Pioneering Twice-Exceptional Education in Australia
&
OUR VISION
is to foster an understanding in the world
where all twice-exceptional people
recognise
their own boundless potential,
embrace their differences and are accepted
by others for their own uniqueness.
OUR MISSION
is to provide a world-leading education for
twice-exceptional
young people.
As the first school of its kind in Australia,
Tombolo aims to provide an educational environment
that is one of the best places in the world for
twice-exceptional young people to develop and
flourish socially, emotionally and academically.
TWICE EXCEPTIONALITY (2E)
1
Demonstrate potential for high achievement or creative productivity
in one or more domains such as: maths,
science, technology,
the social arts, the
visual, spatial, or performing arts,
or other
areas of human endeavour.
2
Manifest one or more disabilities
as defined by federal or state eligibility criteria. These disabilities include:
specific learning disabilities; speech and language disorders,
emotional/behavioural disorders, physical disabilities,
Autism Spectrum Disorders, or other neurological differences,
such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
3
Students whose unique combination of formidable abilities and
disabilities cause dissonance in traditional educational environments,
leading to potential failure and emotional distress.
4
Many slip under the radar as the two opposing characteristics mask
each other, leading to being misunderstood.
“Influential people are never satisfied with the status quo. They’re the ones who constantly ask, ‘What if?’ and ‘Why not?’ They’re not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and they don’t disrupt things for the sake of being disruptive; they do it to make things better.”
-Dr Travis Bradberry – Author of No #1 Best Seller
Emotional Intelligence 2.0
Stay in Touch
Opening February 2021
Opening Date 2021
Tombolo Academy Statement of Democratic Principles
Tombolo Academy is committed to the principles of a liberal democracy.
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- We believe in an accountable, democratically elected government.
- We respect and observe the rule of law and believe that no person is above the law.
- We believe in equal rights for all before the law, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender or other attributes.
- We believe not only in the freedom of religion, but also the need to practice tolerance and understanding of others’ beliefs.
- We believe in the value of freedom of speech and freedom of association, but also acknowledge that we have the responsibility not to abuse this freedom.
- We believe in the values of openness and tolerance, and value and respect all members of the school community regardless of background.
Tombolo Academy provides an inclusive education system that enables all twice-exceptional students to be welcomed, accepted and engaged so that they can participate, achieve and thrive in school life.
Inclusive education:
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- Ensures that students with disabilities are not discriminated against and are accommodated to participate in education on the same basis as their peers.
- Acknowledges and responds to the diverse needs, identities and strengths of all students.
- Occurs when students with disabilities and additional needs are treated with respect and are involved in making decisions about their education.
- Benefits students of all abilities in the classroom and fosters positive cultural change in attitudes and beliefs about disability, in and beyond the school environment.
- Contributes to positive learning, engagement and wellbeing outcomes for students.
This Statement of Democratic Principles is communicated to staff, students, parents and guardians and the school community.
Our Child Safe Policy
Objectives
This policy provides the framework for:
- the development of work systems, practices, policies and procedures that promote child protection within the School
- the creation of a positive and robust child protection culture
- the promotion and open discussion of child protection issues within the School
- compliance with all laws, regulations and standards relevant to child protection in Victoria.
Statement of Commitment to Child Safety
Tombolo Academy is committed to providing a child safe and child friendly environment, where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and are able to actively participate in decisions that affect their lives. At Tombolo Academy we have a zero tolerance for child abuse and are committed to acting in children’s best interests and keeping them safe from harm. The School regards its child protection responsibilities with the utmost importance and as such, is committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure compliance with all relevant child protection laws and regulations and maintain a child safe culture.
Child Safe Values and Principles
The School’s commitment to child safety is based on the following overarching principles that guide the development and regular review of our work systems, practices, policies and procedures to protect children from abuse.
- All children have the right to be safe.
- The welfare and best interests of the child are paramount.
- The views of the child and a child’s privacy must be respected.
- Clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children are established in our Child Safe Code of Conduct and Staff and Student Professional Boundaries policy.
- The safety of children is dependent upon the existence of a child safe culture.
- Child safety awareness is promoted and openly discussed within our School community.
- Procedures are in place to screen all staff, Direct Contact Volunteers, Third Party Contractors and External Education Providers who have direct contact with children.
- Child safety and protection is everyone’s responsibility.
- Child protection training is mandatory for all Board of Directors members, staff and Direct Contact Volunteers.
- Procedures for responding to alleged or suspected incidents of child abuse are simple and accessible for all members of the School community.
- Children from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds have the right to special care and support including those who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
- Children who have any kind of disability have the right to special care and support.
Student Discipline
This policy provides the framework for:
- the development of work systems, practices, policies and procedures that promote child protection within the School
- the creation of a positive and robust child protection culture
- the promotion and open discussion of child protection issues within the School
- compliance with all laws, regulations and standards relevant to child protection in Victoria.
Statement of Commitment to Child Safety
Tombolo Academy is committed to providing a child safe and child friendly environment, where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and are able to actively participate in decisions that affect their lives. At Tombolo Academy we have a zero tolerance for child abuse and are committed to acting in children’s best interests and keeping them safe from harm. The School regards its child protection responsibilities with the utmost importance and as such, is committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure compliance with all relevant child protection laws and regulations and maintain a child safe culture.
Child Safe Values and Principles
The School’s commitment to child safety is based on the following overarching principles that guide the development and regular review of our work systems, practices, policies and procedures to protect children from abuse.
- All children have the right to be safe.
- The welfare and best interests of the child are paramount.
- The views of the child and a child’s privacy must be respected.
- Clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children are established in our Child Safe Code of Conduct and Staff and Student Professional Boundaries policy.
- The safety of children is dependent upon the existence of a child safe culture.
- Child safety awareness is promoted and openly discussed within our School community.
- Procedures are in place to screen all staff, Direct Contact Volunteers, Third Party Contractors and External Education Providers who have direct contact with children.
- Child safety and protection is everyone’s responsibility.
- Child protection training is mandatory for all Board of Directors members, staff and Direct Contact Volunteers.
- Procedures for responding to alleged or suspected incidents of child abuse are simple and accessible for all members of the School community.
- Children from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds have the right to special care and support including those who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
- Children who have any kind of disability have the right to special care and support.
Tombolo Philosophy
Tombolo Academy
Tombolo Academy is an Independent Specialist year 7-10 school that caters for twice-exceptional students (gifted + disabled concurrently), who are able to function within the Victorian Curriculum at age level, or above, in a majority of academic areas but also at level 3 or above in their area of disability. Tombolo Academy is the first school in Australia to be focussed entirely on the comprehensive education of a broad range of twice-exceptional students.
Tombolo Academy Philosophy
Twice-exceptional students are defined as being gifted with some form of disability. These students are considered exceptional both because of their gift; intellectual, creative, perceptual and or motor abilities and because of their special needs which could include specific learning disabilities, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and/or a physical disability.
Twice-exceptional students are not homogenous. There is a connection between the type and level of disability and the type and level of gift, but its presentation is not predictable.
Every twice-exceptional student requires a curriculum and pathway through the education levels that is individually modified to cater for their disability and their gift, together.
Due to the emotional impact of being different from the majority, many twice-exceptional students feel isolated, depressed, anxious, confused or hopeless. A strong social-emotional program is central to Tombolo’s programs to minimise or eliminate the impact of such deep negative feelings.
Our Child Safe Code of Conduct
This Child Safe Code of Conduct outlines appropriate standards of behaviour for all adults towards students. The Code serves to protect students, reduce any opportunities for abuse or harm to occur, and promote child safety in the School environment. It provides guidance on how to best support students and how to avoid or better manage difficult situations. Where a staff member breaches the Code, Tombolo Academy may take disciplinary action, including in the case of serious breaches, summary dismissal. The School revises the Code annually.
Tombolo Academy has the following expectations of behaviours and boundaries for all adults interacting with students within our School community. This includes all teaching staff, non-teaching staff, the Board of Directors, Volunteers, Third Party Contractors, External Education Providers and parents/carers.
The School’s Board of Directors has endorsed this Child Safe Code of Conduct.
DO:
- Behave as a positive role model to students.
- Promote the safety, welfare and wellbeing of students.
- Be vigilant and proactive with regard to student safety and child protection issues.
- Provide age appropriate supervision for students.
- Comply with guidelines published by the School with respect to child protection.
- Treat all students with respect.
- Promote the safety, participation and empowerment of students with a disability.
- Promote the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of linguistically and culturally diverse students.
- Use positive and affirming language towards students.
- Encourage students to ‘have a say’ and participate, and then listen to them with respect.
- Respect cultural, religious and political differences.
- Help provide an open, safe and supportive environment for all students to interact, and socialise.
- Intervene when students are engaging in inappropriate bullying behaviour towards others or acting in a humiliating or vilifying way.
- Report any breaches of this Child Safe Code of Conduct.
- Report concerns about child safety to one of the School’s Child Safety Officers and ensure that your legal obligations to report allegations externally are met.
- Where an allegation of child abuse is made, ensure as quickly as possible that the student involved is safe.
- Call the Police on 000 if you have immediate concerns for a student’s safety.
- Respect the privacy of students and their families and only disclose information to people who have a need to know.
DO NOT:
- Engage in any form of inappropriate behaviour towards students or expose students to such behaviour.
- Use prejudice, oppressive behaviour or inappropriate language with students.
- Express personal views on cultures, race or sexuality in the presence of students or discriminate against any student based on culture, race, ethnicity or disability.
- Engage in open discussions of an adult nature in the presence of students.
- Engage in any form of sexual conduct with a student including making sexually suggestive comments and sharing sexually suggestive material.
- Engage in inappropriate or unnecessary physical conduct or behaviours including doing things of a personal nature that a student can do for themselves, such as toileting or changing clothes.
- Engage in any form of physical violence towards a student including inappropriately rough physical play.
- Use physical means or corporal punishment to discipline or control a student.
- Engage in any form of behaviour that has the potential to cause a student serious emotional or psychological harm.
- Develop ‘special’ relationships with students that could be seen as favouritism (for example, the offering of gifts or special treatment for specific students).
- Engage in undisclosed private meetings with a student that is not your own child.
- Engage in meetings with a child that is not your own, outside of school hours and without permission from the School and the child’s parent.
- Engage in inappropriate personal communications with a student through any medium, including any online contact or interactions with a student.
- Take or publish (including online) photos, movies or recordings of a student without parental/carer consent.
- Post online any information about a student that may identify them such as their: full name; age; e-mail address; telephone number; residence; school; or details of a club or group they may attend.
- Ignore or disregard any suspected or disclosed child abuse.
Our Child Protection Program includes a Staff and Student Professional Boundaries policy that provides detailed guidance for all adults at the School on how to maintain professional boundaries between students and adults at Tombolo Academy. For more information please contact the school office.
Tombolo Academy principles:
Tombolo Academy is based on the 10 fundamental principles, which together make the up our values:
- See the potential
At Tombolo we believe the twice-exceptional young person deserves the opportunity to positively change the world. Their potential is vast. We work to see this recognised and appreciated in real world applications.
- Acceptance of who you are
We recognise that all twice-exceptional young people and adults have unique challenges We accept and embrace their positive differences and seek the opportunities in their difficulties.
- Mutual respect
Students and parents/carers are treated with respect at all times by Tombolo Academy staff. Staff are treated with respect at all times by students and parents/carers. Tombolo Academy staff all treat each other respectfully and as equals.
- All students have choice
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Students are enabled and encouraged to take control of their own learning through negotiation with teachers and their parents/carers. Student ideas are always be met constructively and with optimism to enable them to have as much choice as possible in the what, when, where and how of their learning.
- All students have a voice
We work hard with our students, parents/carers, staff members and the wider community to ensure that our students can advocate in a positive way to justify and defend their own needs.
- To have fun
We ensure that our students enjoy coming to Tombolo Academy, and that they build a positive relationship with learning and the community socially, emotionally and academically.
- Teach the whole person
Learning is not aimed solely at academic progress – we develop the capacities of our students across the whole range of human experience.
- Strengths based, individualised, authentic, big picture learning.
We support students in identifying their strengths and we individualise students’ learning to ensure their strengths are harnessed and developed. All learning is individualised to each students’ zone of proximal development. We also provide authentic, real world activities and projects to give context to our learning by demonstrating where it fits within a bigger world view.
- Yes, is the default
If a student, parent/carer or staff member has a suggestion for a potential learning opportunity at Tombolo Academy, the default answer is always yes, unless it detrimentally affects other people or is not aligned with our values.
- Be ready for the real world beyond
We support students to ensure that when they leave Tombolo Academy, they are ready and able to fully engage with further study or work and the rest of the world beyond. Thus, continuing to realise their potential.
Complaints procedure
What is a Complaint?
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction made to Tombolo Academy board or staff, related to our services or operations, or the complaints handling process itself, where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected.
Informal Complaints Resolution
The vast majority of issues causing concern in schools can be handled quickly and in an informal manner. In most cases these issues can be resolved through informal discussions with appropriate staff members. Even if an issue is able to be resolved informally, all staff are required to log issues on our complaints management register so we are able to identify any systemic issues arising, and take appropriate rectification action.
How Do I Make a Formal Complaint?
If you have been unable to resolve a matter informally, or simply wish to make a formal complaint you can do so by any of the following means:
- Sending an email to [email protected]
- Writing a letter addressed to the Principal or the Chair of the Board of Directors.
- Telephoning and asking to speak to your child’s classroom teacher
All formal complaints will be logged into our complaints register and managed in accordance with the following procedure.
Tombolo Academy has implemented the following steps to encourage feedback, and to make it easy for people to lodge a complaint.
- A short form Complaints Policy with information on how to make a complaint is available on our public website.
- All staff are made aware of the importance of capturing and recording critical feedback. Many complaints are received via telephone, in person, or via email, and the ability of our staff to recognise a complaint, and to capture it effectively, is a central feature of our Complaints Handling Program.
Informal Complaints Resolution
The vast majority of issues causing concern in schools can be handled quickly and in an informal manner. In most cases these issues can be resolved through informal discussions with appropriate staff members. Even if an issue is able to be resolved informally, all staff are required to log issues on our complaints management register so we are able to identify any systemic issues arising, and take appropriate rectification action.
How Do I Make a Formal Complaint?
If you have been unable to resolve a matter informally, or simply wish to make a formal complaint you can do so by any of the following means:
- Sending an email to [email protected]
- Writing a letter addressed to the Principal or the Chair of the Board of Directors.
- Telephoning and asking to speak to your child’s classroom teacher
All formal complaints will be logged into our complaints register and managed in accordance with the following procedure.
Our Internal Complaints Handling Process
Step 1 – All formal complaints are logged on our complaints management register where they are screened by one of our Complaints Officers (Business Manager or Principal), or in the case of complaints against the Principal or Business Manager, by the Chair of the Board of Directors.
Step 2 – All valid complaints will be acknowledged in writing, as soon as practicable, and allocated a status, priority and target resolution date. It is our policy, where possible, to resolve all disputes within 14 days.
Step 3 – The Complaints Officer shall conduct an investigation into the issues raised, following principles of procedural fairness, and make a determination.
Step 4 – Following the determination, if appropriate, the Complaints Officer shall formulate a resolution and provide a written response to the complainant. The matter will be closed if this response is accepted.
Step 5 – If the initial response is not acceptable the matter will be reviewed internally by the Chair of the Board, who may seek additional information or submissions from the relevant parties. All disputes will be addressed within 14 days from the date that the review process is initiated. The matter will be closed if the response is accepted.
Step 6 – All complaints received will be entered into our Complaints Register and, where appropriate, a corrective action request will be made to address any underlying processes which the complaints investigation revealed may require improvement.
Step 7 – If the matter remains unresolved, the complainant may pursue external resolution alternatives.