation or faith, can access and fully participate in learning, alongside their similar aged peers, supported by reasonable adjustments and teaching strategies tailored to meet their individual needs. Inclusion is embedded in all aspects of school life, and is supported by culture, policies and everyday practices. Inclusion means education environments that adapt the design and physical structures, teaching methods, and curriculum as well as the culture, policy and practice of education environments so that they are accessible to all students without discrimination. Inclusive education in NSW public schools is an ongoing process of reflection, evaluation and reform at all levels across the Department: in classrooms, schools, and networks, and in policy, practice, projects and culture.
Staff and students discuss Inclusive Education in NSW public schoolsOn screen text: Inclusive education in NSW public schools. On screen text: Hobartville Public School, NSW. Female teacher talking to camera. We have 5 classes in our support unit from Kindergarten to year 6. On screen text: Cate Clark, Hobartville Public School. Female school principal talking to camera. Every student has an individual learning plan. The curriculum is differentiated to meet their specific needs. On screen text: Lisa Crawford, Hobartville Public School. The students in our support unit are treated exactly the same way as every child in the school. They are included in the assemblies, classrooms, playgrounds, peer support programs, sport, dancing, creative arts. We follow the same curriculum as everybody else. We often do a lot of activities with the mainstream classes. Inclusion is not just placing a child somewhere. Inclusion is making sure that the students have the skills and the comfort to be doing the activities that we’re asking them to do On screen text: Kylie, parent, Hobartville Public School. Woman talking to camera. I feel all of my children are included in the school. They can play together and feel comfortable wherever they are, whether or not it's in the classroom or out in the playground. Upbeat music. On screen text: Woollahra Public School, NSW. On screen text: Nicole Molloy, Principal, Woollahra Public School. Female school principal talking to camera. We really work on having a mindset of inclusion. There should never be a sense that any child's disadvantaged because they have any individual needs. It's important because that that's our job, no child is disadvantaged and equity drives everything that we do. On screen text: Jacqui Dahl, Principal, Penrith Valley School. On screen text: Penrith Valley School, NSW. Female school principal talking to camera. Many of our students will have a number of things that they've been diagnosed with. Might be depression, might be anxiety, conditions like PTSD, ADHD, ODD. Could be autism. On screen text: Jake Matthews, Teacher, Penrith Valley School. Male teacher talking to camera. We have smaller classes. We have a great opportunity for them to get some one on one tuition. They've got great opportunity to work on some behaviour management strategy. Mindfulness is one, wellbeing is another. On screen text: Jorden, Student, Penrith Valley School. Male teenager talking to camera. When I finish I will either go to uni or staff and at the moment I’m really pulling towards TAFE. On screen text: Cath Eddie, Principal, Wentworth Public School. Female school principal talking to camera. Inclusive education means equity not equality so we don’t have a one size fits all – whatever our students need that’s what we try and provide. On screen text: Cath Eddie, Principal, Wentworth Public School, NSW. On screen text: Marni Milne, Narrandera High School. On screen text: Narrandera High School, NSW. Female school principal talking to camera. In terms of the impact of all the changes and the inclusive practices have had at the school, student enrolments have increased as we’re gaining greater credibility in the community. There is a focus on inclusive education that encompasses everyone in the school right from your office staff to your teaching staff NSW Government logo. End of transcript.
We are committed to building a more inclusive education system, one in which every student is known, valued and cared for, and receives a high-quality education that enables them to excel.
We remain committed to providing students with an education that best meets their individual needs and supports them with learning to their fullest capability. We also acknowledge the importance of parental choice regarding the type of education provided to their child. We are committed to making inclusive education real for all our students with disability in our mainstream schools and their support classes, and schools for specific purposes. We are committed to continue to listen and work with students, parents and educators. We are committed to growing inclusive practice, sharing knowledge across the system, and building the capacity of our NSW public schools to meet the needs of their local students in an inclusive school culture. In NSW, we strive to embed inclusive education across all of our public schools.
We have developed a policy to support inclusive practice. Access the Inclusive Education policy for students with disability here .
More information on each of these is located within these pages.
We are continuing to build evidence on what supports students with disability to achieve the best learning outcomes. Our key research pieces can be found here.
This Statement focuses on the principles of inclusive practice for students with disability, whilst recognising that improving inclusive practice benefits all students.
The Inclusive Education Statement for students with disability furthers our commitment to improving learning and wellbeing for students with disability in every school. It builds on the commitment to inclusion set out in the Disability Strategy and was developed together with educators and families.
The Statement marked the next stage of our work to further embed inclusive practice in NSW public schools, including NSW Government preschools.
This Statement focuses on the principles of inclusive practice for students with disability, whilst recognising that improving inclusive practice benefits all students. There are many other aspects of inclusion that the Department addresses, including through our Aboriginal education policy, multicultural education policy and anti-racism policy. We are focussed on achieving and maintaining consistent inclusive practice and high standards across our education system.
We worked closely with teachers, disability and education experts, families, carers, and other stakeholders to develop priority focus areas and a definition of inclusive education.
This Inclusive Education Statement is informed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disability, in particular Article 24 on Education. The Australian and NSW Governments have a comprehensive legal and policy framework in place that supports the principles within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disability.
By ratifying in 2008 the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Australia joined other countries in a global effort to promote the equal and active participation of all people with disability. The National Disability Strategy 2010 - 2020 focuses our efforts towards achieving a society that is inclusive and enabling, providing equality and the opportunity for each person to fulfil their potential.
The principles of inclusive practice are guidelines for creating inclusive environments at all levels across the Department: in classrooms, schools, and networks, and in policy, practice, projects and culture.
Our continuing journey towards embedding inclusive practice across the education system will be guided by the following principles.
Including Every Student at Blacktown Girls High School: Year 7 student Mikaylah has worked with her Itinerant Support Teacher Hearing since she was three.
Mikaylah: I got my cochlear when I was five, and got my hearing aids when I was three. When my friends ask me questions about me being deaf, I feel like they are very interested about it, and I don't mind telling them how it works and everything.
Sian: So Mikayla is quite deaf, almost profoundly deaf, and she has mild cerebral palsy, and she suffers from epilepsy, and she also struggles to retain information.
Rebecca Simm: Here at Blacktown Girls High School, we like to ensure that all students have access to every single opportunity that we can provide for them. So we celebrate the wonderful diversity of our students, and our staff, by including all students. The ethos for a school is that everyone belongs, whether it be from a culturally diverse background or whether it be students who have a hearing impairment, or vision impairment, or any disability. They're all very much part of the wonderful fabric of this school.
Mikaylah: Me and Mrs. Burke have been working together for 10 years now.
Jennifer Burke: I've been an Itinerant Support Teacher Hearing for 30 years. It’s a privilege to have worked with Mikaylah, from three years of age to now.
Mikaylah: Mrs. Burke is very helpful because I'm not getting so stressed with all the homework at once, and not knowing what to do in class. Starting high school was very scary, and a little bit nervous because I had no friends that I was starting with.
Sian: She still turned up, and she still walked in that gate with tears, but she came, and she made it happen.
Mikaylah: And how it is now, is I've made friends, and it's not so scary. My favourite subjects are HSIE and Music. The things I like most about school are seeing my friends and hanging out with them.
Jennifer Burke: They're excellent support buddies. They're prepared to put in that extra time to help her hear the things that they hear easily. The gossip, the jokes, the banter. For supporting Mikaylah at Blacktown Girls High, I have suggested many things, and the school has been very accepting of those suggestions.
Rebecca Simm: Part of Jennifer's professional development of Mikaylah's class teachers have been looking at the usage of the Wireless Communication Device and how to best use it in the classroom.
Mikaylah: Just pull this up.
Male Teacher: Okay.
Mikaylah: And then you just have to do that.
Male Teacher: Is that okay?
Mikaylah: Me trying to listen in class, it’s hard because most of the time, my class is noisy. It’s helpful with the WCD, but it can be a bit hard.
Jennifer Burke: Making sure that her technology’s working and it’s being used correctly, that’s vital.
Rebecca Simm: Even something as simple as when you are writing on the whiteboard, not to have your back facing Mikaylah. To ensure that in some classes, Mikaylah is seated at the front of the classrooms.
Jennifer Burke: Because she also needs to lip-read, as well as use her technology. They also provide written scaffolds. They also provide links on Google Classroom, so that she can preview or review material that’s been presented. One of the important supports within schools for children with a hearing impairment are school SLSOs, our School Learning Support Officers. Their role involves note-taking, oral interpreting.
Jennifer Burke: The teachers are very helpful.
Sian: If I have an issue, I can contact the school, and they'll drop everything to speak to me. Mrs. Burke and I are in constant communication.
Jennifer Burke: We make all sorts of adjustments in all the school environments, not just in the classroom.
Sian: They're doing a really good job in encouraging her to grow and be a good person.
Rebecca Simm: I think that education’s for everyone. I think we all have a right to be included in public education, and I also think it’s our responsibility, as public educators, to include all students in our schools.
