An update from your Special Education Working Group delegates
The Special Education Working Group met on 25 August 2026 at PSA House in Sydney. School Learning Support Officer (SLSO) delegates, representing all SLSO classifications, worked though issues impacting members in the workplace.
In This Bulletin
- Excursion requirements
- Role of a Support Person
- Thriving Kids – changes ahead
- SLSO Facebook information
- Delegates contact information
Excursion Requirements
Prior approval for excursions and camps must always be sourced by the Principal and the Director Educational Leadership (DEL) before attendance. School organisation will identify the need for SLSO attendance.
While you are on camp, maintain a daily diary of activities, tasks, hours worked and meal breaks. If on overnight camps, keep a record of sleep breaks. This documentation may be required to support overtime claims. Schools may distribute an Expression of Interest to gather SLSO interest in attending excursions or camps.
SLSO’s should complete the required forms listed below:
- Pre-approval form- school internal
- Detailed itinerary- drafted ahead of time – school internal
- Timesheet tracking- school internal
- SAP claim submission- recorded hours are submitted to SAP/HR by the school SAM to process the overtime payment.
The PSA recommends SLSOs keep a copy for your own reference.
Role of a Support Person
The PSA and your delegates are here to support you if you face issues at work. Your PSA Organiser can provide you with support, advice and representation. Just as your PSA representative can provide support so can your local delegate, trusted family member, friend or colleague. This support is in place to ensure that you are protected and afforded natural justice and procedural fairness.
Click HERE to download our support person fact sheet
Thriving Kids
The Public Service Association’s Principal Policy Analyst addressed the Special Education Working Group and gathered information about the Thriving Kids Program being rolled out by the Department. The PSA is establishing how much knowledge schools have about the program and the workload impact. The initial rollout of the program is planned for October 2026 with seemingly little knowledge in schools. The Thriving Kids Program is targeted at students from 0 to 8 years old in government pre-schools and schools with Allied Health Professional support needs, who are not accessing the NDIS.
Read more about Thriving Kids HERE
SLSO PSA NSW Facebook page
Did you know the PSA NSW Facebook page is a great place where SLSO’s can share ideas, discuss hot topics, seek assistance, and stay informed and up to date on what is happening around the state.
SLSO’s and PSA members can be confident that the information provided is relevant. Delegates from the PSA Special Education Working Group actively engage in the Facebook page, ensuring feedback delivered is by someone who understands your role and the specifics of your workplace.
You must be an SLSO to join the page and while you do not need to be a member of the PSA to be part of the facebook group, you will need to join the PSA to seek union assistance.
Please follow the link to join HERE
Delegates
| Name | School and PSA Region | |
| Susanne Perry | Glenvale School – CENTRAL COAST AND HUNTER | |
| Rose Reweti | Holroyd School – METRO | |
| Nicole Coy | Jasper Road Public School- METRO | |
| Michelle Preston | Kingswood South Pre-School – METRO | |
| Tanyiea Pople (Tanya) | Kooringal Public School – SOUTH WESTERN REGION | |
| Bhupinder Saini | Mainsbridge School – METRO | |
| Kylie Thomas (Barrett) | Narooma High School – SOUTH EASTERN REGION | |
| Karen Rogers | Rathmines Public School – CENTRAL COAST AND HUNTER | |
| Scott Batemann | Richmond River High School – NORTH COAST | |
| Lily Petrovic | Rivendell School – METRO | |
| Nichola King | Tallowood SSP – METRO | |
| Allison Farrelly | Wamberal Public School – CENTRAL COAST AND HUNTER | |
| Shannon Arnold | Girrakool School- CENTRAL COAST AND HUNTER |
If you require further assistance, please reach out to the delegate in your area.
Special Education Working Group 2026
