Learning Support – Year 5 to Year 8
The reasons for children requiring learning support for a brief or more extended period of time during their school life is wide-ranging and varied. The Learning Support Department aims to identify, support and monitor the individual learning needs and progress of pupils in order to enable them to achieve to their full potential. Nurturing self-confidence is also one of our key goals since it impacts upon and enhances long-term achievement and success.
To further assist pupils’ learning needs, the Learning Support Department has three members of staff qualified to teach children with specific learning difficulties. Pupils receive one-to-one lessons once or twice a week as appropriate. No core lessons are missed and to ensure minimum impact upon other mainstream lessons, consideration is applied when selecting the lessons from which a child will be withdrawn.
Extra English and extra Maths lessons are available to pupils in Years 6, 7 and 8 who will benefit from booster lessons in core skills.
When a pupil’s attainment or level of understanding gives cause for concern a Record of Concern Form is completed by the referring member of staff detailing learning challenges or difficulties the pupil is experiencing. This is forwarded to the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). On the basis of a conversation with the referring teacher a decision will be made as to next steps.
An observation and assessment may be carried out within the Learning Support Department. The results of any assessments administered will inform the decision on the level and type of learning support to be provided. This could take the form of in-class teacher/TA support, a recommendation for one-to-one lessons in school, or a recommendation for further investigation and assessment by an external professional. In some cases, it will be appropriate to recommend more than one source of support. The SENCo will provide recommendations should a specialist assessment be considered appropriate.
Following an external report (for example, from a Specialist Assessor, an Educational Psychologist, Occupational Therapist or Speech and Language Therapist), an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) will be created and shared with staff. This document, which is agreed with parents, provides teaching staff with a summary of the external professional’s conclusions and recommendations. In addition, a list of pupils who are receiving learning support or are accessing interventions is shared with staff on a termly basis. These documents highlight for teachers the individual learning needs of pupils who require additional support in order to ensure that differentiated teaching coupled with learning support interventions meets the needs of all pupils.
Via the School Office, parents can make appointments to meet with Learning Support staff. Regular meetings are arranged in order to share information on a child’s progress and to help continue the momentum via any home support that has been recommended. Reports are provided twice a year. Discussions between Learning Support staff and teachers inform the transferral of skills taught in the Learning Support Department to whole-class lessons.
