Centre educates on disability support

Warnbro Education Support Centre is leading the way for students with disabilities, training a number of institutions to support their students.

The school was selected as a distinctive school under the Federal Government’s More Support for Students with Disabilities funding and has used the grant to develop a program to train other schools with the Big Plan, a program which helps students develop steps towards their dreams or goals.

My Future: My Life transition co-ordinator Hannah Stoneham said the focus was to help schools use the Big Plan to support students with disabilities through transition from primary school to high school, and then through high school into the real world.

“It is a powerful person-centred approach in which you look at all aspects of a young person’s life and help them think about, and plan for, a future which is fulfilling and meaningful for them,” she said.

Ms Stoneham said the school had run a series of Big Plan training workshops for other schools’ staff members to learn the process and then implement the program back into their school.

She said Warnbro ESC had a long successful history of providing innovative and meaningful projects for students with disability.

“We have been involved in person centre planning and Big Plan training since about 2006 and we have found it to be a powerful set of tools to use,” Ms Stoneham said.

Makybe Rise Primary School, Rockingham Education Support Centre, Coodanup Community College and Eastern Goldfields High School attended the workshops.

Warnbro ESC will continue to support the schools with the hope the Big Plan will make a difference in the lives of students with disabilities across WA.