Modeligo National SchoolCeapach, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

Learning Support Policy

Our approach to identifying and supporting pupils with additional learning needs, using the DES Continuum of Support framework and the SET model.

🌱 CurriculumRatified: February 2023

Modeligo National School Learning Support Policy

Aims of Special Education Teaching (SET)

The principal aim of Special Education Teaching is to optimise the teaching and learning process in order to enable pupils with learning difficulties to achieve adequate levels of proficiency in literacy and numeracy before leaving primary school.

Subsidiary Aims

  • To enable these pupils to participate in the full curriculum for their class level
  • To develop positive self-esteem and positive attitudes about school and learning in these pupils
  • To enable those pupils to monitor their own learning and become independent learners
  • To provide supplementary teaching and additional support in English and Maths
  • To involve parents in supporting their children's learning
  • To promote collaboration among teachers in the implementation of whole-school policies on learning support for these pupils
  • To establish early intervention programmes designed to enhance learning and to prevent/reduce difficulties in learning

Principles

Effective learning programmes are based on the following principles:

  • Effective whole-school policies and parental involvement
  • Prevention of failure
  • Provision of intensive early intervention
  • Direction of resources towards pupils in greatest need

Staff Roles and Responsibilities

The role of learning support is a collaborative responsibility shared by all — the Board of Management, Principal, Special Education Teacher (SET), Class Teachers, parents and children. It is important that everyone contributes in the planning and implementation of our school plan on learning support.

Role of Board of Management

  • To oversee the development, implementation and review of the provision on learning support within the defined cluster
  • Ensure adequate classroom accommodation and teaching resources are provided for the SET
  • Provide a secure facility for storage of records relating to pupils in receipt of special needs teaching

Role of Principal

  • Assume overall responsibility for the development and implementation of the school's policy on learning support/special needs in co-operation with the other schools in our cluster
  • Work with teachers and parents in the development/monitoring of the school plan on learning support and special needs
  • Monitor the selection of pupils for supplementary teaching, ensuring that this service is focused on the pupils with low achievement
  • With the SET, assume responsibility for co-ordinating learning support and special needs services
  • With support from the SET, oversee the implementation of a whole-school assessment and screening programme to identify/prioritise pupils with very low achievement/learning difficulties
  • Keep teachers informed about the external assessment services that are available and the procedures to be followed in initiating referrals
  • Help teachers increase their knowledge and skills in the area of learning support

Role of 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:

  • Implement teaching programmes which optimise the learning of all pupils and, to the greatest extent possible, prevent the emergence of learning difficulties
  • Implement the school policies on screening and selecting pupils for supplementary teaching in English and in mathematics through teacher assessment and by administering and scoring appropriate screening measures — Micra-T / Sigma-T / Profiles / NRIT / EAL Assessment / Dyslexia Screener
  • For each pupil who is in receipt of supplementary teaching, 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 those targets
  • For each pupil who is in receipt of supplementary teaching, adjust the classroom programmes in line with the agreed learning targets and activities

Recommended Approaches for Low-Achieving Pupils

  • Group teaching
  • Modify presentation and questioning techniques to maximise the involvement of pupils with low achievement in class activities
  • Placing emphasis on oral language development across the curriculum
  • Providing pupils with extra tutoring in the key basic skills in literacy and numeracy
  • Setting learning targets at an appropriate level
  • Providing learning activities and materials which are suitably challenging but which also ensure success and progress
  • Carrying out error analyses of a pupil's work to pinpoint specific areas of difficulty

A key role of successful learning support is a very high level of consultation and co-operation between the class teacher and the learning support teacher. Central to this consultation is the development, implementation and review of Individual Learning Plans/Targets.

Role of Special Education Teacher

The activities of the SET should include:

  • Assisting in the implementation of a broad range of whole-school strategies designed to enhance early learning and to prevent learning difficulties
  • Development of individual profile and learning programme for each pupil who is selected for supplementary teaching in consultation with class teacher and parents
  • Meeting regularly with parents of each pupil who is in receipt of supplementary teaching to discuss or review targets and ways in which attainment can be supported at home
  • Maintaining a weekly planning and progress record or equivalent for each individual or group of pupils in receipt of learning support
  • Delivering intensive early intervention programmes and providing supplementary teaching in English and Mathematics to pupils in the junior section of the school (Junior Infants to 2nd Class)
  • Providing teaching in English and Mathematics to pupils in the senior section of the school who experience low achievement
  • Co-ordinating the implementation of whole-school procedures for the selection of pupils for supplementary teaching with input from teachers and parents
  • Contributing to the development of policy on learning at the whole school level and at the cluster level
  • Providing advice to class teachers in such areas as individual pupil assessment and programme planning, as well as approaches to language development, reading, writing, and mathematics for pupils experiencing difficulties
  • Contributing at the school level to decision making regarding the purchase of learning resources, books and materials
  • Performing a defined role in co-ordinating the provision of special needs and learning support services in the base school
  • Liaising with external agencies such as psychologists, OTs and SLTs to arrange assessments and special provision for pupils with special needs
  • Maintaining a list of pupils who are receiving supplementary teaching and special educational needs
  • Resourcing for special needs

Internal Provision

Prevention Strategies

Our strategies for preventing learning difficulties are:

  • Development of agreed approaches to language development and to teaching other aspects of English and Mathematics in order to ensure progression and continuity from class to class
  • Provision of additional support in language development and relevant early literacy and mathematical skills to pupils
  • Implementation of a homework programme in the early years that focuses on developing children's oral language/phonics skills, sharing books with children and developing their early mathematical skills

Early Focused Programmes

Implementation of intensive early focused programmes in the early primary classes as an effective response to meeting the needs of children with low achievement. These programmes will:

  • Be based on a shared expectation of success by everyone involved
  • Involve small group teaching or one-to-one teaching
  • Include a strong focus on oral language and laying the foundation for meaningful reading
  • Emphasise phonemic awareness
  • Engage the pupils in frequent supervised oral/silent reading of texts and monitor their comprehension
  • Stress the interconnected nature of listening, speaking, reading and writing
  • In mathematics, focus on language development and the development of mathematical procedures and concepts

Assessment and Reporting

Identifying and Selecting Pupils for Supplementary Teaching

Prioritising children to receive learning support is based on assessment:

  • Junior Infants – Second Class: early intervention programmes for low achievers in English or Mathematics based on class teacher's observations and recommendations
  • Children performing between the 10th–12th percentile in standardised tests of achievement in English and/or Mathematics
  • Pupils performing below the 20th percentile in standardised tests of achievement in English and/or Mathematics
  • Pupils who show a discrepancy of 15 or more in their Standard Score or who, based on their teacher's professional judgement, are deemed to need support with a particular area of the curriculum
  • Arrangements for providing supplementary teaching to pupils in the senior section who experience very low achievement — priority will be given to those pupils whose achievement is lowest in agreed standardised tests
  • Arrangements for providing frequent intensive supplementary teaching to the junior end of our school is a priority

Monitoring Progress

  • 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 by class teacher
  • Formative testing and observation of work by class teacher
  • Implement the school policies on screening and selecting pupils for supplementary teaching in English and in mathematics by administering and scoring appropriate screening measures — Micra-T / Drumcondra Reading Test / Sigma-T / Profiles and rating scales — each year in May
  • Standardised and diagnostic testing by SET
  • Record keeping — children have a hard/online file where records of test results and assessments are kept securely

Liaising with Parents

Effective communication with parents is critically important to the success of a learning support programme:

  • Explaining the purpose and procedures of the school's SET
  • Paired/shared reading — motivating children to read more
  • Developing children's oral language through discussion
  • Creating a home environment where literacy can thrive
  • Selecting books that interest children
  • Developing children's reasoning and problem solving
  • Counting, measuring and other activities involving number

Class Teacher

Once a pupil has come to the attention of the school because of low achievement, the class teacher should:

  • Make contact with the parents to make them aware of the situation and to ascertain their views about the child's performance at school
  • Seek the parent's approval to proceed with diagnostic assessment, which may lead to supplementary teaching
  • When a child is selected for Learning Support, the parents must accept or decline the place in writing
  • Indicate that a meeting with the learning support teacher and the parents will take place following diagnostic assessment and prior to the commencement of supplementary teaching

The SET

The SET teacher should:

  • Meet with the parents of each pupil who has been selected for diagnostic assessment
  • Meet to discuss the results of assessments, the learning targets in the child's Individual Profile and Learning Programme, and the ways in which attainment of the targets can be supported
  • Hold a meeting at the end of each instructional term with the parents and, in cases where supplementary teaching is to be continued, discuss the revised learning targets and activities for the pupil
  • Hold a meeting at the end of each instructional term where the targets have been met and the pupil, on assessment, is performing above the percentile laid down in the criteria for receiving learning support, and supplementary teaching is to be discontinued

Monitoring and Review

This policy will be reviewed periodically in line with changes to legislation, DES guidelines, and school needs.

This policy was ratified by the Board of Management in February 2023.

Chairperson, BoM: Sr. Veronica Casey