Senior School
MELBOURNE
Senior School
MELBOURNE
In the Senior School, there is an in-depth focus on supporting each students’ journey through adolescence and ensuring that their physical and emotional wellbeing is key at all times.
The Giant Steps Senior School teaches across a diverse range of subject areas within the Victorian Curriculum.
Our trans-disciplinary team supports students from Year 7 to Year 10. Our team of teachers and therapists draw on their expertise to provide an innovative and individualised education and therapy program for each student. These programs are based on the Victorian Curriculum and incorporate all of the key learning areas.
There is an in-depth focus on supporting students’ journey through adolescence, and ensuring that their physical and emotional wellbeing is key at all times. Subsequently, our curriculum is centred on developing independence in eating, hygiene and self-care. We aim to develop students’ understanding of safety, privacy, and the changes that they go through during adolescence.
To support students’ transition into post-school environments, there are extensive vocation education activities which include both off- and on-site programs, as well as teaching students the skills, independence and knowledge that they will need into young adulthood and beyond.
Each year, families receive two academic reports pertaining to individual student learning goals. Regular communication is conducted via newsletters, emails, phone calls, photographs and face to face meetings.
Sam Kershler
Head of Teaching and LearningSam has a Bachelor of the Arts (Psychology), as well as a Diploma of Education and Certificate of Autism Studies.
Sam began his teaching role at Giant Steps Sydney in 2013, and moved to Melbourne in 2016 as part of the team to establish the Giant Steps Melbourne site. He has worked across the primary and secondary curricula to support students across all areas of their school-life. In 2021, Sam worked with the team to establish the Adult Autism Service program in Melbourne.
He completed longitudinal training in the Assessment and Analysis of Severe and Challenging Behaviour conducted by the Institute of Applied Behaviour Analysis in 2015.
In 2020, Sam led the senior team to implement the first Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) at Giant Steps Australia. In this program, the students created their own business called Paws for Giant Steps. Through this process, Sam came to realise his passion for supporting students to increase their independent and functional skills as they prepare for post-school life.
We provide an innovative and individualised education and therapy program for each student.