Support from providers outside our school
Our school works closely with families to ensure every child receives the support they need to learn and thrive. Sometimes this includes engaging specialist providers from outside our school, such as therapists funded through the NDIS or other programs.
External providers do not have an automatic right of access to our school. All requests must be made by a parent or carer in writing so the school can determine whether the proposed support is safe, appropriate and in the best interests of the student.
For all external provider enquiries, please contact the school via our dedicated email address:
externalproviders@rutherford-p.schools.nsw.edu.au
What does outside support mean?
Outside support means getting extra help for your child from people who are not part of our school. This can include:
- Assessments or checks – such as psychological, speech or occupational therapy
- Special tutoring or learning programs – run by trained professionals outside our school
- Health services – like counselling or medical support we cannot give internally
- Agency support – help with behaviour, language or social development
This support works with what our school already provides, to meet your child’s needs.
What does external provider support look like at Rutherford Public School?
At Rutherford Public School, our core purpose is to provide high-quality, uninterrupted learning environments that ensure all students are engaged in learning. While we value the services provided by external therapists and support professionals (including those funded through the NDIS), sessions are generally required to be held outside of school hours, unless specific circumstances apply and approval has been granted by the school.
The NSW Department of Education and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) recommend that therapy services funded through a child’s NDIS support plan are best delivered outside of school time. This allows schools to focus on teaching and learning and ensures students do not miss important classroom instruction.
If approved, external provider access may occur between 1:00pm and 3:00pm only.
Key information for families and providers:
- Session days and times are negotiated with the class teacher after approval has been granted and all required documentation has been received.
- Documentation must be submitted annually.
- Sessions must occur within line of sight of the class teacher.
- Providers must supply the class teacher with a therapy update form within two weeks of each session.
- All services must conclude by Week 7, Term 4 each year.
- Ongoing approval is dependent on full compliance with school procedures. Failure to comply may result in the withdrawal of access approval.
How the process works for parents and carers
A meeting will be arranged with the Principal’s nominated representative to discuss the suitability of the request. The school administration staff will contact you to schedule this meeting.
When considering whether to approve or decline a request, the Principal’s nominated representative will take into account:
- your child’s needs, including whether the service supports their participation and engagement in learning
- the school’s duty of care to all students and staff
- how the proposed service relates to your child’s identified needs
- the impact on your child’s learning, including that your child will miss essential classroom learning and curriculum content while participating in therapy sessions
- supervision arrangements while your child is receiving the service
- potential disruption to the learning of other students
- the operational needs of the school
- the availability of appropriate space for the service to occur
Following the meeting, the Principal’s nominated representative will then require time to consider the request and will advise you of the outcome.
If the request is approved, the external provider must meet all documentation and compliance requirements prior to the commencement of any sessions.
Your role in the process
Parents and carers help this process run smoothly by:
- submitting a Parent request for external providers (including NDIS) form via the School Bytes Parent Portal for all requests for external provider access
- attending the scheduled meeting with the Principal’s nominated representative to discuss the request for external provider access
- notifying the external provider directly if their child will be absent from school or if a school activity or event (such as an excursion or sporting event) will affect their child’s availability for a scheduled session
For more information on accessing external provider support, see our Parents and carers external provider factsheet.
Requirements for external providers
External providers must meet all NSW Department of Education requirements before working with our school.
They must:
External providers must:
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sign a written agreement with Rutherford Public School.
Please note: our agreement has been customised to suit our school context. A generic Department of Education agreement is not accepted.
To sign the agreement, please download the document and open it using a PDF application (such as Adobe), as browser-based viewing does not support signing functionality.
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Follow the External provider information sheet and checklist.
External providers must:
- comply with all relevant NSW Department of Education policies, including those relating to equity, inclusion and child wellbeing
- comply with all relevant legislation and policy requirements, including child protection and privacy obligations
- complete child protection training annually
Please refer to the External provider information sheet and checklist for full requirements.
External providers must hold and provide evidence of:
- appropriate insurance coverage
- a valid Working With Children Check (WWCC)
- all required qualifications and relevant experience
Please refer to the External provider information sheet and checklist for full requirements.
External providers must not commence support until written confirmation has been received from the school confirming that:
- all documentation has been processed, and
- session dates and times may be negotiated with the class teacher.
External providers must not contact the class teacher prior to receiving written approval.
Once approval has been granted, the class teacher’s email address will be provided to the external provider so that session dates and times can be negotiated.
- sessions may only occur between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm, unless otherwise approved by the principal
- sessions must occur within line of sight of the class teacher
- all services must cease by Week 7, Term 4 each year