Our Lady of La Vang Special School

What Our Lady of La Vang Special School does

Our Lady of La Vang Special School is a Catholic special school located in Flinders Park, Adelaide, South Australia, that provides education for students with diagnosed global developmental delay, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, and complex personal and health care needs. The school was opened in 2013 by Archbishop Philip Wilson and operates as a non-profit institution under Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) and the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools (SACCS). It is organized into three clusters — Junior, Middle, and Senior — with teaching staff, Education Support Officers, and an embedded allied health team that supports individualized learning plans, Moving and Handling Plans, and Personal Care and Continence Care Plans.

The school's core product is a highly individualized curriculum based on the Australian Curriculum and the Crossways Framework, augmented by specialized tools including the ABLES (Abilities Based Learning and Education Support) assessment, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) strategies spanning low-tech visuals and iPad-based apps, the Intensive Interaction approach for early-development communicators, and a Modified SACE pathway for senior students. Vocational-readiness offerings include the La Vang Fresh Foods supermarket simulation (operated with Fujitsu registers and Woolworths Fulham Gardens support), a work experience program for students aged 16+, and transition support into post-school options via an annual NDIS and Post School Pathways Expo. Student transportation is delivered via four buses donated by Variety: The Children's Charity, servicing the Adelaide metropolitan area.

The school's revenue model rests on three streams: tuition and school fees (annual, recurring), funding from Catholic Education South Australia, and annual grants from Catholic Charities supporting equipment, buses, and environmental improvements. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: families enquire via the school's website, phone, or email, book tours, and submit applications with supporting diagnostic and identity documentation. Distribution is regional, capped at the Adelaide metro area, with operational partners including Catholic Charities, Variety, Woolworths, Nazareth Catholic Community, the Hindmarsh-Findon Catholic Parish, and the City of Charles Sturt. In 2025, the school became part of a newly formed Catholic Special Schools entity alongside St Patrick's Special School Dulwich, with a third site planned.

Name

Our Lady of La Vang Special School

Legal name

Our Lady of La Vang School

Website

https://lavang.catholic.edu.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Our Lady of La Vang is a Catholic special school in Flinders Park, Adelaide, serving students with global developmental delay, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, and complex care needs across Junior, Middle, and Senior clusters under Catholic Education South Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills) (EDAJAKAG), School & Student Demand-Responsive Transport (THAIAHAF), Family/Caregiver Transition Training & Planning Support (EDAKANAL)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Disability support education
• Catholic school education
• Individualized learning programs
• Allied health education

Headquarters

HQ city

Flinders Park

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and School Fees: Annual school fees are charged, with a fee schedule available for bus services included in the annual school fee outline.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Our Lady of La Vang Special School is a Catholic special school in Flinders Park, Adelaide, South Australia that delivers individualized education to students with diagnosed global developmental delay, intellectual disability, and multiple disabilities. Its offering combines a Personalised Plan for Learning with modified SACE studies, allied health supports, a Transition and Work Experience program, and the La Vang Fresh Foods vocational micro-enterprise. The school operates as a non-profit under Catholic Education South Australia governance and was founded in 2013.

Product overview

Our Lady of La Vang Special School is a Catholic special school providing a unified educational service for students with diagnosed global developmental delay, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, and complex personal and health care needs. The school is organized into three clusters (Junior, Middle, and Senior) and offers a comprehensive curriculum based on the Australian Curriculum and Crossways Framework. Core offerings include personalised learning plans (PPL), Modified SACE programs, the La Vang Fresh Foods supermarket simulation, transition programs, work experience, intensive interaction, AAC communication strategies, allied health services, and community inclusion programs. The school uses the Seesaw App for family communication and provides bus services across the Adelaide metropolitan area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Our Lady of La Vang Special School (Enrolment) Catholic special schooling for students with diagnosed global developmental delay, intellectual disability, and multiple disabilities, from early years through senior secondary, delivered via a Personalised Plan for Learning framework under Catholic Education South Australia governance.
• Personalised Plan for Learning (PPL) Individualized curriculum framework that translates each student's diagnosis and learning profile into a tailored learning plan across academic, communication, life-skills, and therapy goals, for students with significant intellectual or developmental disability.
• Modified SACE Program Modified South Australian Certificate of Education pathway for senior secondary students with intellectual disability, providing an accredited alternative to mainstream SACE studies aligned with each student's learning plan.
• La Vang Fresh Foods School-based vocational micro-enterprise that uses food production and sales activities as a real-world context for students to develop work, communication, and life skills.
• Transition Program Structured post-school transition planning that prepares senior students for life beyond school, including daily living, community participation, and onward pathways into work or further training.
• Work Experience Program Planned work experience placements that give students exposure to real workplaces as part of their vocational preparation.
• School Bus Service Supported transport service for enrolled students across the Adelaide catchment, addressing the mobility needs of families whose children have significant disability.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students work towards Modified SACE in Senior Cluster
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Woolworths (Fulham Gardens store)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWoolworths team members support students in the La Vang Fresh Foods mini store, helping students stock shelves and offering register training. This provides invaluable hands-on experience for students.
• Nazareth Catholic CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose partnership including shared NDIS and Post School Pathways Expo, access to Nazareth facilities, and support running annual Sports Day.
• Hindmarsh-Findon Catholic ParishminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school is part of the Hindmarsh-Findon Catholic Parish. Families whose children are interested in Sacramental preparation are supported through the parish, working collaboratively with other schools within the Parish.
• City of Charles SturtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported the establishment of the La Vang Patch school garden in response to the Bishops Social Justice Statement 2021, 'Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor'.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Minda: Large South Australian disability services organisation providing accommodation, therapy, and education for people with intellectual disability. Comparable population served with a broader disability support portfolio including residential care.
• Yooralla: Major Victorian disability services provider offering accommodation, therapy, and education support for people with disability. Comparable population and disability support scope, though primarily Victoria-focused rather than competing directly in Adelaide.

Direct peers

• Aspect Australia (Autism Spectrum Australia): National not-for-profit operating specialist autism schools and educational support services across Australia. Comparable specialised school model with multi-site delivery and similar focus on individualised programs for students with complex needs.
• St Patrick's Special School Dulwich: Catholic special school in Adelaide that joined La Vang in the newly formed Catholic Special Schools entity in 2025. Direct sibling peer under CESA governance serving students with intellectual and developmental disabilities with a comparable R-12 special education model.
• Giant Steps: Specialist autism school in Sydney offering intensive educational programs for students with complex needs. Comparable specialised school model with similar focus on individualised curriculum, transition planning, and life-skills outcomes.
• Autism SA: South Australian autism-specific education and therapy provider serving children and adults on the autism spectrum. Comparable target population and special education service delivery model within the same Adelaide market.
• St Gabriel's Special School: Catholic special school in Victoria serving students with intellectual disabilities. Comparable Catholic special education delivery model, transition program focus, and Modified SACE-style senior pathways.

Regional players

• Novita: South Australian disability services organisation providing therapy, assistive technology, and education supports. Comparable target population with a therapy-and-equipment focus that complements rather than fully replicates the school model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/our-lady-of-la-vang-special-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Our Lady of La Vang Special School