Special needs + adjustments
Learning support at Australian private schools
How to evaluate a school's special-needs program. NCCD framework, four adjustment levels, plus the questions that actually predict whether a school will be a good fit for a child with learning support needs.
What is NCCD?
NCCD (the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability) is the framework every Australian school uses to track + report on students receiving adjustments for disability. It's published annually by ACARA.
NCCD data is collected at every school but is generally only reported publicly at sector + state level — individual school NCCD counts are typically only visible on MySchool. Use this page to understand the framework + then dig into a specific school via MySchool.
Why this matters for school choice: a school with strong learning support infrastructure will likely have ~12-15% of students receiving NCCD-counted adjustments. A school with very low NCCD numbers may either have a less neurodiverse cohort, or may simply not be set up to identify + support students who need adjustments.
The four NCCD adjustment levels
Schools record each student at one of four levels based on the adjustments they need. % shown is national distribution among NCCD-counted students.
Quality Differentiated Teaching Practice (QDTP)
49%Adjustments embedded in everyday teaching. Most common — covers ~half of NCCD-counted students.
Supplementary
28%Additional adjustments + small group support a few times a week.
Substantial
18%Significant individual adjustments throughout the school day. Often 1:1 support several lessons per week.
Extensive
5%Highly individualised, near-constant adjustments. Often dedicated learning support classroom + 1:1 teaching aide.
Questions to ask a school's learning support team
- How many full-time learning support staff? A solid program for a 1,200-student school has 4–8 dedicated learning support teachers + 6–12 teaching aides. Ratio matters more than absolute count.
- What % of the school's students receive NCCD-counted adjustments? National independent-school average is ~14%. Top learning-support schools run 18-25%.
- What's the structure — pull-out, push-in, or integrated? Push-in (support teachers join the mainstream class) is the modern preferred approach. Pull-out can be effective but risks stigma.
- Diagnosis pathway: Does the school have an in-house educational psychologist, or does it refer out? Schools with in-house assessment + diagnosis tend to identify needs earlier.
- Exam adjustments: Does the school routinely apply for VCE/HSC Special Provisions? How many students receive Extra Working Time + reader/scribe adjustments in their cohort each year?
- Specialist programs: Many schools (Methodist Ladies' College, MGS, Knox) have specific dyslexia + autism support programs. Ask if there's one that fits your child's profile.
- Senior pathway: What % of students with learning support graduate to ATAR vs an alternative (VCAL / VET / Foundation) pathway? A flexibly-structured senior school is a positive indicator.
- Parent communication: How often does the learning support team formally meet with families? Term-by-term Individual Learning Plan (ILP) reviews are the gold standard.
The strongest learning support programs are at schools where it's an explicit priority, not an add-on. Look for a Head of Learning Support reporting directly to the Principal — not buried under Heads of Pastoral or Heads of Curriculum.
Useful disability categories
NCCD records the broad category as well as the level of adjustment. Schools track these patterns + tailor support accordingly.
Cognitive
Includes intellectual disability, dyslexia, specific learning disorders
Social/Emotional
Anxiety, depression, behavioural difficulties
Physical
Mobility, visual or hearing impairments, chronic health conditions
Sensory
Auditory processing, sensory processing disorders
Source: ACARA NCCD framework, nccd.edu.au.