Waratah Special Developmental School
228 Banksia Street, Bellfield VIC 3081
Waratah Special Developmental School is a government special school in Bellfield, VIC with about 73 students. Its ICSEA is 965, where the national average is 1000.
ICSEA, Language background, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander share, Teaching staff, School website: ACARA School Profile 2025. Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). Terms
About this school, from public sources
Public information about Waratah Special Developmental School, a government special school in Bellfield, describes a program built around therapeutic and communication support for students with intellectual disabilities. The school's own materials highlight literacy programs, swimming, occupational therapy, speech therapy and physiotherapy, vocational work experience for senior students, and enrichment activities including art, gardening and camps. Individualised, motivation-based learning and a Positive Behaviour Support framework are emphasised, alongside active parent and school council involvement.
Often praised
- strong communication and therapy support
- individualised, motivation-based learning
- active parent and community involvement
This note was generated from publicly available online sources (the school's website, official pages and online feedback) as at September 2026. It reflects what is said online, not an assessment by SchoolList AU or any government body, and it deliberately records only neutral and positive points. Confidence: medium. Verify anything important with the school. Report an inaccuracy.
NAPLAN
School-level NAPLAN results are published by ACARA on My School under terms that do not allow them to be reproduced here. See Waratah Special Developmental School on My School · Why some data is missing
Location and nearby schools
Straight-line distances. List every school within 5 to 50 km.
| School | Suburb | Type | Distance | ICSEA | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School | Ivanhoe | Independent k–12 / combined | 1.1 km | 1,181 | 850 |
| Virtual School Victoria | Thornbury | Public k–12 / combined | 1.5 km | 1,073 | 2,797 |
| Ivanhoe Grammar School | Ivanhoe | Independent k–12 / combined | 1.8 km | 1,169 | 2,500 |
| East Preston Islamic College | East Preston | Independent k–12 / combined | 2.5 km | 976 | 733 |
| Alphington Grammar School | Alphington | Independent k–12 / combined | 2.7 km | 1,150 | 679 |
| Charles La Trobe P-12 College | Macleod West | Public k–12 / combined | 3.4 km | 930 | 134 |
| St John's College Preston | Preston | Independent k–12 / combined | 3.8 km | 1,066 | 345 |
| Mastery Schools Victoria | Bundoora | Independent special | 4.2 km | 1,082 | 62 |
Schools with a similar ICSEA in VIC
Same sector and type, ICSEA within 25 points. This is the comparison that separates teaching from postcode.
| School | Suburb | Type | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nganboo Borron School | Werribee | Public special | 127 | 965 |
| Warragul & District Specialist School | Warragul | Public special | 135 | 963 |
| Frankston Special Developmental School | Frankston | Public special | 130 | 969 |
| Jackson School | St Albans | Public special | 319 | 969 |
| Springvale Park Special Developmental School | Springvale | Public special | 208 | 961 |
| Peninsula Specialist College | Dromana | Public special | 160 | 957 |
About this data
Figures are from the latest published datasets and can lag the school by a year. Confirm enrolment rules and catchment boundaries with the school or department before relying on them.