Enrolments Policy

Placement at Halswell Residential College is a short to medium term intervention designed to stabilise learning and behaviour and is considered the most appropriate way to:

•  increase learning achievement by providing a significantly modified/adapted curriculum programme to enable optimum learning to occur;

•  significantly enhance the student's personal and social skills and improve each student's ability to manage his/her behaviour appropriately in a variety of individual and social situations; and

•  enable the student to be reintegrated into an age appropriate education environment and their home community.

CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING THE ENROLMENT OF STUDENTS

Students to be enrolled at Halswell Residential College must meet the following criteria:

•  They are in year 7-10 of schooling at the time of enrolment and have an underlying intellectual impairment.

•  Their educational, social and emotional, including behavioural, learning outcomes are not being achieved appropriately in their home community.

•  Enrolment at HRC is considered the most appropriate educational placement for the student.

•  Significant adaptation of almost all curriculum content is required in comparison with students of similar age who do not have special education needs.

•  Their enrolment/attendance is unlikely to be detrimental to the safety of others.

For example:

•  students who no longer exhibit severe behaviours (including severe violence).

•  students who do not have a history of sexualised behaviours that have compromised the safety of others.

•  students who have been responsive to the treatment of any psychiatric illness, i.e. suicidal ideation or attempts at suicide.

•  students who have been responsive to treatment for substance abuse.

APPLICATIONS FOR ENROLMENT

Applications may be made by;

•  Fundholders for the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Schemes (ORRS),

•  Ministry of Education, Special Education, or

•  Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) through their Management Committees.

Referring agents will:

1. Assess the student's eligibility against the specified criteria.

2. Complete the enrolment application and attach all information.

•  Forward all documentation to the Halswell Residential College Enrolment Committee for consideration at least a week prior to meeting dates [as notified on the web site]

ENROLMENT COMMITTEE

Enrolment Committee membership:

•  Principal,

•  Residential Manager,

•  Board of Trustees Parent Representative,

•  MOE Special Education local manager or delegate,

•  Resource Teachers Learning & Behaviour Representative (appointed biennially through the National Executive and with the approval of the RTLB's Management Committee),

The enrolment committee will consider each application against the enrolment criteria and give priority to those students who have the greatest needs that can be successfully met in the current HRC environment. The committee may return applications to referrers for clarification, or request further information. Applications will be returned if they are incomplete or handwritten.

The college will notify referrers of decisions made by the enrolment committee within 10 working days of the committee meeting.