Support for Learning
The Support for Learning Department, which is part of the Pupil Support Faculty, in Moffat, looks at any areas in the school which give rise to difficulties in learning for pupils. These can result from specific learning difficulties that the young person experiences, difficulties associated with the learning environment or difficulties arising from the curriculum/work set by the teacher. The Support for Learning Service also has a role in providing for more able pupils and for behaviour support.
The Philosophy behind our work is based on ideas in current legislative and policy frameworks. A key idea contained in the legislation is that of Additional Support Needs. These are barriers to learning that can arise for a variety of different reasons and can be either temporary or permanent in nature. The school aims to recognise and address these needs in collaboration with the young people themselves, their families, staff within the school and, in some cases, outside agencies.
We regards the aims of education as the same for all young people although, the work they do may have to be differentiated in terms of content, pace of learning, depth of study and/or level of difficulty. Almost all pupils will experience difficulties in their learning at some point during their Education and it is our policy to address all needs as they arise.
How help is provided
Identification of a young person’s needs is an ongoing process. It will start before a child enters school and continue until he/she leaves school. The observations of class teachers are a crucial part of the identification process. Teachers will refer pupils who are experiencing difficulties in their learning to the Learning Support Specialist for that sector. They will carry out testing and recommend appropriate interventions or targeted support that will meet the pupils’ needs. At some point it may also be necessary to refer the pupils to agencies out with the school i.e. Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychology etc. Pupils with longer term needs are identified early through this process allowing for appropriate planning and provision to be made for them on transition to Secondary. Information is also obtained at this point from standardised test results, extended transition visits, advice from staff and samples of work.
It is authority policy that all children should be included in mainstream schools and classes, where practical and possible and to this end the Support for Learning Staff work in classes alongside subject teachers for the majority of the time, providing support where needed. This kind of cooperative approach is felt to be the most appropriate form of assistance to give, particularly at this stage in a child’s education career and is therefore the main kind of help provided.
For some pupils, however, some of their education may take place outside the classroom with a focus on helping them to master the processes of language and computation and also develop skills for life, learning and work. This may take the form of one to one working or working within small groups and can be short term, using specific interventions or for more sustained periods of learning.
For a small number of pupils where their needs cannot be fully met in mainstream a significant proportion of their learning may take place outside the classroom and will be delivered by the PT ASN and SLAs in the Support for Learning Hub. This is more likely in the senior phase where pupils may do National 1-3 courses in Maths and English, the SQA Personal Achievement and Personal Finance Awards and a variety of Asdan Awards that are Lifeskills based.
Some pupils will have Additional Support Plans for a period of time when they are involved in intervention work and others will have an Individualised Education Plan, which will outline the steps to be taken to help the young person achieve specified learning outcomes. Staff, parents and pupils will all have a say in these and they will be reviewed at regular intervals throughout the year with achievements and progress noted and targets updated. A very small group of pupils may also have a Coordinated Support Plan. This is statutory plan that is used to identify, and ensure provision of, services for young people with complex or multiple additional support needs.
Other agencies and special services involved with children with Additional Support Needs may include:
These may include:
* E.A.L. Teacher;
* Speech & Language Therapist;
* Occupational Therapist;
* Physiotherapist;
* Careers Advisor Key Worker;
* SQA (Additional Assessment Arrangements
* Support for Learning Classroom Assistants.
We have assigned to the school an Educational Psychologist, whose services are available as, and when, required.
Team Teach
At all stages in the school, in line with Authority guidelines, the Team Teach approach for de-escalation of potentially dangerous behaviours may be adopted. A number of staff members are trained in this technique which may involve physical restraint of a kind designed and recommended to calm situations and to reassure children. Should parents wish more information about Team Teach, they are invited to contact Mrs S Orr. Unless parents have misgivings about Team Teach, the school must assume their approval of these methods being adopted in any situation where they are deemed necessary.
