Monash Children’s Hospital School (MCHS) is a Victorian Department of Education school located within Monash Children’s Hospital.
The school has been established to provide education for children who are inpatients and/or outpatients of Monash Children’s Hospital inclusive of Early in Life Mental Health Services (ELMHS).
Vision
Monash Children’s Hospital School’s vision is to ensure our young people will have access to high quality teaching and learning that will provide continuity of their education.
We aim to build a safe and supportive environment and culture, one that promotes positive relationships, values diversity and inclusivity and supports the holistic development of our students.
Collaboration
Inclusion
Excellence
Actions that model this value:
Work collaboratively to nurture and develop strong relationships with students, families, educators and health personnel
Effectively communicate with all key stakeholders
Embrace peer coaching and commit to being an exemplary team player
Mentor each other and our students to be life-long learners
Work in multidisciplinary teams to build knowledge and improve practice
Actively participate in professional learning
Provide accurate and timely information for students and families so informed decisions can be made
Work with other hospital schools to develop consistent approaches to support the learning needs of children who are hospitalised
Actions that model this value:
Establish a safe and supportive environment - a place where people want to be
Treat others with respect, courtesy and fairness
Ensure all young people are given the opportunity to participate in school learning
Provide excellent teaching and learning opportunities for all of our students
Adapt and modify programs to target the individual needs of students
Encourage student voice and agency
Develop professional learning for educators, schools and health colleagues
Maintain confidentiality of our students
Actions that model this value:
Establish high expectations for each other and for our students
Model exemplary teaching and learning to our students by implementing High Impact Teaching Strategies
Develop individualised learning programs for every child
Be innovative in our approach to teaching and learning
Develop an education program that has a strong research/evidence-base - leading to implementing world’s best practice
Provide relevant resources, strategies and skills to build our student’s confidence
Provide exemplary ‘coaching’ to our MCHS colleagues
Be honest when we need support so we can be the best version of ourselves for the benefit of the students and their families.
Guiding Principle
‘Let the uniqueness of each child guide our work.’
MCHS Model
The Monash Children’s Hospital School model allows education and health colleagues to work together as members of multidisciplinary treating teams. This provides a holistic approach to the care and education of the young person. Together health and education professionals align treatment and education, inform one another’s practices, provide different perspectives of the child, utilise one another’s strengths and build a holistic understanding of the young person.
We provide education to students from Foundation to Year 12 inclusive of all schools - mainstream, specialist and alternative settings.
3 Major Phases
Monash Children’s Hospital School delivers education services alongside a patient’s treatment, recovery and reintegration.
Treatment Phase
We establish and maintain contact with the young person’s regular school in a supportive and confidential manner in order to provide continuity and connectedness with their learning. During this phase, MCHS staff members teach, liaise and advocate with, and for, the young person.
Recovery Phase
We will engage with the young person’s family, Monash Children’s Hospital medical and health personnel, ELMHS treating team members and key staff from the student's regular school. This role will assist the continuity of the patient's education while they are recovering at home. This is an important phase to make sure that the young person stays connected with their education and school.
Reintegration Phase
We provide support to the young person, their family and the base school to assist in a smooth and positive reintegration back to school. MCHS staff can provide advice about return to school planning and with other key stakeholders will develop strategies that further strengthen this process.
During these 3 phases our education services may involve all or some of the following:
Treatment Phase
We establish and maintain contact with the young person’s regular school in a supportive and confidential manner in order to provide continuity and connectedness with their learning. During this phase, MCHS staff member’s teach, liaise and advocate with, and for, the young person.
Recovery Phase
When needed, we will engage with the young person’s family, Monash Children’s Hospital medical and health personnel, ELMHS treating team members and key staff from the students’ regular school. This role will assist the continuity of the patient's education while they are recovering at home. This is an important phase to make sure that the young person stays connected with their education and school.
Reintegration Phase
We provide support to the young person, their family and the base school to assist in a smooth and positive reintegration back to school. MCHS staff can provide advice about return to school planning and with other key stakeholders will develop strategies that further strengthen this process.
Teaching:
Ensuring continuity of education through a health care journey
Providing high quality teaching to the young person
Working with base schools to continue with work being missed at the regular school
Ensuring work is appropriately modified and paced to best reflect the student’s current health condition and capacity
Liaising with:
Students
Families
Medical/health professionals
Early in Life Mental Health Services
Community organisations and agencies
Department of Education
Base Schools
Advocating:
Advocating for students living with mental/medical health issues to continue their educational pathway.
Ensuring appropriate modifications are provided
Advocating for families from the treatment phase to the reintegration phase
Advocating for DE Central and Regional offices from around the state
Who We Work With
Inpatients
Monash Children’s Hospital School supports inpatients at the following sites:
Monash Children’s Hospital - Clayton Site
Teaching at our Clayton site occurs in purpose built classrooms within our school on Level 2, in learning spaces on the wards and in patients' rooms.
Monash Children’s Hospital - Casey and Dandenong Sites
Teaching staff are available on a referral basis for young people during a hospital admission. The teacher can provide roles such as teaching, liaising and advocating.
Outpatients
Monash Children’s Hospital School also supports outpatients in the following areas:
Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service
Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI) Clinic
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) Clinic
General Rehabilitation Clinic
Early in Life Mental Health Services (ELMHS)
CORE Program
Intake, Assessment, Consultation and Treatment unit (iACT)
Intensive Mobile Outreach Service (IMOS)
Endeavour Service - Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service - Early Action in Schools (CASEA)
Medical Clinics
Adolescent Medicine Clinic
Cranbourne Local Hub Clinic
Cystic Fibrosis Department
Developmental Paediatrics Clinics/Turner Clinic
Healthy Koori Kids
Nephrology Department
Paediatric Refugee Clinic
Pakenham Child and Adolescent Clinic
Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service (VicFAS)
Wellness and Recovery Centre - Eating Disorders Day Program
Nephrology Department
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Monash Children’s Hospital School acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung peoples, and we pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past, present and future.
Monash Children’s Hospital has been caring for children for more than 100 years. It is one of Australia’s leading children’s hospitals and is part of Monash Health – Victoria’s largest public health service. Monash Children’s Hospital is a brand new dedicated children’s hospital located in Clayton, and has satellite sites at Casey Hospital and Dandenong Hospital.
