The school is a band 10 independent public special school with an active and enthusiastic principal, deputy principal, and staff of special education teachers, teacher aides, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech language pathologist, guidance officer, chaplain, and administrative and grounds support personnel, including a dedicated business services manager.
The principal has taught in early intervention, primary, secondary and special education settings, as well as colleges of technical and further education and university. She is research masters qualified in special education, having studied intellectual disability and autistic spectrum disorder as well as having conducted master’s research into the links between reading achievement and student self-esteem. The principal’s professional focus relates to achieving high quality student learning and life quality outcomes within values-based leadership that aims to foster creativity, risk taking, initiative and entrepreneurial endeavour.
The deputy principal has university qualifications in education and psychology and like the principal, has achieved an advanced skills qualification in functional behaviour analysis through the Institute of Applied Behaviour Analysis, California. His professional interests include positive behaviour support, autistic spectrum disorder, distributed leadership and community engagement in schools.
The Darling Point Special School staff team boasts a breadth and depth of qualifications, experience and expertise. Our school has actively recruited special education trained teachers with knowledge that enables them to provide individualised programs that meet the strengths and needs of the range of students at the school. Teachers have particular expertise in applied behaviour analysis, positive behaviour support, adaptive communication, Auslan, mobility and positioning, literacy and numeracy, as well as visual arts, manual arts and machining, science and environmental science, and music including drumming.
Teacher aides have at least Certificate 3 in Education Support or are working towards this formal qualification or similar. Several teacher aides have achieved diploma level qualifications.
The coordinator of the on-site outside school hours care and vacation care service has a strong employment history in the disability sector and brings enthusiasm, care, nurturing and a desire to achieve positive relationships with the children and teens who access the service, together with their families and teachers, and the wider school community.