By Ms Jenni Bodell, Head of Academic Care

The Academic Care faculty has been a quiet achiever this year, working diligently behind the scenes to support an inclusive educational environment at Radford College. Our focus remains on ensuring that all students can access, engage with and thrive in the curriculum and broader school life.

At the beginning of 2025, we refreshed the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) format to reflect current best practice and incorporate valuable feedback from students and their families. Throughout Term 3, we have continued to check in with families to ensure these plans remain relevant and responsive to student needs. These plans are dynamic and we always welcome feedback or adjustments to these plans, so please do not hesitate to reach out with any new information or suggestions for your young person’s ILP.

A major focus of our work in Terms 2 and 3 has been the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD). This important process involves close collaboration with teaching staff and the well-being team to gather accurate data on the levels of support provided to students across the secondary school.

Our dedicated team of Learning Support Assistants – Mr Ryan Clerke, Miss Bronte Gillett, Miss Laura Coan and Mr Maxim Blockley – play a vital role in the classroom, offering direct support to students. Each brings a strong passion for education as they pursue their own teaching journeys and their insight and relationships with students greatly enrich our learning environment. Ms Molly Lilley also works as a casual LSA for the Academic Care faculty whilst completing her Health Science degree at ANU.

The Academic Care teaching team is made up of experienced educators including myself, Ms Tegan Crain and Mrs Sally Atkinson, who lead our Skills Plus classes. We work closely with subject teachers to ensure students are supported in accessing the full breadth of the curriculum.

Looking ahead, we are excited to continue working in partnership with staff to share best practices and pedagogies for supporting neurodiverse learners and differentiation. Together, we are committed to making Radford College an increasingly inclusive and supportive learning environment for all.