Approved Education Courses - Schools Policy

1. What is this policy about?
   1. This policy establishes the conditions that must be met for the approval of educational courses held at a place other than a school.
2. Policy Statement
   1. The Director-General, Education and Training may approve educational courses for a child enrolled at a public school that are provided to the child at a place other than the school.
   2. A person providing an approved educational course must:
      • deliver courses of study consistent with the ACT Curriculum
      • deliver courses of study that are appropriate to the needs of the student(s) undertaking the course(s)
      • verify teaching staff are suitably qualified or have appropriate experience to deliver the course
      • verify all staff employed by the education provider have undergone background checking and registration in accordance with the Working With Vulnerable People Act 2011 (WWVP Act). The provider must provide a report verifying all staff are registered in accordance with the WWVP Act must be provided to the Director-General prior to the course being approved
      • use best practice methods in pedagogy, assessment, record keeping and student management
      • make curriculum documentation available to parents
      • comply with the Directorate’s Reporting Student Achievement (Preschool-Year 12) Policy.
   3. A person providing an approved educational course must comply with the provisions of the Education Act 2004 (the Act), Sections 32 and 33 regarding the recording of enrolment and attendance of students at an approved educational course.
   4. As stipulated under Section 34 of the Act, the register of enrolments and attendance must be available on request by the Director General or an authorised person.
   5. Any person providing an approved educational course will:
      • ensure all activities are conducted in a manner that eliminates or minimises risks to health and safety
      • ensure compliance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and associated regulations, standards and codes of practice
      • provide appropriate levels of duty of care
   6. Any person providing an approved educational course is required to provide suitable facilities at which to conduct the educational course. Indoor and outdoor environments must:
      • be safe, clean and provide adequate space for the course to be delivered
      • provide easy access for all students
      • be appropriate to their ages, developmental abilities, interests, needs and skills
      • be conducive to the achievement of the course outcomes.
3. Who does this policy apply to?
   1. This policy applies to principals, students, parents and educational course providers.
4. Context
   1. The Education Act 2004, Section 31 provides the legislative basis for the approval of educational courses at a place other than the school.
5. Responsibilities
   1. The principal is responsible for implementing the policy.
   2. The School Board is responsible for developing, maintaining and reviewing the school curriculum plan.
   3. The Director-General is responsible for approving the educational course.
   4. Policy Owner: The Director, Learning and Teaching is responsible for this policy.
6. Monitoring and Review
   1. The Policy Owner monitors the policy. This includes an annual scan of operation and review.
7. Contact
   1. For support, contact the Learning and Teaching Branch on (02) 6205 9205.
8. Complaints
   1. Any concerns about the application of this procedure or the procedure itself, should be raised with:
      • the school principal in the first instance;
      • the Directorate’s Liaison Unit on (02) 6205 5429.
      • online at https://www.education.act.gov.au/about-us/contact_us.
      • see also the Complaints Policy on the Directorate’s website.
9. References
   1. Definitions
      • The ACT Curriculum: Preschool to Year 10 is prescribed by the Director-General. It comprises the Australian Curriculum and Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework.
      • Approved educational course: is a course provided at a place other than the school and approved under the Education Act 2004 Section 31.
   2. Legislation
      • The Education Act 2004 provides for the operation and governance of ACT public schools, including Approved Educational Courses.
      • The Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 requires people working or volunteering in 'Activities or Services for Children' and have contact with vulnerable people while engaging in regulated activities and services to register with the Office of Regulatory Services.
   3. Related Policies and Information
      • Education Participation (Enrolment and Attendance) Policy
      • Reporting Student Achievement (Preschool-Year 12) Policy

Approved Educational Courses – Public Schools Policy: AEC200510 is the unique identifier of this document. It is the responsibility of the user to verify that this is the current and complete version of the document, available on the Directorate’s website at http://www.education.act.gov.au/publications_and_policies/school_and_corporate_policies/A-Z.