Staff at Kangaroo Flat Primary School are in the running to win the Outstanding Inclusive Education Award, while East Loddon P-12 College principal Steven Leed is among four finalists in the Outstanding Secondary Principal category.

"We make every effort to support the learning needs of all our students," Kangaroo Flat principal Kim Saddlier said.

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Ms Saddlier said every classroom had a teacher's aide or educational support staff member to help students with disabilities or other needs, and classrooms were equipped with such tools as sensory toolkits and visual timetables.

The school also employs a speech pathologist and speech aides, and can run specialised speech groups, with all students undertaking an oral learning and speech assessment in prep.

Ms Saddlier said the school had 32 students for whom English was an additional language, from Karen and Afghan backgrounds.

Multicultural aides supported these students, she said, and worked with their parents each week.

The school also has a dog named Bonnie, who helps students with anxiety or problems with emotional regulation, and other initiatives such as art therapy.

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Ms Saddlier said the school also worked closely with other organisations, such as Bendigo Community Health Services, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, and Berry Street.

She said the school's work on inclusion had really strengthened over the past four to five years.

"I think we've really started to hone our skills and understanding of different needs within our school community," Ms Saddlier said.

While East Loddon's principal Mr Leed was nominated for an individual award, he said it was something the entire college community deserved.

In five years, Mr Leed said, the school had gone from a 'transform' school - one that needed some improvement - to an 'influence' school.

He said this was the result of a really strong teaching and learning program and model, with a consistency of practice.

The school also wants to ensure it gives its students all the opportunities they would get in a larger school.

"My philosophy is no student who attends a government school in a rural area should be disadvantaged in any way," Mr Leed said.

He said the school gave its students a global education through its exchange programs with Turkey and Germany.

Students had also represented the school and local service clubs overseas, he said.

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Mr Leed said the college also offered high-level courses to its students of the kind available in larger schools.

The progress the school had made, he said, was the work of not only staff, but also students and their parents.

"It's not necessarily a reflection of me, but what the whole school's been able to achieve," Mr Leed said.

The Victorian Education Excellence Award winners will be announced on November 20.