At St Matthews Catholic School, we are dedicated to supporting the needs of all our students. One way we do this is by participating in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) every year, as all Australian schools are required to do. The NCCD is a nationwide initiative that collects information about how schools are adjusting and providing support for students with disabilities or additional learning needs. We want to take this opportunity to explain what the NCCD involves and how it benefits our students and school community.

Who is included in the NCCD?

The NCCD focuses on students who require adjustments or “extra help” at school because of a disability or learning difficulty. In practice, this means any student who needs support to learn on the same basis as their peers might be included – even if they do not have a formal diagnosis. For example, students may be counted in the NCCD if they have:

• Learning difficulties (such as dyslexia or other specific learning challenges) that require additional support in class.
• Physical (including sensory) or cognitive (intellectual) impairments that affect their access to learning or school activities.
• Social or emotional needs (for instance, significant anxiety or behavioural challenges) that require adjustments or special support at school.

In essence, a wide range of students – whether or not a disability has been formally diagnosed – can be included in the NCCD if they need educational adjustments to help them thrive.

Why is the NCCD important?

The purpose of the NCCD is to improve support for students with additional needs across Australia. By collecting this information, schools and governments gain a clearer understanding of how many students need extra help and what kinds of adjustments are being made. This leads to better planning and support: the data ensures that resources and funding can be directed where they are needed most for students with disability. In fact, the government uses NCCD data to inform funding (through the “student with disability loading”) so that schools like ours have the necessary resources to support all learners. Importantly, the NCCD process also encourages us at St Matthews to review our own learning support strategies and continually improve educational outcomes for our students.

For parents, please be aware that this data collection does not involve any extra testing for your child, and no personal identifying information about students is given to the government. We submit the data in a way that individual students cannot be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. The NCCD simply records the support and adjustments that we already provide at school, so it has no direct impact on your child’s day-to-day experience in the classroom.

How can parents help?

Your involvement as parents is a valuable part of this process. If your child has any up-to-date documentation about their learning needs – for example, medical reports, assessments, or specialist recommendations – please consider sharing these with us. Having the latest information helps us provide the right adjustments for your child and ensures they are accurately represented in the NCCD data. Keeping the school informed with current documentation (if applicable) means we can better support your child’s learning needs.

In addition, if you have any questions about the NCCD or about your child’s support at school, please feel free to contact me at m.howes@bth.catholic.edu.au

You are also welcome to speak with your child’s classroom teacher to discuss any concerns or to share information. We are always here to work together with you in partnership to support your child’s learning and wellbeing.

Martin Howes | Learning Support Teacher