Coldstream school: Lyrebird College for children with autism opens in Yarra Valley

Parents are so eager to enrol their child in this outer east school, they’re pulling up stakes to be closer. Find out why.

Lyrebird College has opened in Coldstream for children with autism spectrum disorder.

The first students are getting ready to walk through the doors of Lyrebird College – the Yarra Valley’s first independent school for children on the autism spectrum.

Students will be welcomed to the school on Tuesday, January 19, four years after founder Melissa Handbury started the journey to provide tailored teaching and therapy-based learning for children with autism.

And Ms Handbury is already working to secure more funding to see the school expand to cater for next year’s enrolments, which are coming in thick and fast.

College principal Julie Kugler and two teachers are educating 14 primary school-aged students in two classes this year.

Enrolments so far include families further from outside the Yarra Valley, with some planning to move into the area if their child’s enrolment is successful in 2022.

Ms Handbury said there are still two places for students wanting to enrol this term.

She said the school catered for students with complex needs who required high levels of support, and individual learning plans were tailored for each child.

Ms Kugler said the school’s core value was every individual could learn and had the right to learn.

“The college will provide a quality, tailored and outcome-focused education option for students,” she said.

“Many families raising children with disabilities are looking for the right educational setting to suit their child’s specific needs.”

“I want to ensure that there is a welcoming warmth and sense of community for our students and families, and to work in close collaborative partnership to achieve the best possible outcomes for students.”