Royal Far West is working with early learning communities to identify developmental needs and connect children with support before school.
Schools & Early Years Services
Partnering with primary schools and early learning centres to support country children
Royal Far West Schools and Early Years program partners with education providers to support the developmental, behavioural and mental health of country children aged 3-12 years.
Supports Available
Services are delivered by consistent, dedicated multidisciplinary teams including Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists and Social Workers with specialist knowledge in children’s development.
We currently partner with over 160 education providers across outer regional, rural and remote Australia. Services are delivered via telehealth, or through a combination of telehealth and intensive in-community support weeks. We are responsive to the unique needs of each community, offering a broad range of allied health services to support children, families and educators.
Flexible support options include:
Individual
Assessment:
to investigate cognitive and learning difficulties, sensory/regulation challenges or speech & language disorders
Therapy:
supporting individual children with areas of concern such as regulation, anxiety or speech sounds
Targeted/Group
Therapy Groups:
Small group therapy to support language difficulties, fine motor skills or anxiety
Educator Consultations:
Supporting educators with specific students and/or areas of difficulty
School Community
Educator & Parent Workshops:
Topics include supporting children who have experienced complex trauma, behaviour and regulation, language difficulties
Playground & Classroom Observations:
During in-community visits only
How our services fees work
As a not-for-profit organisation, Royal Far West delivers services for schools and early learning centres on a cost recovery basis—meaning we charge fees to cover the cost of delivering care, not to make a profit. This helps us continue providing high-quality support to children in rural and remote communities.
Service costings depend on the specific services and clinical disciplines being provided and the location of your school/early learning centre. For some states we have overarching government agreements to streamline service delivery, and we occasionally have supplementary grant funding available to support some program costs.
Select your state below to find out more
NSW
- How we work with schools & early learning centres in New South Wales
The Royal Far West Schools and Early Years program partners with individual schools or overarching bodies (e.g Catholic Dioceses) in NSW on a cost-recovery fee-for-service basis.
NSW Department of Education Public Schools
- As an approved provider under the Specialist Allied Health and Behaviour Support Provider Scheme, we offer centralised compliance checks and a streamlined contracting process. We consult with each school on their specific needs and provide a quotation for service delivery prior to entering into a service agreement with the individual school.
Catholic Diocese Agreements
- We currently partner with the Canberra-Goulburn, Wagga Wagga and Wilcannia Forbes Catholic Dioceses in NSW who fund service delivery and facilitate umbrella contracts for nominated schools within their respective regions. We welcome additional Diocese enquiries.
Additional Diocese, Individual Catholic or Independent Primary Schools and Preschools
- We regularly collaborate with schools and preschools from all sectors. Service mix and delivery mode are collaboratively agreed, taking into account your school’s circumstances, budget, goals and the unique needs of your students, families, and staff. Work in some specific communities and locations is funded by philanthropic and corporate partnership agreements.
QLD
- How we work with schools & early learning centres in Queensland
The Royal Far West Schools and Early Years program partners with individual schools or overarching bodies (e.g Catholic Dioceses) in QLD on a cost-recovery fee-for-service basis.
Queensland Department of Education’s Specialist Disability Support in Schools Program
- Royal Far West has been appointed as an approved funded provider under the Specialist Disability Support in Schools (SDSS) Program, to support eligible children, and the school staff working with those children, in State, Independent and Catholic Primary schools in country Queensland. Support is via telehealth, and in some instances, in-community visits. For additional information and eligibility requirements, please see our brochure here and our referral form here.
Catholic Diocese Agreements
- We currently partner with the Rockhampton Catholic Diocese in QLD who fund service delivery for nominated schools within their region. We welcome additional Diocese enquiries.
Early Years Settings
- Royal Far West is currently funded to support children attending Kindies and Long Day Care Centres in the Wide Bay-Burnett region from Country to Coast PHN, and in specific mining communities from Glencore Aus.
Other States
- How we work with schools & early learning centres
The Royal Far West Schools and Early Years program partners with individual schools or groups of schools in a cluster arrangement on a cost-recovery, fee-for-service basis to provide allied health supports for children, parents and educators.
Service mix and delivery mode are collaboratively agreed, taking into account each community’s circumstances, budget, goals and the unique needs of your students, families, and staff. Cluster arrangements allow for flexible contracting and sharing of resources and costs across 3-4 locations.
Interested in partnering with us?
Fill out our enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss how we can support your school or early learning centre.
They helped those students that were neurodiverse to understand how to regulate their emotions. This had a flow on effect – less disruptions in the classroom, and improved outcomes. The teachers are more content and happy because the students are engaged”
Principal
High satisfaction levels
90%
of parents and educators rated the program positively, citing the quality of the therapy and the supportive resources provided.
Educator support
91%
of educators reported gaining skills and confidence to better support children with additional needs in their classrooms.
Parents
88%
reported feeling more capable of supporting their child’s development, with many noting reduced stress and improved family wellbeing as a result of the program.
Partnering with schools: Rainbow P-12 College case study
In 2023, we partnered with Rainbow P-12 College to pilot a virtual care program aimed at improving access to health and wellbeing services for children in the remote town of Rainbow.
The program utilised a hybrid approach, combining two annual outreach visits with ongoing virtual care support for children, parents and educators throughout the year.
This collaborative effort underscores the importance of strategic partnerships in enhancing educational experiences and supporting student wellbeing.
As we continue our partnership with the school, we remain committed to providing effective and comprehensive support to students and families.
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SDSS Brochure (QLD only)
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