Assessments
The Board is required to undertake assessments during the following phases of a school's accreditation. Authorised persons are appointed by the Board to conduct these assessments.
Initial assessment of school - new school or new type of education
The Board must conduct an initial assessment for a new school or for an existing school which commences the operation of a new type of education (primary or secondary education). The Board must start this assessment at least 60 days to within six months after the initial student-intake day for the type of education.
The Board will start the assessment by sending the governing body a notice requesting information and documentation to be provided to the Board within 30 days. This notice requires submission of documentation on the school’s governance arrangements; financial viability; complaints procedures; land and building details; and student welfare processes.
The Board appoints an authorised person to visit the school to conduct an on-site assessment. The Board will inform the governing body and school’s principal of the appointment of the authorised person. The authorised person will contact the school’s principal to arrange a date to visit the school. During the site visit the authorised person will assess the school’s educational program; implementation of student welfare processes; adequacy of the school’s facilities, resources and staffing; and improvement processes.
To assess a school, the Board must obtain a written report from an authorised person. The Board decides whether the school is complying with the school’s accreditation criteria and the governing body is suitable to continue to be the governing body of the school.
The Board will notify the governing body in writing of its consideration of the initial assessment.
Additional assessment of certain schools
Additional assessment of establishment phase school
This type of assessment applies to a school that is an establishment phase school for a year of schooling and has started to provide education after the latest student-intake day for a sector of schooling at any site of the school.
The Board must start an assessment at least 60 days to within six months after the latest student-intake day for the year of schooling for the sector of schooling within which the school has started.
For example, a school may have initially opened providing primary education for Preparatory Year to Year 3 and then progressively commenced Years 4, 5 and 6 over the next three years. An establishment phase assessment for the Year 4 to 6 sector of schooling will start at least 60 days to six months after the student-intake day for Year 6 being the last year of schooling for that sector.
Sector of schooling means any of the following groups of years of schooling:
- Preparatory Year to Year 3
- Year 4 to Year 6
- Year 7 to Year 10
- Year 11 and Year 12.
The process for conducting the assessment for a sector of schooling is the same as outlined above for an initial assessment of a school.
Below is an example of the assessments for an establishment phase school offering primary and secondary education.
| Year level | Commencement year | Assessments for school | Sector of schooling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prep | 2018 | Initial assessment - primary education | Preparatory Year to Year 3 |
| 1 | 2018 | ||
| 2 | 2018 | ||
| 3 | 2018 | ||
| 4 | 2019 | Year 4 to Year 6 | |
| 5 | 2020 | ||
| 6 | 2021 | Establishment phase assessment | |
| 7 | 2022 | Initial assessment - secondary education | Year 7 to Year 10 |
| 8 | 2023 | ||
| 9 | 2024 | ||
| 10 | 2025 | Establishment phase assessment | |
| 11 | 2026 | Year 11 and Year 12 | |
| 12 | 2027 | Establishment phase assessment |
Assessment when school starts to operate at new site
This type of assessment applies to a school that has started to operate at a new site at which the school has not previously operated.
The Board must start an assessment of the school at least 60 days to within six months after the day the school starts to operate at the new site.
The process for conducting the assessment for the new site is the same as outlined above for an initial assessment of a school.
Other assessments - monitoring compliance
Under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2017, the Board may conduct assessments of a school to determine whether the school is complying with the school’s accreditation criteria.
Assessments may also be undertaken to determine:
- whether the governing body is suitable to be, or to continue to be, the governing body of the school, or
- whether the governing body meets or continues to meet, the government funding eligibility criteria.
Last updated 20 August, 2024