Some preschool children with disabilities will have had their needs assessed by Ministry of Education early intervention staff so services should be in place for them when they start school. Sometimes a child’s learning and development needs will be identified at the B4 School Check and some may not be identified until after they start school.
If you are worried, talk with your child’s early learning service and their new school about your concerns to help the move go smoothly.
Your child’s rights
Your child has the same rights, freedoms and responsibilities as other students of the same age. They include the right to:
Be enrolled and included at their local school
Attend school for the entire school day, even if they don’t have a teacher aide with them
Have their individual learning and development needs met and appropriate accommodations made so they can access the school curriculum and participate in school life
Seamless education from when their needs are identified until they leave the education system
B4 School Check
The B4 School Check is a nationwide programme offering a free health and development check for all 4-year-olds. It aims to identify and address any health, behavioural, social or developmental concerns that could affect a child’s ability to get the most benefit from school, such as a hearing problem or communication difficulty.
More information about the B4 School Check
Enrolling your child
Once you decide which school you want your child to attend, you should make an appointment to meet the principal. It is important that planning begins early so that support is in place when your child starts school.
Some questions to ask the school:
How will they make sure your child is included in all aspects of school life?
Which staff member is likely to be teaching your child and who you can talk to about progress?
Will your child have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and who will attend those meetings?
Does the school have experience in developing and monitoring IEPs?
Does the school have experience in making applications to the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS)?
How is the school's Inclusion Funding (previously called the Special Education Grant) spent to support students with special education needs and how will your child access that support? Inclusion Funding is a grant to schools to support students with moderate special education needs. The funding is made up of a base amount plus per-student funding.
Where is the Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) based? What other schools do they work with and how they might be involved in supporting your child's learning?
Does the school have a learning support co-ordinator?
Who will supervise your child in the playground if needed?
What will happen when the teacher aide is not able to be at school?
What will happen with school outings, sports events and camps?
Support for your child or young person
Children and young people with disabilities should receive the support and services they require from the school they attend. If they need any additional services and resourcing, the school can make a referral to Learning Support who will assess the child’s learning needs.
An Individual Education Plan (IEP) should be put in place for all children with special education needs. This written plan will set out goals for your child. You and everyone else working with your child are involved in developing these plans.
Children with moderate special needs should be supported by their school through the:
School’s operational funding
Inclusion Funding
Resource Teachers for Learning and Behaviour, Vision or Hearing Impairment
If your child has high needs, school staff should organise and coordinate extra services from Learning Support or another agency that receives Government funding for this purpose. The Ministry of Education is responsible for supporting children with high needs through:
Developing an Individual Education Plan (IEP)
An IEP meeting should include the parents, classroom teacher, child and specialists, as appropriate, to set short and long-term goals for the child’s development and learning.
It should be reviewed at least twice a year in a meeting with parents and the team who developed the plan. Here is a checklist of things that should be in the IEP:
A long-term goal or vision
Teaching practices and a learning programme
Specialist services and support for the student
Other resources the student might need
The role of each team member in supporting the student and what the whānau can do at home to support learning
How the team will communicate
The skills and needs of each team member
Ways of checking on the student’s progress (inside and outside school)
An agreed review date for the IEP
Don’t forget to ask questions about any terms you don’t understand.
More information about Individual Education Plans
Other support available from the Ministry of Education may include:
