If you are admitted to Monash Children’s Hospital on one of the medical wards - 3A Forest, 3D Lagoon, 4A Canopy and 4B Aviary and are likely to miss at least one week of school due to your illness, you will be able to receive support from MCHS.

Once you have signed up to be part of our school program you will be allocated a key teacher who will communicate with your base school. Through this communication the teacher will liaise with your teacher/s to help coordinate the key learning for you to complete whilst you are away. Although one teacher will be your key contact, you will have access to a range of teachers from MCHS whilst you are in hospital.

As an inpatient you may be able to complete your school learning in our ward classroom (located on Level 4) between 9:30am and 12:30pm each day. Alternatively teachers can visit you in your room for 1:1 teaching sessions.

All students work on their own individual learning program. Your plan will be tailored to your needs and created in collaboration with your base school, family and MCHS teachers.

If school assessments are being missed during your time away and you are well enough, MCHS teachers can supervise assessments here at the hospital.

In the afternoon we have group sessions where all young people have the opportunity to participate in a specialised learning area such as: Art, Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships, STEM and eSafety.

As a patient in the Children’s Cancer Centre, you will get to know our teachers who will work closely with you, your family and your regular school to support you during this time. Once you have signed up we will communicate with your regular school to identify your key learning areas and coordinate the learning that we will focus on whilst you are undergoing treatment.

You will work on your own individual learning program, tailored to your needs as you move through different stages of treatment. If school assessments are being missed during your time away and you are well enough, MCHS teachers can supervise assessments at the hospital.

School sessions will take place in a variety of areas, depending on your needs at the time. They will either be taken in your room if you have been admitted to a ward, or in Reef if you’re visiting us for day treatment.

In Oasis, we have school sessions everyday and will do hands-on activities for many learning areas. We want school sessions to be a positive learning experience for you and will speak with your teachers to find out what we can do to make your time in our sessions the best they can be.

You will get to know our teachers so they can learn more about you. The school sessions in Oasis will be based on your strengths and interests. We will help you learn new skills and strategies that will be useful when you get back to your own school. We embed Literacy, Numeracy, STEM, Art, Music, Cooking and Resilience and Respectful Relationships into your learning program.

As part of the Stepping Stones program, young people have regularly timetabled school sessions. Between 10am-12pm every weekday, our teaching team works with you to develop a learning plan to best suit your individual circumstances. Even if you are not currently enrolled in a school setting, our team will work with you to develop skills, knowledge and understanding in areas relevant to you.

In the afternoon we have group sessions where all young people have the opportunity to participate in a specialised learning area such as; Art and Music Therapy, Literacy, Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships, Gym and STEM.

In addition to running the school sessions the MCHS Stepping Stones Teaching Team work closely with Stepping Stones staff to liaise with your regular educational setting to plan for your return to school.

MCHS teachers work closely with MCH treating teams to be able to liaise with your regular education setting and advocate for your learning needs. You may see our teachers in consults or clinics across the hospital or via telehealth. The teachers work alongside medical consultants and provide you and your family with educational expertise. Referrals are made by the medical/health teams to MCHS. Some of the services/clinics include:

As part of the Wellness and Recovery Centre (WRC), MCHS teachers provide education based activities twice a week. WRC has been set up to support young people who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder. The program runs for 4 days per week as a day program. The program usually runs for a period of 10 weeks. Whether your regular education setting is mainstream secondary school, TAFE University or workplace learning, our teachers are available for consultation and support throughout your time in the WRC program.

Our teachers' involvement in the ARC program includes providing you with education sessions, liaising with schools and advocating for your education needs. ARC is part of the Early in Life Mental Health Service (ELMHS) and is a place where young people who are experiencing emotional, behavioural or mental health issues are supported. The ARC program has been set up to provide you with therapeutic and education support. You attend the ARC program for 3 days a week and and on the other 2 days we aim to connect/reconnect you with your school and/or connect you with a new education setting or pathway.