Welcome to Bayside SDS

Bayside SDS is a school where teachers, specialists, therapists and parents work together to provide individual education and therapy programs for students with special needs.

Through the employment of a multi-disciplinary approach to teaching and learning where the dignity of the student is paramount, Bayside Special Developmental School offers a caring and stimulating environment which ensures a sense of achievement and enhanced self-esteem for its students.

Ideally located in Moorabbin, Bayside SDS enjoys easy access to shopping centres, leisure centres, light industrial factories, parklands, and beaches for its community referenced learning programs.

Bayside has a teaching staff of 14 and a support staff of 16.  Five paraprofessionals augment the curriculum with their specialised therapy programs.  The school caters for 80 students who are ascertained to be within the moderate to severe range of intellectual disability and are aged between 2 years 8 months and 18 years.  A number of students have multiple disabilities including autism, physical or sensory impairments.  The Early Education Program for pre-school aged children (2 years 8 months - 4 years 8 months) operates both on and off campus.  The school has a long established Interaction Program at Cheltenham East Primary School.

Campus classes vary in size from 6 to 8 students and are grouped according to age and class dynamics to allow for a safe, effective, and engaging learning environment.  Students of school-age can access free transport to and from school by bus if they reside within the designated transport zone.

Our Aim

• To achieve optimal educational and social outcomes for students with complex learning disabilities, within a caring, safe, harmonious, yet stimulating environment.
• To work in partnership with families to facilitate continuous development and enhancement to the quality of the lives of their children.
• To establish and extend links with local business and the general community to facilitate the inclusion of young people with disabilities.

Our Values

The following values and beliefs are seen as being central to the life of our school.  They underpin the actions of the school community and are as follows:

• Respect for one another
• Personal and professional integrity
• Compassion
• The maintenance of high standards and a high level of professional accountability
• Consistency of approach
• Acknowledgement and appreciation of  individual, cultural and community diversity
• Commitment to team work, safety, inclusiveness, confidentiality and enjoyment
• Commitment to a philosophy of continuous improvement
• Acknowledgement that children learn best when they are motivated or happily engaged

Michael Pepprell

Principal