Success in alternative schools - growth
The effect that SAS have had on attendance, retention or achievement has been negligible, There is one measure where SAS have been undoubted success – growth. SAS are growing in the number of schools, the number of campuses and the number of enrolments at an exceptional rate. They account for the fastest growth in schools and in Catholic and Independent sector.
Schools and services that support young people who have become disconnected from mainstream education have always been part of the education landscape. Historically, many of these schools operated outside the state system as part of faith‑based missions, offering charitable, low‑ or no‑fee programs for vulnerable students. Supported by the church or by charities they operate din a fragile economic environment. The Schools Assistance Act 2008 marked a turning point. It created a funding pathway for non‑government schools recognised by a State Minister as special assistance schools that primarily cater for students with social, emotional, or behavioural difficulties. This recognition placed these schools on a more stable foundation and enabled significant growth in alternative education outside the state system.
Across Australia, the number of Special Assistance Schools has continued to expand as has their enrolments. The Association of Independent Schools Australia describes them as settings that provide alternative educational environments for students with high‑level needs, including disability, behavioural challenges, or circumstances better served by flexible learning structures not always available in mainstream schools. By 2020, a desktop audit identified 113 Special Assistance Schools nationwide, with around half established within the previous five years. More than fifty opened between 2015 and 2020 alone.
In South Australia, one of the earliest examples of a faith-based service to young people detaching from school began as an outreach initiative. For years it experimented with different funding models to try to sustain its service, often in partnership with government funded schools but none of these arrangements were sustainable. The introduction of SAS funding finally provided consistent support, allowing the school to grow. Even though South Australia lagged behind the eastern states in taking up the option to open new SAS more schools and campuses were on the horizon.
From one SAS a decade ago there are now eight SAS in South Australia operating across 10 campuses. Three of these campuses are in the Adelaide CBD ( one adult re‑entry site, one senior school and one 8–12 campus offering online and face to face learning). The original SAS is in the southern suburbs has 8–12 enrolment and has amalgamated into one campus. Two campuses of exiting SAS have opened in the Western suburbs. The most substantial growth is in the northern suburbs hosts five SAS , one senior and one middle school of the same school, two 8 -12 of one school and an adult entry campus.
Total enrolment at 1,095 students, with 456 boys (42%) and 639 girls (58%). In 2024, seventy students were awarded the South Australian Certificate of Education. The schools employ 116 teaching staff, resulting in an average student–teacher ratio of approximately 1:10. Average funding per student is $47,640.
The change in the Educational Economics of no fee schools for vulnerable students is what is driving the expansion. SAS funding is not attached for families capacity to pay, and so attracts the maximum funding under the Student Resource Standard (SRC) in addition to this the schools access funding under the National Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) that take Into account the extra cost of Adjustments … taken to enable a student with disability to access and participate in education on the same basis as other students.
All of the SAS in SA have expanded or are planning expansion. Enrolments are rising, and the student cohort is characterised by significant social and emotional challenges, disrupted schooling histories, and frequent movement between programs, including previous placements in FLO settings and even movement between different SAS and programs. While each school has its own character and educational philosophy, they share a common challenge: balancing care‑focused practice with meaningful curriculum and pedagogy.