Senior School Learning Support

You may contact the Head of Learning Support by email: lvandervalk@sdmail.org.uk

The Learning Support Department Policy

Definition of learning support

Learning support is the provision of teaching by the Learning Support Department to individual pupils who have a learning difficulty. A pupil has a learning difficulty if he/she:

1. has a greater difficulty in some aspect of his/her learning than a significant majority of pupils of the same age at SDC or

2. has a disability which either prevents or hinders him/her from making use of the educational facilities provided by the school.

Pupils who may receive support with their learning include those with the following types of learning difficulty:-

1. specific learning difficulties eg dyslexia/dyspraxia/dyscalculia

2. learning difficulties across the curriculum

3. emotional and behavioural difficulties

4. physical disabilities

5. sensory impairments

6. speech and language difficulties

7. medical conditions

The majority of pupils who require extra support with their learning at SDC are pupils who have dyslexia. They are often intelligent individuals with high IQs who have difficulties with writing and spelling skills.

The department in the school concerned with meeting such pupils’ educational needs is the Learning Support Department. The Learning Support Co-ordinator is Mrs S Marvin.

Aims of the policy

The aims of the policy are:-

• full integration of all pupils in the life of the school

• access for all pupils to a broad and balanced curriculum that is relevant to their needs

• full potential of all pupils maximised

• early identification and assessment of pupils’ learning difficulties

• appropriate support provided to pupils

• allocation of resources according to need

• partnership with parents

• involvement of pupils with teaching strategies, targets and learning outcomes

Identification

Pupils’ learning difficulties are identified by:-

• primary school records

• the results of the SDC Entrance Examination

• a Reading Age and Spelling Age test in Year 7

• MidYis cognitive ability tests in Year 7

• teachers in the course of teaching and assessing

• information from parents

• screening tests for dyslexia

Matching need with provision

In line with the January 2002 Code of Practice the school recognises that there will be some pupils within the school who will require extra support with their learning. The Code of Practice includes three potential groups of pupils who may require support : A) those who require SCHOOL ACTION – that is those whose needs can be met within the school B) those who require SCHOOL ACTION PLUS – outside agencies are consulted by the school to help meet the needs of the pupils C) those who require a Statement of Special Educational Need – the pupils are provided with extra teaching, support and resources from outside of the school. Pupils placed in any of these categories are provided with an INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN (IEP). The IEP details the individual’s specific learning difficulties, suggests suitable teaching strategies which subject staff might use to address such needs and lists up to 5 targets which the pupil will be working towards during the course of the IEP.

Pupils at SDC whose needs require a heightened awareness amongst teaching staff because the pupils are experiencing significant difficulties with their learning are put on SCHOOL ACTION and are issued with an IEP. A copy of the IEP is given to all subject staff who teach the pupil and to the pupil’s parents. The pupil is given a copy of his/her targets which have been decided upon in consultation with both teachers, parents and pupil. Targets and progress are reviewed by the Learning Support Co-ordinator, subject teachers, pupil and parents during the middle of the Lent Term and towards the end of the Summer Term when the continuation or discontinuation of the IEP is decided upon.

As SDC is an independent school and is not maintained by the Local Education Authority, the school does not have access to the services of the LEA at SCHOOL ACTION PLUS. Parents of pupils who require the support of an Educational Psychologist or other outside agencies are required to obtain these services outside of school. Advice on suitable personnel may be given by the Learning Support Co-ordinator. The parents of pupils with learning difficulties considered by the school and/or parents to be significant enough to require a Statement should approach their relevant Local Education Authority and request a Statutory Assessment. SDC will supply all necessary documentation requested by the Local Education Authority for a Statutory Assessment

The Learning Support Co-ordinator maintains a register which records the names of all pupils who are dyslexic, dyspraxic and /or have other learning difficulties, those who have an Individual Education Plan and those with whom the Learning Support Co-ordinator is directly working.

Whole school support

SDC recognises the Code of Practice’s emphasis that it is the responsibility of each subject teacher to provide suitably differentiated work for pupils in a class and to seek to address pupils’ learning difficulties. The subject teacher is supported in this by:-

• the Head of Subject who is responsible for schemes of work and supporting materials

• the Learning Support Co-ordinator who supports with the preparation of differentiated tasks and materials and gives direct teaching support when appropriate

• the form tutor and Head of Year who provide support to pupils and an overview of general progress

• the distribution of the Reading Age and Spelling Age test results along with the results of the VR, AR and MidYis test results so that subject teachers are aware of the differing abilities of each individual member of their teaching groups to enable them to adjust their teaching strategies and teaching resources to meet the individual needs of the pupil.

When a teacher identifies a pupil with a learning difficulty he/she completes a Cause for Concern form which can be found in the Shared Documents area on the computer system. A hard copy should then be given to the Learning Support Co-ordinator for action.

Support from Learning Support Department

Support is provided initially following the results of the Reading Age and Spelling Age tests taken in the September of the Michaelmas term by all Year 7 pupils to those students whose Spelling and /or Reading Age is below 11 years. They are withdrawn by the Learning Support Co-ordinator once a week for 40 minutes from their Library lesson. All literacy skills are targeted with a particular emphasis on spelling and writing skills. Termly tests are then given to assess the progress of such pupils who may re-join their Library lessons if they so wish when their Reading Age and /or Spelling Age corresponds to their Chronological Age. Dyslexic pupils with high IQ scores whose Spelling Age and Reading Age match their Chronological Age but are significantly lower than their IQ scores may receive on-going support throughout Years 7-9. Support is also provided for any pupil who is identified by subject teachers during the course of any academic year as having difficulties with literacy skills. Support with study skills as well as literacy skills is also provided during one lesson of PSHE once a week for pupils with learning difficulties in Years 10 and 11. The Learning Support Co-ordinator also provides in-class support in the lower Maths sets across the year groups for those with numeracy difficulties.

Resources available for pupils with learning difficulties

The school’s governors have appointed one full-time teacher, the Learning Support Co-ordinator to co-ordinate learning support across both the Junior and Senior schools. An office is provided to enable the co-ordinator to fulfil the obligations of the post. The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and the Learning Support Assistant in the Junior school are responsible to the Learning Support Co-ordinator and weekly meetings are held between the Junior school SENCO and the Learning Support Co-ordinator.

A teaching room is available for individual and group teaching. A budget has been given for the purchase of a variety of materials and resources to support the development of literacy and numeracy skills.

Gifted and Talented pupils

Individual subject departments are responsible for the teaching of gifted and talented pupils. However, the Learning Support Co-ordinator will assess needs and appropriate provision for such pupils should a particular difficulty arise : for example where an individual pupil is presenting behavioural problems.

Examinations

All pupils who have been assessed as dyslexic either by an Educational Psychologist or by the Learning Support Co-ordinator and all pupils who have been assessed as dyspraxic by an Educational Psychologist are entitled to 25% extra time in all examinations. Pupils who take the SDC Entrance Examination are also entitled to 25% extra time in the English and Mathematics examinations if they have an Educational Psychologist’s report which is no more than approximately two years old.

Dyslexic pupils whose needs require additional concessions in public examinations such as the support of an amanuensis are assessed by the Learning Support Co-ordinator who will provide the examination boards with the necessary reports and relevant evidence required. All other pupils who require additional concessions must obtain a report from an Educational Psychologist which has been produced during the previous two years stating the concession required.

In-service training within the school

All subject areas are encouraged to pursue appropriate training opportunities. Training is also disseminated through departments by the Learning Support Co-ordinator who also offers in-service training on INSET days and to all new staff, beginner teachers and PGCE students.

Partnership with parents

The school seeks to work in close partnership with parents in meeting pupils’ special educational needs. Parents of Year 7 pupils who receive Individual Education Plans are seen by the Learning Support Co-ordinator during the first half of the Michaelmas Term. Parents are involved in assessing and reviewing their son/daughter’s progress. Concerns about a pupil’s progress should be conveyed to the Learning Support Co-ordinator in the first instance.

Evaluating the success of the Learning Support Policy

The success of the policy is measured by:-

• Individual Education Plans and successfully met targets

• twice yearly reviews of pupils with an Individual Education Plan

• the progress made by individual pupils recorded after each lesson on a Pupil Progress form completed by the Learning Support Co-ordinator

• improvement in Reading Age and Spelling Age scores

• pupils’ subject assessments – improved levels of attainment across the curriculum