What is an Access Request?

When a child has moderate to high support needs that cannot be fully met in a mainstream classroom, their school — not the family — initiates a formal application on the child's behalf. This application is called an access request. It is submitted to an independent placement panel of Student Support Services staff and school-based personnel, who assess the child's needs and determine what additional resources or placements are available in the regional area.

As a parent, you do not need to lodge an access request yourself. The process begins with a conversation at your child's current school — usually through the learning and support team.

What supports can be accessed?

An access request can open two kinds of additional support:

Integration Funding Support (IFS) — additional funding allocated to the school to support your child in a mainstream class, covering teacher aide and learning support officer time. This funding may be used to support a small group of students rather than one individual.
Support class placement — a dedicated place in a support class, either within a mainstream school or at a School for Specific Purposes (SSP). Support classes have smaller enrolments and are staffed by specialist teachers and support officers.

When can a request be submitted?

A school can submit an access request before a child starts school or at any point during schooling. For Year 5 students moving into a support class in high school — except those already attending an SSP or Central School — an access request must be completed before the transition.

How the process works

Once your child's school decides to apply, the learning and support team will meet with you to discuss your child's strengths, interests, and support needs. You can share your own ideas for your child's personalised learning plan, indicate the kinds of support you believe would help, and decide whether your child should remain in mainstream classes while the application is being considered. The school may ask you to provide relevant external assessments or specialist reports to include with the application. Before it is submitted, you will have the opportunity to review the application for accuracy and to sign a paper copy.

A specialist placement panel then considers the request. The panel has at least five core members, including local school principals, student support and wellbeing staff, and a senior education psychologist. They assess:

the level of support your child needs
whether your child meets the Department's eligibility criteria
whether the proposed support option would genuinely address those needs
availability of places (for support class placements)

You are involved throughout the process and may bring a support person or interpreter to any meetings.

How long does a decision take?

For placements needed in the current or next school term, a panel decision is usually made within 28 calendar days, not counting school holidays. Decisions for the following year, or for Year 5 students applying to high school, may take longer as panels need to confirm class availability and vacancies.

Possible outcomes

Supported

The access request is approved. You will receive a placement offer, which you can accept or decline. If you accept, the school will arrange an enrolment meeting and work with you on transition planning. Your child's progress is reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure the placement continues to meet their needs.

Deferred

Your child has not been offered a place at this time. The decision is carried over to the next panel meeting. A request can be deferred a maximum of twice. While a deferral is in place, the school must immediately identify alternative ways to support your child. Note that IFS requests are never deferred — they are either supported or declined outright.

Declined

The request is not approved. Common reasons include:

your child does not meet the eligibility criteria for the support type
the proposed placement would not adequately address your child's needs
the support is not available in your local area
your child's needs have not been assessed as moderate to high
the school has not yet exhausted the resources and adjustments already available to it

If the request is declined, you can ask the school for the contact details of your local Student Support team to discuss the outcome and explore other options.