Term-based days in Mortdale for school leavers and adults post-school. The participant comes with their usual 1:1 Support Worker, learns and practises skills at the Academy, then uses them in real-world community settings.
MortdaleSt George area, Sydney
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Term-basedA routine you can rely on
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1:1 continuesYour own Support Worker attends
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NDISRegistered provider
Leaving school is one of the biggest transitions a young person and their family go through. Families tell us the same three worries.
Set days, every week, through the school term. Something to plan the week around again.
A term curriculum with individual goals inside it, set and tracked by our Behaviour Support Practitioners.
A reason to be there. Skills learned and practised at the Academy, then used somewhere real in the community.
None of this replaces the support you already have. Same 1:1 What Ability support. More structure, learning and purpose built into the day.
Jess, kept the opening line and put your two sentences after it. Also made it “built into the day”.
The Academy is a structured day program in Mortdale for people who have finished school. It is an extension of our Community Access service, run in a dedicated space, following a curriculum that changes each school term. Most families add Academy days to the week rather than moving days they already have.
A structured but relaxed day, not a clinic waiting room. [PLACEHOLDER: up to 6 participants], each with their own Support Worker.
The Academy is in Mortdale, close to home for families across the St George area. Skills are practised in the same local community the participant already knows.
Day sessions at our Mortdale centre. Step through the months to see what is on, then get in touch and we will work out the details with you. Dates shown cover September and October 2026.
What Ability participants can attend with their Support Worker before you decide if you want to sign up for the Academy Term.
Most post-school programs describe similar activities. The difference is who is with the participant and whether anything is actually being worked toward.
The Academy was built with school leavers in mind, but it is not limited by age. It suits anyone who does better with a structured routine in their week.
Good to know: how it fits your NDIS plan
Your 1:1 support continues as part of your Academy day, using your existing NDIS funding where appropriate. The same What Ability Support Worker will continue to support the participant throughout their day at the Academy and in the community.
The Academy program has a separate shared fee for the structured learning and program delivered within the Academy. How this is funded will depend on the participant’s individual goals, plan and the supports being delivered.
Different NDIS funding categories may be relevant, including Core Supports, Capacity Building and employment-related supports where appropriate. The Academy Manager will talk through the available options, applicable costs and funding arrangements with you before enrolment.
For Plan Managers and Support Coordinators: We can provide further information on the relevant support categories and line items based on the participant’s individual Academy program.
Jess, calls I have made off your edits so you do not have to chase them:
Capacity Building is now the live line, replacing the Core Supports only note from early August.
Academy Manager is being treated as a separate role to the Area Manager.
Your good fit list now includes people preparing to leave school, so the “still at school” exclusion has come out and I have dropped “two or more days a week” from the paragraph above. The hero and the What is the Academy section still say post-school, I will bring those into line next.
Spelling and punctuation tidied to match the rest of the site.
Anything you do not agree with, comment on it and I will change it back.
How Academy funding works
What Ability Academy works alongside a participant’s existing 1:1 What Ability support, with a shared Academy fee contributing to the structured learning and program delivered at the Academy.
An establishment fee may also apply when joining the Academy. Depending on the participant’s individual goals and NDIS plan, different funding options may be available, including funding for employment-related skill development where appropriate.
Every participant’s funding is different, so our team will talk families through the costs and available funding options before enrolment.
Not sure which of those describes your family? That is a normal place to be, and it is exactly what the first phone call is for.
Our Behaviour Support Practitioners set and track the goals inside each term. These are three of the New South Wales team.
National Clinical Manager, New South Wales
George leads our behaviour support team across the country and still works directly with participants. He started at What Ability as a Support Worker while finishing his psychology degree at the University of Sydney.
Behaviour Support Practitioner, New South Wales
Anouche is a Proficient Behaviour Support Practitioner with six years’ experience across disability, education and life-skills development. She takes a person-centred, strengths-based approach, working closely with participants and allied health professionals to support individual goals and build confidence, independence and everyday skills.
At What Ability Academy, Anouche focuses on practical life-skills development, creating meaningful opportunities for participants to learn, grow and take part in their community.
Behaviour Support Practitioner, New South Wales
Giorgia is a Behaviour Support Practitioner with over five years’ experience supporting children and young people. She takes a person-centred, trauma-informed approach, building trust and understanding to support positive outcomes for participants.
At What Ability Academy, Giorgia focuses on developing practical, functional and creative skills that support greater confidence, independence and participation in everyday life.
Visit before you decide anything. Come together if that helps.
Your Area Manager and our allied health team work through plan fit and set goals for the term with you.
Booked as Community Access in your Supportmate app, so it settles into the week.
Community Access is led by the participant’s individual choices, goals and interests. The Academy adds a structured curriculum, with individual learning goals and skills that are practiced and built on throughout the term.
Participants continue with their 1:1 What Ability support, with learning taking place both at the Academy and out in the community. The Academy can complement a participant’s existing Community Access days or become part of their regular weekly routine.
Your 1:1 support will continue to be funded through your existing NDIS supports, depending on your plan and the support being delivered.
The Academy also has a separate shared program fee, and different NDIS funding categories may be available depending on the participant’s individual goals, plan and Academy activities, including employment-related skill development where appropriate.
Tell us about your plan when you enquire and our team will talk you through the funding options and any costs that may apply before enrolment.
No. What Ability Academy is a broader life-skills program, not a dedicated employment program. The curriculum focuses on independence, community participation, communication, wellbeing and Work & Purpose.
Participants may build work-readiness and employment-related skills where these align with their individual goals, but the Academy is not designed solely around finding or placing participants into employment.
[PLACEHOLDER: venue name], Mortdale NSW 2223, serving families across the St George area including Hurstville, Peakhurst, Penshurst, Oatley and Kogarah. (Review note: confirm exact venue before publishing.)
Term-based, tailored to how many days a week you attend. The same curriculum applies whether you come two days a week or five, just at your own pace. (Review note: confirm exact days and frequency with the clinical lead before publishing.)
Built with school leavers in mind, but open to anyone post-school who would benefit from a structured routine. [PLACEHOLDER: exact age range]. (Review note: confirm with Alex before publishing.)
No referral maze. Get in touch directly and a real person will walk you through what is needed. The Academy is booked as a normal Community Access booking through your Area Manager.
Yes. If you are already with What Ability, your Area Manager can arrange a visit before you commit to anything. Come along together if that helps picture it.
Speak with your Area Manager to register your interest in the Academy. They can talk through available days, your goals and whether the Academy could be a good fit.
From there, you can:
Your existing 1:1 What Ability support continues as part of your Academy day, with any Academy fees and funding options explained before enrolment.
Jess, changed “trial day” to Preview Day so it matches the rest of the page and what the Area Managers say on the phone.
The Academy runs on a Community Access booking with your own 1:1 Support Worker, so joining What Ability comes first. It is a short process and a real person picks it up.
Tell us you are interested in the Academy when you get in touch, so we can set things up with it in mind from the start.
A trusted break for families while you enjoy personalised support.
