Admissions Policy

Admissions

Referrals of students by parents or legal guardians must be accompanied by documentation to support the student’s diagnosis from a Paediatrician, Psychiatrist, or Clinical Psychologist.  This documentation must be current and state the rationale for the diagnosis rather than merely stating the diagnosis.

Referrals for enrolment or placement on the eligibility list are accepted from a child who:

§    has a primary diagnosis of Autism;

§    may have other associated disorders; 

§    may be of any sex, race or socio-economic status;

§   will be aged between 4.5 and 8 years at the time of enrolment. 

A student position may become available if:

§    a student leaves Woodbury for another school;

§    a student graduates;

§    additional places become available due to an increase in total enrolment numbers and/or the school's funding base. 

Admissions Committee  and Process

1.           The Admissions Committee meets whenever a student place becomes available.

 

2.           All applicants will receive a letter of acknowledgment upon receipt of an enrolment application.

3.           The Admissions Committee will consist of the Executive Director and the Executive Administrator or their delegates.

 

4.            The admissions process will consist of the following stages:

Stage 1:  Examination of Application to meet general criteria.

Stage 2:  Examination of parent responses to application questionaire.

Stage 3:  Observation of applicant in structured & unstructured activities at home/school/preschool/therapy.

Stage 4:  Review of assessment and recommendation.

 

These assessments or parts thereof may be made via video recording made available by the student’s parents.

 

5.            Only after all stages have been completed will a determination be made and parents contacted to inform them of the Committee’s decision.

  

6.            The determination of the Committee is final.  A parent can resubmit an application at a later date and in these cases a new admissions process will be followed.

 

The Admissions Committee selects students based on the following criteria:

§    Current documented primary diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, as required by the NSW Department of Education and Training.

§   The assessment process takes into account classroom vacancies, chronological and developmental age, social skills and behavioural characteristics.

§    Parent support and commitment to their child’s current educational and therapeutic programs, both school-based and home-based.  That is, parents demonstrate past and present commitment to their child’s overall developmental needs including education, socialisation, and communication, behavioural/emotional and general well-being.

§    Parents demonstrate a willingness to become actively involved in and initiate fundraising activities and parent committee work or be willing to support the program in other ways.

§   Parents agree to volunteer 10 hours per term to the direct day to day running of the school above and beyond any fundraising activities.

§   Students whose parents reside in the Baulkham Hills Shire will also be given preference over children who do not if all other criteria are equal.