Scoil
Pádraig Naofa Learning Support Policy
January
2019
“The goal of Learning Support is to
optimise the teaching and learning process so as to enable pupils with learning
difficulties to achieve adequate levels of proficiency in literacy and numeracy
before leaving primary school.”
1. Aims of Learning Support
Through the
implementation of this policy we strive to:
q To provide supplementary teaching and additional
support in English and or Maths
q Develop positive self-esteem and positive attitudes
to school and learning
q Enable pupils to monitor their own learning and
become independent learners within their own ability
q Involve parents in supporting their children’s
learning
q Promote collaboration among teachers
q To establish early intervention programmes designed
to enhance learning.
2. Staff Roles and Responsibilities
‘The key role
of successful Learning Support is a collaborative responsibility shared by all
partners in the learning experiences. It is important that all partners
contribute in the planning and implementation of our school plan on learning
support.’
Board of Management
q Oversee the development, implementation and review
of the provision of Learning Support in the school
q Ensure adequate classroom accommodation and
teaching resources are provided for the Learning Support Teacher
q Provide a secure facility for storage or records in
relation to pupils in receipt of Learning Support
q Budget for ongoing support for Professional
Development in Learning Support for staff
Principal
q Assume overall responsibility for the development
and implementation of the school’s policy on Learning Support in co-operation
with the Board of Management, Teachers and parents.
q Work with teachers and parents in the development
of the school policy on learning support in the context of Special Needs
Education
q Monitor the implementation of the school policy on
Learning Support on an ongoing basis
q Monitor the selection of pupils for supplementary
teaching, ensuring that this service is focused on the pupils with lowest
levels of achievement
q Assume direct responsibility for co-ordination of
learning support services or delegate this responsibility to another staff
member.
q Oversee the implementation of a whole-school
assessment and screening programme to identity pupils with very low achievement
and learning difficulties so that these pupils can be provided with the support
they need
q Keep teachers informed about the external
assessment service that are available and the procedure to be followed in
initiation referrals
q Help teachers increase their knowledge and skills
in the area of learning support by passing on details of courses, and
encouraging and allowing them attend such courses.
Class Teacher
The Class
Teacher has primary
responsibility for the progress of all pupils in his/her class, including those
selected for supplementary teaching. In supporting the development and
implementation of the school plan on Learning Support, the class teacher
should:
q Implement teaching programmes which optimise the
learning of all pupils and to the greatest extent possible prevent the
emergence of learning difficulties
q Implement the school policies on screening and
selecting pupils for supplementary teaching in English and Maths by
co-operating and assisting with the administration and scoring of appropriate
screening measures
q Consult and work collaboratively with the Learning
Support Teacher regarding pupils in need of supplementary teaching.
q For each pupil who is in receipt of supplementary
teaching, to collaborate with the Learning Support Teacher in the development
of an individual profile and learning programme by identifying appropriate
learning targets and by organising classroom activities to achieve these
targets
q For each pupil who is in receipt of supplementary
teaching, to adjust the classroom programmes in line with the agreed learning
targets and activities
With regard to teaching pupils with low
achievement, the following general approaches and methods are recommended:
q Such
children should be prioritised when accessing information from previous class
teacher
q Priority
when establishing parental contact
q Group
teaching
q Modify
presentation and questioning techniques to maximise the involvement of pupils
with low achievement in class activities
q Placing
emphasis on oral language development across the curriculum
q Providing
pupils with extra tutoring in the key basic skills in literacy and numeracy
q Setting
learning targets at an appropriate level
q Providing
learning activities and material which are suitably challenging but which also
ensure success and progress
q Carrying
out error analyses of a pupil’s work to pinpoint specific areas of difficulty
q Applying
assessments and tests which offer challenge and opportunities for success to
children of all levels of achievement
Learning Support Teacher
q Maintain a list of pupils who are receiving
supplementary teaching.
q Develop an Individual Education Profile for each
pupil who is selected for supplementary teaching in consultation with the Class
Teacher, parents, SNA’s and other professionals if necessary.
q Maintain a planning and progress record or
equivalent for each individual or group of pupils in receipt of Learning
Support and review the progress of each pupil at the end of an instructional
term and record this on the IEP
q Deliver intensive early intervention programmes and
provide supplementary teaching in English/Maths to pupils in senior infants and
1st class in the setting deemed most appropriate to the child’s
needs.
q Provide supplementary teaching in English and or
Maths to pupils from 2nd to 6th who experience low
achievement, in accordance with the school’s selection criteria
q Contribute to the development of policy on Learning
Support at whole school level
q Provide advice to the Class Teachers in such areas
as individual pupils assessment and programme planning, as well as approaches
to language development, reading, writing and mathematics for pupils
experiencing difficulties
q Assist in the implementation of a broad range of
whole school strategies designed to enhance learning
q Perform a defined role in co-ordinating the
provision of Special Needs and Learning Support services in the school
q Liase with external agencies such as psychologists
to arrange assessments and special provision for pupils with special needs
q Consult with Class Teachers to address issues such
as provision of appropriate support in the classroom for pupils whom supplementary
teaching has been reduced or discontinued.
q
Support the
implementation of a tracking system at whole school level to monitor the
progress of pupils who have discontinued Learning Support
Role of Parents
Parents can
support the work of the school by:
q Participating with their child in
home-based-activities suggested in their child’s IEP and discussing outcomes
with the child’s teacher and or Leaning Support teacher.
q Communicating regularly with the Class Teacher and
Learning Support Teacher
q Creating a home environment where literacy can
thrive
q Fostering positive attitudes about school and
learning in the child
q Developing the child’s oral language
q Developing the child’s social mathematics
Role of Pupils
The
involvement of pupils in the development, implementation and review of their
own learning programmes is an important principle underlying effective
supplementary teaching. Pupils in receipt of supplementary teaching should as
appropriate
q Become familiar with short term learning targets
that have been set for them and should be given the opportunity to contribute
to the setting of such targets.
q Develop ‘ownership’ of the skills and strategies
that are taught during supplementary teaching and apply these strategies and
skills to improve their own learning.
q Contribute to the evaluation of their progress by
participating in appropriate assessment activities including self-assessment.
Role of SNA’s
q Special assistance as necessary for pupils with
particular difficulties
q Accompanying individuals who may have to be
withdrawn from class to attend supplementary teaching
q Work in collaboration with Class Teacher, and
Learning Support Teacher in implementing the IEP
3.Co-ordination of Learning
Support
The overall
responsibility for co-ordinating Learning Support and Special Education
Services lies with the Principal or a teacher who has been designated to do so.
4.
Strategies
for Prevention of Learning Difficulties
As a means of
preventing the occurrence of learning difficulties as far as possible, the
following strategies are being implemented:
q The development and implementation of agreed whole
school approaches to language development, e.g. phonological awareness, and to
the teaching of other aspects of English and Maths
q Close collaboration between Infant and Learning
Support Teacher
q Ongoing structured observation and assessment of
the language, literacy and numeracy skills of pupils in the infant classes to
facilitate early identification of possible learning difficulties.
q
Ongoing
observation and assessment of pupils by the Class Teacher
5. Strategies for Early Intervention
Implementation of early intervention programmes in the Infant and lower
classes as an effective response to meeting the needs of any child with low
achievement levels.
This
will involve small group teaching (or even one-to-one if necessary) and this
instruction will be delivered daily where possible. The emphasis will be on
phonemic awareness and a range of other word identification strategies and will
include a strong focus on oral language and laying the foundation for
meaningful reading.
In maths, the focus will be
on language development and on the development of mathematical skills and
concepts through the use of concrete materials and the ‘hands-on’ approach.
6. Process of identifying and selecting pupils for
Learning Support
q The principle of Early Intervention applies,
therefore pupils from Senior Infants to Second Class are given priority in the
allocation of Learning Support
q In Junior infants pupils are screened using teacher
and LS teacher observation
q From Senior Infants upwards, all pupils are
screened annually, using appropriate standardised tests.
q Priority for Learning Support is given to those
pupils who perform at or below the 12th Percentile, excluding in the
main pupils who receive Resource Teaching.
q In the case of pupils performing at or below the 12th
percentile, the screening process is followed by a consultative meeting between
the Class Teacher, the Learning Support Teacher and the parents concerning the
pupil’s performance, and supplementary teaching is offered
q In the allocation of places for Learning Support,
the following are prioritised:
1. Senior Infants identified by the Class Teacher,
through Teacher Observation and/or MIST or other screening instruments, as
having difficulty in literacy
2. Children from Rang 1 and Rang 2, at or below the 12th
percentile in literacy
3. Children from Rang 3 and Rang 4 at or below the 12th
percentile in literacy
4. Children from Rang 5 and Rang 6 at or below the 12th
percentile in literacy
5. Senior Infants, identified by the Class Teacher,
through Teacher Observation and/or MIST or other screening instruments, as
having difficulty in numeracy
6. Children from Rang 1 and Rang 2, at or below the 12th
percentile in numeracy
7. Children from Rang 3 and Rang 4, at or below the 12th
percentile in numeracy
8. Children from Rang 5 and Rang 6, at or below the 12th
percentile in numeracy
7. Provision of Learning Support
q The primary work of the Learning Support Teachers
is the provision of supplementary teaching to the pupils identified above
q The school year will be divided into 2
Instructional Terms of approximately 20 weeks each.
q The maximum case load at any one time shall be 30
pupils
q One to one teaching may be provided if necessary
q Classes will be intensive in terms of frequency
q A system of withdrawal and/or in-class support will
operate in response to the needs of the individual pupil
q The Class Teacher and the Learning Support Teacher
will meet to devise an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Group Education Plan
(GEP), in consultation with the Principal and parents. The pupil involved can
also contribute to setting their own short-term targets
q If a pupil is receiving support from a Resource
Teacher in English / Maths, s/he will not normally be provided with
supplementary teaching from the Learning Support Teacher as well.
q If the pupil is in receipt of support from a
Resource Teacher to address other needs, e.g. behavioural problems, sensory
difficulty, it may be appropriate for the Learning Support Teacher to provide
supplementary teaching as well
q The Learning Support Teachers will maintain the
following documentation:
1. Individual Educational Plan
2. Short term planning and programme record
3. Samples of written work
Individual
Learning Plan / Group Education Plan
This plan will
address the pupil’s range of needs and will include:
q Details from the Class Teacher
q Assessment Results
q Other relevant information, e.g. reports from other
agencies
q Learning strengths and attainments
q Priority Learning Needs
q Learning Targets
q Class based Learning Activities
q Supplementary support activities to include ICT
q Home Support Activities
Each plan will
be monitored through teacher observation; the keeping of planning and progress
records and through the pupil’s own feedback.
Timetabling
q The provision of Learning Support is in addition to
the regular class teaching in English and Maths
q Effort is made to ensure that pupils do not miss
out on the same curricular subject each time they attend Learning Support. A
flexible approach to timetabling is adopted by the Class Teacher, though class
disruption must be minimised.
q The provision of Learning Support may include
withdrawal of pupils from their classroom and/or in-class tuition
q In class support, if appropriate, will be jointly
designed and monitored by the Class Teacher and the Learning Support Teacher
8. Continuing and Discontinuing Learning Support
q In general, children should not stay for more than
2 years in Supplementary Teaching, unless they are still at or below the 12th
Percentile
q Following the end of Instructional Term review, a
decision is made to continue/discontinue the provision of Supplementary
Teaching.
q The decision making process involves consultation
between the Class Teacher, the Learning Support Teacher, and the pupil’s
parents, and account is also taken of the overall Learning Support demands in
the school.
q The criteria on which the decision will be made
include:
1. A consideration as to whether the pupil has
achieved some/all of the learning targets set
2. A consideration as to whether the pupil will be
able to cope independently/semi independently in the classroom learning context
q A decision to continue the provision of
supplementary teaching will result in a revision of the pupil’s IEP
9. Communication Strategies
The operation
of an effective communication system between all the parties involved in
meeting the learning needs of the child is considered essential. The various
strands of the system include:
q Class Teacher and the Learning Support Teacher
following a low score on a screening test
q Principal and/or Learning Support Teacher and/or
Class Teacher and parents following a low score on a screening test, including
the seeking of approval for further diagnostic assessment and/or provision of
supplementary teaching
q Regular communication between the Learning Support
Teacher and parents
q Ongoing communication between the Learning Support
Teacher and the Class Teacher throughout the instructional term.
q Communication when necessary to appropriate outside
agencies such as the Health Services, SENO, Occupational Therapists,
Educational Psychologists, and Speech and Language Therapists.
10. Referral to out of School Agencies
q The Learning Support Teacher in conjunction with
the Principal, co-ordinates the referral of pupils to outside agencies, e.g.
Educational Psychologist
q The Principal and/or Learning Support Teacher
and/or Class Teacher meet with the parents to discuss the need for the referral
and to seek consent
q The Class Teacher completes the necessary referral
form in consultation with the appropriate school personnel.
q The external professional visits the school to meet
with the pupil, parents, principal, Class Teacher and the Learning Support
Teacher as appropriate, and the assessment is conducted.
11. Resources
q Resources for the provision of Learning Support
include a variety of textbooks, library books and ancillary materials and oral
language development materials. A variety of testing materials are also in use
which include standardised, diagnostic, screening, reading experience,
phonological awareness and Maths attainment.
q Following consultation between the Learning Support
Teacher and Principal, funding for materials may be provided from the learning
support Grant, materials Grant, and/or funding that may be available through
the Board of Management
q Learning Support resources will be primarily be
used in the learning Support Room. These resources may be made available to
Class Teachers following consultation with the Learning Support Teacher
Success Criteria
The school
wide implementation of this policy will result in enhancement of pupils
learning in the following ways:
q Improved standards of academic achievement with the
pupil’s individual learning programme
q Enabling the discontinuation of the provision of
Learning Support based on positive assessment results
q Enhanced parental involvement in supporting their
child’s learning needs
q Increased opportunities for effective communication
between school personnel in relation to pupil’s progress