National Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) on School students with a disability

National Consistent Collection of Data(NCCD) on School students with a disability

Schools must now complete the National Consistent Collection of Data(NCCD) annually. It counts the number of students who receive extra adjustments or -‘help’ at school because of a disability, as defined by the Discrimination Act 1992. (DDA).

Please refer to the below letter from the College’s Enhanced Learning Co-ordinator, Maria Richards, for further information regarding the NCCD requirements.

Dear Parents, Carers and Guardians,

The College is currently collecting and collating information for identified students for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with the Disability (NCCD). This occurs annually in the month of August. It counts the number of students who receive additional adjustments at school because of a disability. St. Patrick’s College have many identified students under their care and most students placed in NCCD would have ongoing PSGs with a facilitator. There are four types of disability that the school can choose from: sensory, cognitive, social-emotional and physical. Students included may have learning challenges, health problems, physical disability and social- emotional problems.

In order to accord with our obligations to the government, we are required to provide evidence for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD), and provide transparency around additional assistance students receive in the classroom delivery of the curriculum and any amendments to assessment tasks. The NCCD is based on the professional judgement of teachers about the adjustments and actions taken to enable a student with a learning difficulty or disability to access and participate in education on the same basis as other students. The evidence will reflect a wide range of practices of teachers and schools in meeting the educational needs of their students consistent with obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA), the Disability Standards of Education 2005 and best teaching practices.

Not all students with adjustments to their learning will be included in the NCCD, however as a school we must provide evidence of a minimum of 10 weeks (non-consecutive) adjustment and support. The support does not detract from their marks or indicate a learning difficulty or disability, unless it has been diagnosed by an internal or outside specialist. Rather, it is evidence of good teaching practice.

As stated in the NCCD Information Sheet for Parents, Carers and Guardians, which can be found at this link NCCD Information Sheet 2020, any letters from doctors or specialist such as psychologists, speech pathologists and occupational therapists sent to the Enhanced Learning Coordinator can be very helpful for our school to best support your son with their learning. These reports combined with our internal information e.g. school-based assessments and including external supports can then lead to an informed Individual Learning Plan which helps the school to understand and best meet your child’s needs.

Yours sincerely,

Maria Richards

Enhanced Learning Co-ordinator