CLS will be assessed against a range of criteria to become accredited. CLS must:
- Be an incorporated organisation, normally incorporated for at least 12 months before applying
- Have operated successfully and independently for at least 12 months before applying
- Be not-for-profit
- Meet the department’s requirements for suitable premises
- Have a current lease agreement for each campus which is valid for the full year
- Have a minimum of ten school-aged students enrolled each year across all campuses
- Comply with Child Safe Standards
- Have current Working with Children (WWC) checks or Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) registrations for all staff, volunteers and committee members
- Provide each student with a minimum of 2.5 hours of face-to-face instruction per week (for each language taught) for approximately 40 weeks each year
- Teach a languages program that is aligned with the Victorian Curriculum F-10: Languages
- Have a school charter, including all policies as required by the department
- Have an emergency management plan for each campus which meets the department’s requirements
- Have a qualified first aid officer at each campus during program delivery
- Maintain accurate student enrolment records
- Issue student progress reports at least twice each year
- Maintain accurate student attendance records
*CLS that have not been previously accredited will need to undergo an initial eligibility check in order to ensure they meet the requirements to apply for accreditation
For a list of all supporting documentation required to be assessed for accreditation, please refer to Supporting Documentation