Outlines procedures to be taken by delegated officers in respect to making approved flexible arrangements in relation to a student's educational program during compulsory schooling or the compulsory participation phase.
Statement of intent
Schools make flexible arrangements where it is in the interests of a student to involve another educational provider in delivering education or training to them. The other educational provider could be a TAFE college, a private tutor, a provider of vocational education and training, a registered training organisation or a community organisation that offers special training programs for children and young people.
Flexible arrangements can be made for a student of compulsory school age or a student in the compulsory participation phase. Students in the compulsory participation phase do not require a flexible arrangement if the alternative education provider is an eligible option. A flexible arrangement is also not required for school-based apprenticeships and traineeships.
Making a flexible arrangement involves conducting an initial assessment of the student's educational and other needs, the learning outcomes that a flexible arrangement is intended to achieve and the suitability of proposed educational providers. These assessments are considered when making a decision whether to approve the arrangement. Flexible arrangements are then coordinated and monitored at the school level.
Parents and students are to be involved in the development of a flexible arrangement for a student of compulsory school age. A flexible arrangement can be approved only if the student's parent/carer has given written agreement to the arrangement and the arrangement has been discussed with the student as appropriate to their age and other relevant circumstances.
A student with a flexible arrangement remains enrolled at the school while an alternative educational provider delivers all or part of the student's educational program for the period of the arrangement. The alternative educational provision can occur on or off the school site and can comprise the student's entire educational program for a stated period, or part of the student's educational program for a stated period. For example, a principal might agree to make a flexible arrangement for a student with an opportunity to work as a child actor in a movie. For an agreed period of two weeks, the student will engage in an educational program whose content is determined by the school and delivered by a tutor on the set of the film. In another case, a student might attend First Aid Training for 1 day per week for a period of ten weeks' and spend the other 4 days at school attending usual classes. During the flexible arrangement the principal retains authority and responsibility for the student's educational program.
The intent of a flexible arrangement is to enable a student to participate in education and training at a level equivalent to full-time participation at school.
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