Dandenong Valley SDS is a specialist setting serving the needs of students with disabilities from a wide area covering Greater Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia. The school is located in Narre Warren in landscaped grounds situated between Fountain Gate Primary School and Fountain Gate Secondary College. Dandenong Valley caters for approximately two hundred students who are aged from pre-schoolto 18 years and who have moderate to profound intellectual disabilities. A door-to-door bus service is provided by the Department of Education for most students.
The school was purpose built in 1989 and comprises a brick core building of six classrooms, multipurpose room, laundry, resource room, paramed offices and administration area, plus several relocatable rooms. All rooms surround a two-level garden courtyard area. A horticulture centre is accessible for students to participate in gardening programs. Many classrooms open on to individual courtyards and at the rear of the school is an extensiveplay area with a bike/wheelchair track, interactive sensory sound sculptures, a performance stage, basketball court, sandpits, shade areas (Dandenong Valley is a Sunsmart school) and space for small games activities. There is also a specially-designed playground for our younger students.
The Kevin Heinze Sensory Park located within the school grounds and built to provide a further avenue of sensory stimulation and experiential learning for our students was opened in 1995 by the then Governor of Victoria, His Excellency the Honourable Richard E. McGarvie A.O. Part of thisarea has been redeveloped with the construction of our BER multipurpose building.
The Dandenong Valley SDS and Community Hydrotherapy Centre was officially opened by the then Premier of Victoria, the Honourable Jeff Kennett M.P. on 23rd June 1998. Community groups as well as Dandenong Valley SDS students use this centre extensively.
Click here to take a virtual tour of the school.