Every student with disability succeeding plan 2021–2025

Success and wellbeing of every student with disability through each stage of learning in an inclusive education system

Since 2017, the Department of Education has undertaken system-wide reform guided by the Review of education of students with disability in Queensland state schools’ 17 recommendations (review).
Our first Every Student with Disability Succeeding plan 2017–2021, responded to the review recommendations to build an inclusive culture and improve outcomes for students with disability. By working closely with parent advocates, introducing the Inclusive Education Policy, and focussing on school improvement, we have continued to transform our state education system.
In this, our second Every student with disability succeeding plan 2021–2025, we have mapped the next phase of reform as we continue our journey towards a more inclusive education system. Informed by the views of parent groups and advocates, staff and other stakeholders, this plan will support us to drive continuous improvement and further embed policy into practice.
Building on our commitments under the Department of Education Strategic Plan 2021–2025 and the State Schools Improvement Strategy 2021–2025 this plan aims to support the success and wellbeing of every student with disability through each stage of learning in an inclusive education system.
When students are welcomed, engaged and supported they are more likely to succeed. Our plan includes actions to ensure every student with disability and their families are welcomed at their school, are heard and supported by confident and capable staff with high expectations that, with the right support, every student with disability can succeed.
Image on left hand side
This image shows photos of four students at different stages of learning from starting school, starting secondary school and the senior stage of learning with the wording approximately 1 in 5 students in Queensland state schools receive reasonable adjustments to support their learning.
Director-General’s message
The Department of Education remains committed to continuing our journey towards a more inclusive education system, to giving all children a great start and to supporting all students with disability succeed.
Achieving this goal requires committed leadership at every level of the department, in every school and in every classroom. By providing leadership and supporting our staff and building their confidence we are setting the foundations for ensuring the success and wellbeing of students.
While we have made significant progress in reforming our state education system, we know we have more to do. This, our second whole-of-agency Every student with disability succeeding plan, sets out our next phase of reform as we continue to transform our state education system and enable students with disability to achieve their full potential and live a life of choice.
Inclusive Education diagram 
A square with the words Every student succeeding in the middle with an infographic representation of groups of students around the outside including Students with disability, Students with mental health needs, Students in out-of-home care, Refugee students, Culturally and linguistically diverse students, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, Rural and remote, Gifted and talented students and LGBTIQ+. Students with disability are highlighted as this is the focus of improvement for this plan.
Inclusive Education policy
Our commitment is to continue our journey towards a more inclusive education system, so that all children and young people, from all social, cultural, community and family backgrounds, and of all identities and all abilities are able to:
•	attend their local state school or education centre and be welcomed
•	access and participate in high quality education and fully engage in the curriculum alongside their similar-aged peers
•	learn in a safe and supportive environment, free from bullying, discrimination or harassment
•	achieve academically and socially with reasonable adjustments and supports tailored to meet their learning needs.
Acknowledgement of country
The Department of Education acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands from across Queensland and pays respect to the Elders – past, present and emerging – for they hold the memories, traditions, the culture and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the state.
Image at the bottom of the page
This image has 8 squares with the key messages of the plan:
•	every student transition successful and effective
•	every student engaged and heard
•	every classroom supportive and accessible
•	every staff member confident and capable
•	every parent engaged and heard
•	every person respected and valued
•	every leader committed and leading
•	every school community inclusive
Image has a photo of 3 teachers sitting together talking.
Second page
Our priorities 
	Success and wellbeing for all children and students as they transition through each stage of learning in an inclusive education system. 
	Continuous improvement in the access to, and teaching, learning and assessment of, the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, the Australian Curriculum and the senior syllabuses. 
Our improvement measures
Achievement
•	A to E performance
•	students achieving a Queensland Certificate of Education
Engagement and wellbeing
•	student satisfaction
•	parent satisfaction
•	student wellbeing
Transition
•	retention in Years 10 to 12
•	access to a full-time educational program
•	school disciplinary absences
State Schools Improvement Strategy 2021 – 2025: Every student succeeding diagram
This diagram has the word Students in the middle. It has the words Precision, Alignment and Intentional collaboration around students. It has an outer layer with the words Teaching, Capability, Partners, Wellbeing, Inclusion and Performance.
Our actions
Over the next four years we will implement policies, practice and initiatives guided by three inter-related focus areas. In all of our work we will respect, protect and promote human rights.
Setting expectations
To foster an inclusive culture which respects diversity and acknowledges that with the right support, every student with disability can succeed we will:
Promote inclusive education and leadership
•	Continue to promote the Inclusive education policy including promoting good practice
•	Develop the capability of school leaders to lead inclusion in their school community
•	Develop materials to promote inclusion of students with disability in school communities
•	Implement the Able. Valuing talent in all abilities workforce strategy to increase the opportunity, inclusion and support for staff with disability
•	Implement the All Kinds of Minds neurodiversity pilot
Respect, protect and promote human rights
•	Provide training to all departmental staff, including school staff, to understand and apply human rights in a practical setting and embed human rights within the school curriculum
•	Continue to review and develop departmental policies and procedures that support inclusive education and promote human rights
Continuously improve
•	Continue school reviews focused on inclusion and work with schools to assess their inclusion journey
•	Consolidate findings from school reviews to identify areas for system reform to improve outcomes for students with disability
•	Monitor the use of Individual Curriculum Plans and provide training on their appropriate use
•	Engage with schools and parents to undertake a line of inquiry into part-time educational programs and informal part-time school attendance arrangements to inform future actions
•	Continue to monitor complaints made through the department’s complaints management system to identify issues and trends
•	Continue to build the capability of regional offices and schools to address and manage customer complaints as a way of driving continuous improvement
•	Provide guidance to school leaders and teachers on using data to support student learning, wellbeing and school improvement by implementing the Data Literacy Framework
•	Transition to a new resource allocation model for students with disability
Building capability
To support schools and build the confidence and capability of staff to provide the right support as children and young people transition through each stage of learning we will:
Support transitions from early childhood to Prep
•	Train Early Childhood Development Program (ECDP) staff on the Early Years Learning Framework
•	Support ECDP staff to collaborate with kindergartens and a child’s future school to support successful transitions to Prep
•	Pilot a bilingual/bicultural Deaf and hard of hearing kindergarten program
Develop confidence of schools and staff to support students
•	Promote Disability Standards for Education 2005 training and making reasonable adjustments
•	Introduce tele-practice to increase access to departmental therapy services in rural and remote schools
•	Using virtual online platforms, connect rural, remote and isolated students who are Deaf/hard of hearing or vision impaired to specialist English and wellbeing lessons in Auslan or Braille literacy
•	Enhance the capability of school staff to identify the early warning signs of students’ wellbeing concerns and respond appropriately
•	Increase students access to wellbeing and mental health support at school through the implementation of the Student Wellbeing Package
•	Provide coaching to teachers in rural and remote schools to support students with disability through the Centres for Learning and Wellbeing
•	Supporting literacy outcomes for students with autism
•	Build capability to make reasonable adjustments for assessments
•	Build the capability of teachers to use Information and Communications Technology tools to enhance access and engagement of students with disability
•	Develop Curriculum into the Classroom materials that model approaches to differentiation for students with disability
•	Update training for teacher aides to support effective adjustments for students with disability
Support transitions in secondary school and to life after school
•	Develop and implement a Pathways to a successful future strategy to prepare students for life after school supported by a Pathways Hub
•	Strengthen Senior Education and Training planning and career education support
•	Continue to build the capability of staff to implement the Restrictive Practices procedure for all students and build systems to monitor practice
Collaborating with students, parents and the community
To ensure students with disability and their families are heard and are engaged as equal partners in improving outcomes we will:
Build our capability to engage with students and parents
•	Develop and implement guidelines to support schools to consult effectively with students with disability and their parents and carers
•	Review policies and procedures to strengthen the need to consult students with disability and their parents and carers regarding adjustments
•	Revise complex case management guidelines to strengthen collaboration between schools, students, parents and external service providers
•	Promote examples of good practice collaboration between schools, students with disability, their parents and carers and external services
Work with community organisations to support students and their families
•	Hold regular roundtables with students, parent groups and advocates of students with disability to hear their views about system reforms
•	Support families to access kindergarten in the year before a child starts school and to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Early Childhood Early Intervention supports
•	Support families of students with disability to access the NDIS
Support students and parents to engage with schools
•	Engage a non-government organisation to provide independent advocacy services to students and parents with complex concerns
•	Engage a non-government organisation to provide support to families of students with disability and of children registered in ECDPs to understand inclusion and to engage with the schools
•	Develop and implement guidelines to improve access to departmental communications by people with disability
•	Co-design communication materials for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and carers about the supports provided at schools for students with disability
•	Develop and promote materials for students with disability to support their participation in consultations about reasonable adjustments
•	Continue co-design of support materials with students with autism
Diagram on right hand side
Three photos of students engaging in learning.