CLS will be assessed against a range of criteria to become accredited:
- Be an incorporated organisation
- 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
- Have a minimum of ten eligible school-aged students enrolled each year across all campuses
- Comply with Child Safe Standards
- Have current Working with Children (WWC) checks as required by the Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic), or Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) registrations for all staff, volunteers, and committee members
- Provide a minimum of 2.5 hours of face-to-face instruction (for each language taught) for approximately 40 weeks each year
- Teach a languages program that is aligned with the Victorian Curriculum F-10
- 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
- Have a professional learning outline in place for staff
- Maintain accurate student enrolment records
- Issue student progress reports at least twice each year
- Maintain accurate student attendance records
- Have a student supervision and collection process in place which meets the Department’s standards.
Note: CLS that have not been previously accredited will need to undergo an initial eligibility check in the first instance to ensure that they satisfy criteria 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9.
For a list of all supporting documentation required to be assessed for accreditation, please refer to Supporting Documentation