Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the school located?
The school is located at Alexandra Hills, on TAFE Campus. To find the school, drive into the TAFE, turn left at the roundabout and follow the signs to The Sycamore School Main Entrance. When you arrive, press the intercom button on the gate to be let in.
Can we visit the school?
To book a tour, please complete our Enrolment Enquiry form. Our Enrolments Coordinator will then contact you to confirm your booking.
What are the class sizes and student/teacher ratios?
Each class has about ten young people supported by a Teacher and an Education Support Officer, who together form the Collaborative Education Team (CET). The CET share values and work together towards the educational goals and outcomes of the young people in their class. The CETs work closely with members of the Specialist Support Team which comprises of a Social Worker, Learning Enrichment Teacher, Chaplain, Behaviour Specialist and Behaviour Assistant. Together the teams collaborate with families to design individualised educational programs to support each young person's Personalised Learning Plan.
What level of schooling is available?
The school currently caters for young people from Preparatory to Year 10.
Are enrolments still open?
If you are interested in a placement at the school, we recommend that families complete the Application for Enrolment form as soon as possible to be considered for our next available position. If a vacancy arises or students are coping well with the size of their class, we may look adding additional students to the class. For further details on how to apply for enrolment, please visit the Enrolments page of the website.
What are the costs involved in attending the school?
The school operates at a price level that is affordable to families while maintaining the required standards, meeting government regulation and ensuring its financial feasibility based on student numbers and fee payments. Our school provides a specialist service with specialist teaching staff and a host of non-teaching supports as we aim for best practice. No additional fees are payable during the year for excursions, incursions, curriculum resources or classroom stationery and materials. A laptop levy is payable if your child is provided with a school owned laptop. Laptops will remain at School. For more information, refer to our Enrolments page.
What days and times do the young people attend school?
Young people at The Sycamore School attend school full-time Monday to Friday during the designated school terms. Young people in Primary School (Prep to Year 6) attend school from 9:00AM to 2:30PM each day, and High School (Year 7 to 10) students attend from 8:45AM to 2:45PM each day. The Sycamore School program is full-time program, we cannot accommodate part-time placements. During the enrolment phase, gradual transitions are recommended and negotiable.
What curriculum do you teach?
The Sycamore School curriculum comprises of three key components: Respect The Spectrum (RTS), Australian Curriculum Learning Areas and the Australian Curriculum General Capabilities. The RTS is often termed as the 'hidden curriculum'. It involves explicit teaching, as well as the incidental teaching of a range of skills across the areas that are typical characteristics and indicators of ASD, communication skills, social interaction, adaptive behaviours, sensory processing and information processing skills. At The Sycamore School, programming is centred around each young person and what makes them unique. We believe in the promise and potential of each child, and this is our motivation. For further information, please see the Curriculum section of our About Us page.
Can I use Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) or National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding towards fees?
Unfortunately not, HCWA and NDIS will not fund any fees or resources for use in education.
