Learning Support Programme
Principles of Learning Support
- The learning support service in St Colmcille’s BNS is
designed to ensure that all pupils achieve basic literacy by the time they
complete primary education
- Resources are directed
towards pupils in the greatest need
- There is intensive early intervention with the emphasis
being on prevention of failure
- Pupils encountering learning difficulties are supported
by a team approach which involves the pupils, class teachers, learning
support teacher, resource teachers, parents and relevant support personnel
such as psychologists and speech therapists
- Learning support programme provides for the lowest
achieving pupils in the school especially those who are performing at or
below the 10th percentile on the Micra T
- Intensive prevention (junior infants to 2nd Class) and
early intervention (senior infants to 2nd Class) programmes including
supplementary teaching implemented
- Supplementary teaching provided for the minority of
pupils in the senior section of the school (3rd to 5th ) who are performing
on or below the 10th percentile on the Micra T.
- To develop and implement Individual Educational
Programme (IEP) for each pupil in receipt of supplementary teaching, based
on an assessment of needs and a specification of targets for the pupils.
These programmes are drawn up and implemented collaboratively by the
pupil’s class teacher, learning support teacher and parents
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Aims of Learning Support
- To optimise the teaching and learning process in order
to enable pupils with learning difficulties to achieve adequate levels of
proficiency in literacy before leaving primary school
- To enable all pupils to participate in the full
curriculum for their class level
- To develop positive self-esteem and positive attitudes
about school and learning in pupils with learning difficulties
- To enable pupils to become independent learners
- To provide supplementary teaching and additional
support for pupils in English
- To involve parents in supporting their children’s
learning through effective parent-support programmes
- To promote collaboration among teachers in the
implementation of whole-school policies on learning support for these pupils
- To establish early intervention programmes
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Expected Outcomes of Learning
Support
- Improved learning by pupils whose achievement is at a
very low level in English
- Enhancement of basic skills and learning strategies to
a level which enables pupils to participate in the full curriculum
- The achievement of an adequate level of competence in
literacy by these pupils before they leave primary education
- The application of independent learning strategies by
these pupils resulting in a commitment to, and involvement in their own
learning, positive attitudes to school and high levels of self-esteem
- Partnership between class teachers, learning support
teachers, resource teachers and parents in planning and implementing
supplementary teaching programmes for these pupils
- The implementation of a tracking system at whole-school
level to monitor of these pupils
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Roles and Responsibilities in Learning Support
Board of Management
- Oversees the development, implementation and review of
school policy on learning support
- Ensures that adequate classroom accommodation and
teaching resources are provided for the learning support teacher
- Provides a secure facility for storage of records
relation to pupils in receipt of learning support services
Principal Teacher
- Has overall responsibility for the development and
implementation of school policy on learning support
- Works with teachers and parents in the development of
the school plan on learning support
- Monitors on an on-going
basis the implementation of the school plan on learning support
- Monitors the selection of pupils for supplementary
teaching
- Has overall responsibility for
co-ordinating learning-support
- Monitors the implementation of a whole-school
assessment and screening programme to identify pupils with low achievement
- Keeps teachers informed with regard to external
assessment services and the procedures
to be followed in initiating referrals
- Helps teachers to increase their knowledge and skills
in the area of learning support, by facilitating school-based in-service and
by encouraging teachers to avail of relevant of in-career development
opportunities
- Meets with the learning support teacher on a
regular basis to discuss the implementation of the school plan on
learning support
- Establishes school policies and procedures which enable
parents to become involved effectively in the provision of learning support
Deputy Principal and Learning Support Teacher
- Co-ordinates the learning support services
- Maintains a list of pupils who receive supplementary
teaching
- Maintains a record of attendance of pupils who receive
supplementary teaching
- Supports the implementation of a tracking-system at
whole school level to monitor the progress of children with learning
difficulties
- Advises parents on procedures for availing of special
needs services
- Liaises with external agencies such as psychological
services to arrange assessments
- Advises the principal teacher on issues that arise in
the day-to-day implementation of the learning support programme
- Assists in the implementation of a broad range of
whole-school strategies to prevent learning difficulties
- Develops an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) for each
pupil who is selected for supplementary teaching in consultation with class
teachers and parents
- Completes a Progress Record each week in respect of
groups or individuals in receipt of supplementary teaching
- Delivers intensive early intervention programme in
English to small groups of pupils (aim is that the maximum size of group
would be 4) in the Junior Section of the School (1st and 2nd Classes) in the
setting that is deemed most appropriate to the pupils’ needs (own
classroom or learning support room)
- Provides supplementary teaching in English for pupils
in the senior section of the school (3rd to 5th Classes) who have low
achievement
- Co-ordinates implementation of whole-school procedures
for the selection of pupils for supplementary teaching in line with
specified selection criteria (all pupils on 10th percentile or lower on
Micra T and selected other pupils who would benefit from intensive short
–term supplementary teaching)
- Provides advice to class teachers on assessment tests
- Contributes at school-level to decision-making
regarding the purchase of learning resources, books and materials to be made
available to pupils with learning difficulties
- Consults with mainstream class teachers with regard to
the implementation of programmes to prevent learning difficulties
- Consults with mainstream class teachers with regard to
the selection of pupils for supplementary teaching
- Assists in the interpretation of the outcomes of
diagnostic assessments
- Provides support for children experiencing learning
difficulties for whom supplementary teaching cannot be provided, or has been
discontinued
Resource Teacher for Pupils with Special Needs in
Junior Classes
- Screens pupils in junior infant classes who are
experiencing learning difficulties
- Provides learning support for those pupils in junior
infant classes who are experiencing learning difficulties
- Involved in team-teaching in junior infant classes
- Advises class teachers on individual pupil assessment,
programme planning in addition to approaches to language development,
reading, writing and mathematics for pupils experiencing learning
difficulties
- Contributes at school-level to decision-making
regarding the purchase of learning resources, books and materials to be made
available to pupils with learning difficulties
Resource Teacher for Travellers
- Monitors pupils in senior infant classes who are
experiencing learning difficulties
- Provides learning support for those pupils in senior
infant classes who are experiencing learning difficulties (these pupils are
taught at the in the same groups as the Traveller pupils in senior infants)
- Involved in team teaching in senior infant classes
- Advises class teachers on individual pupil assessment,
programme planning in addition to approaches to language development, reading,
writing and mathematics for pupils experiencing learning difficulties
- Contributes at school-level to decision-making regarding
the purchase of learning resources, books and materials to be made available to
pupils with learning difficulties
Class Teachers and the Learning Support Programme
The class teacher has primary responsibility for the
progress of all pupils in her/his classes, included those selected for
supplementary teaching. The class
teacher has a responsibility to create a classroom environment in which learning
difficulties can be alleviated, if not prevented. This is best achieved by
grouping pupils for instruction, adapting materials for lower-achieving pupils,
providing strategies for reading and problem-solving, and liaising with parents.
The Class Teacher
- Implements teaching programmes which optimise the learning
of all pupils
- Implements school policies on screening and selecting
pupils for supplementary teaching in English, and scoring appropriate screening
measures
- Collaborates with the learning support teacher and the
resource teachers in drawing up an Individual Education Plan
- Differentiates the class curriculum appropriately to meet
the needs of all pupils (c.f. note on Individual Differences in Special Needs
Policy Document)
- Advises on the selection of pupils for diagnostic
assessment
- Discusses the results of screening measures with learning
support teacher and resource teachers
- Reviews the progress of each pupil receiving learning
support
- Makes parents aware of school’s concern about a
child’s progress
- Outlines school policies and procedures regarding the
administration of diagnostic tests by the learning support teacher and seeks the
approval of the pupil’s parents for such an assessment to be undertaken
- Outlines to parents the support that is available in the
school
- Bring to the attention of the learning support teacher any
concern with regard to a pupil
having a general or specific learning disability
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Whole School Planning and Organisation for Learning
Support
Strategies for Preventing Learning Difficulties
- School plan for English contains agreed approaches to
language development and to other aspects of English in order to ensure
continuity and progression from class to class
- Additional support (Learning Support Teacher and Resource
Teachers) provided for pupils who need it
- Parents involved in paired reading and other strategies to
support pupils’ learning
- On-going structured observation (class teachers and
resource teachers) and assessment of the language and literacy of pupils in
infant classes to facilitate early identification of possible learning
difficulties
Strategies for Implementing Early Intervention Programmes
- Principle of early intervention underpins school policy on
learning support
- Programmes are set within specific timeframe (13 weeks
approximately)
- Supplementary tuition given daily
- Strong focus on oral language and phonemic awareness
- Pupils engaged in oral and silent reading of texts at
appropriate levels of difficulty and comprehension of those texts is monitored
Procedures and Criteria for Identifying and Selecting
Pupils for Supplementary Teaching
- Administration, scoring and interpretation of standardised
screening measures, or of appropriate ckecklist (BIAP, Thackray and Thackray,
Young, Aston Index). This can be administered by class teacher or by resource
teachers or by learning support teacher)
- Selection of pupils for diagnostic assessment by the
learning support teacher (or resource teachers, in the case of junior and senior
infant pupils)
- Administration of diagnostic tests by learning support
teacher or resource teachers
- Nature of intervention determined
- Learning targets identified and Individual Education Plan
developed
Procedures and Criteria for Continuing /Discontinuing
Supplementary Teaching for Pupils
- Progress of each pupil in receipt of supplementary
teaching reviewed at the end of each instructional terms (13 weeks)
- After consultation with class teacher and parents of
pupil, a decision is taken about the level of support to be provided for the
next instructional period
- IEP to be revised after review
Strategies for Communicating Information
- Parents contacted by class teacher with regard to concerns
about pupil’s progress
- Following diagnostic assessment, the learning support
teacher (or resource teachers) discuss the outcome of the assessment and the
type of intervention best suited to the pupil’s needs
- Regular communication between the learning-support teacher
and the pupil’s parents is maintained during the period of supplementary
teaching
- Regular communication between class teacher and learning
support teacher (or resource teachers) during each instructional term. Period
allocated on time-table for this purpose
Referral Procedures to Out of School Agencies
Cf. Special Educational Needs Policy Document
Procedures for Monitoring the Progress of Individual
Pupils
- Ongoing monitoring of each pupil’s progress in relation
to short-term objectives. Period allocated on weekly time-table for this purpose
- More detailed review at end of 13 weeks. This process will
involve learning support teacher, class teacher and principal.
- Individual Profile and Individual Education Plan
maintained
The Provision of Resources for Learning Support
- Detailed list of all resources made available to every
teacher by Mr Mc Guinness
- Detailed list of ICT resources made available by Mr S.
Byrne.
Time-tabling and Work-Schedule of the Learning Support
Teacher
Principles
- Supplementary teaching is in addition to the regular class
teaching in English
- Pupils should not miss out on the same curricular area
each time they receive supplementary teaching
- Flexible approach to time-tabling
- There is not an over-emphasis on withdrawing pupils from
their classrooms in order to receive learning support
- Time is allocated to non-teaching activities such as
conducting diagnostic assessments, record-keeping, consulting with parents,
teachers and outside agencies.
- Priority given to pupils who are performing at or below
10th percentile in English reading
- Other pupils (up to 12th percentile) may be selected for
supplementary teaching for short period
- Maximum group size of younger pupils (1st and 2nd) is 4
pupils
- Supplementary teaching given to 30 pupils at any given
time during the school year
- Duration of supplementary teaching will not exceed 3 years
for any pupil
- 30 to 40 minutes is the time allocated for each
supplementary teaching session
- Supplementary teaching will be made available to pupils
with low achievement in Mathematics on a phased basis over the next three years
as the school’s needs in English are reduced.
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Supplementary Teaching: Selection and Implementation
- Preliminary Screening (by class teacher)
- Selection for Diagnostic Assessment
- Diagnostic Assessment
- Programme Planning
- Programme Implementation
- Programme Review at End of Instructional Term
- Discontinuation of Supplementary Teaching or Continuation
of Supplementary teaching for a Further Instructional term
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Monitoring the Implementation of Whole
School Plan on Learning Support
- Meeting between principal, learning support teacher and
resource teachers on agenda of each regular staff meeting
- Comprehensive review of Learning Support programme every
three years – the next review is scheduled for 2002
- Resource teachers and learning support teacher meet each
week
- Resource teachers and learning support teacher meet with
mainstream class teachers to provide feedback on progress on a monthly basis
- Resource teachers and learning support teacher meet
regularly with parents of pupils who receive learning support
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Use of ICT
There has been a substantial investment by the school in
IT hardware and software. A detailed inventory is available from Mr S. Byrne and
Mr O’ Reilly. Software packages such as Wordshark are used to build up
phonemic awareness, sight vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension.
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