Children and young people with chronic and acute health issues will be able to go to school and stay engaged in their learning, with the Allan Labor Government set to open a new school at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.

Premier Jacinta Allan, Minister for Education Ben Carroll and Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas today visited the hospital, meeting with interim principal Naomi McBride to announce the Labor Government has invested $3.6 million to establish the Royal Children’s Hospital School (interim name).

The Royal Children’s Hospital School will open in the first half of 2024, providing a full education for kids from Prep to Year 12.

The new school will ensure children and young people who spend extended periods of time in hospital stay engaged in their learning and on track to achieve their full potential, as well as supporting them to return to their usual school once they leave hospital.

It will provide students with individualised teaching and learning programs aligned with the Victorian Curriculum and VCE – using flexible modes of teaching to engage students, including classroom sessions, small group sessions and individual bedside support depending on individual patient needs.

The school will replace the existing Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute, offering students a broader range of curriculum and education support. The Royal Children’s Hospital School will also expand remote learning opportunities for students who are recovering at home but not yet well enough to attend school.

It will be governed by a School Council, led by a principal, and employ teaching and non-teaching staff like all other Victorian government schools.

Establishing a registered school at the Royal Children’s Hospital will also create a more consistent approach to the operation of Victorian hospital schools, aligning it with other models of hospital-based education in Victoria, such as the Monash Children’s Hospital School.

Traditional Owners are being consulted about a permanent name for the new school.