About our school

We are a School for Specific Purpose (SSP). We support students with Intensive Learning Support (Behaviour & Mental Health). Our school provides a safe, structured and inclusive learning environment where every student is recognised and supported to achieve their full potential.

We work with families, carers and support staff to make a learning and wellbeing plan for each student. This means all students can learn in a way that suits them best.

Alongside our curriculum, students take part in programs that build skills in:

• communication
• independence
• life skills
• social skills.

Our classrooms are set up to meet each student’s needs. We make sure students feel safe, respected and ready to learn in a way that suits them. Our staff are caring and are skilled to help students feel confident, connected and proud of who they are.

Our school uses a placement process. Enrolment occurs through a formal referral. Families and schools can contact us if they think our school might be right for their child. To learn more, visit our enrolment enquiries page.

Our purpose at Barwon Learning Centre is to provide meaningful educational experiences for students. We offer trauma-informed individualised support tailored to the unique needs of each student. We prioritise understanding student behaviours as expressions of unmet needs. We dig deeper, collaborating with students to understand and better understand their emotions, behaviours, needs and responses.

At the heart of our approach lies strong family and community connection. At Barwon Learning Centre, we recognise that safe, respectful relationships and meaningful cultural connections are fundamental to student success. We work closely with families to create a culturally safe and supportive environment where students, families, and staff feel valued. Through a holistic approach, we collaborate with families to uphold our core values of safety, respect, and joy in learning.

Barwon Learning Centre celebrate diversity and strive to meet the needs of each student. Our focus on re-engagement, resilience, autonomy, character development, and adaptive life skills empowers students to navigate challenges with confidence. Through a strength-based interest-led approach to teaching and learning, with a heavy emphasis on literacy and numeracy, we equip students with essential lifelong skills. We embrace explicit teaching, alternative learning methods and post-school pathways, recognising that education extends beyond traditional classroom settings.