Learning Support and Special Education Policy

Raheen Wood Steiner National School

Learning Support/Resource Policy

Raheen Wood Steiner N. S. is a co-educational school implementing the Primary curriculum. This school adheres to the Steiner ethos and teaches through its methodology. The continuity of one class teacher, wherever possible, with one class throughout their primary years allows for the fostering of strong pupil-teacher relationships, a vital element when working with children with special needs.

We believe that all our children should be provided with an education that takes as its starting point each individual child. Our aim is to help each child to develop his/her own set of abilities and intelligences to the maximum, thus reaching their potential. We encourage the embrace of difference as the norm, attempting to gradually remove the stigma of learning difficulty, or indeed any perceived difficulty or deficiency, by helping the children realise that all people have strengths and weaknesses.

Definition of special needs:   We understand special needs to be that as defined in DES circulars. Interventions will be delivered in a manner that best meets the needs identified, which may be through group or individual teaching.

This policy was drafted in autumn 2010 by the learning support and resource teachers. All staff have had input in drawing up this policy. The school has two full- time posts plus a part-time resource position.

Aims:

Ref; Learning Support Guidelines; Chapter 2 Section 2.1

Learning Support Teachers;

to optimise the teaching and learning process in order to enable pupils with learning difficulties to achieve adequate levels of literacy and numeracy, before leaving primary school.

Aims of special needs teaching

a. To support as far as possible the inclusion and integration of the child with special needs into the mainstream setting;

b. To develop positive self-esteem and positive attitudes about school and learning in the child

c. To promote collaboration among the staff in the implementation of the whole school policies in special needs.

Resource Teachers;

To support SEN (special education needs) pupils in numeracy /literacy, social and emotional development and those with physical and communication issues through the implementation of IEP programmes (Individual Education Plans)

Staff Roles/Responsibilities

  • The Board of management – to oversee the development and to support policies for children with special needs. Also, to provide suitable accommodation and resources for these lessons.

  • The Principal – holds overall responsibility for the school’s learning support/resource programmes and the revising of same.

  • The Class Teacher – primary responsibility for managing learning difficulties/needs in his/her class, contributing to formulating targets and type of support having implemented the school policy on screening, to differentiate the curriculum appropriately to meet the needs of all pupils, to consult with learning support/resource team and with parents.

  • Learning Support Teacher

to adhere to the guidelines of staged intervention in circular  Sp. Ed. 02/05

    • To assist in the implementation of a broad range of whole school strategies designed to enhance early learning and to prevent learning difficulties
    • To select in consultation with the class teacher the  pupils for supplementary teaching
    • To interpret the outcomes of diagnostic assessment
    • To develop an IPLP  (individual/group profiles and learning programmes)
    • To monitor the progress of pupils in achieving agreed learning targets
    • To deliver intensive early intervention programmes in literacy and if time allows in numeracy
    • To provide advice to class teachers
    • To advise the principal teacher
    • To meet and advise parents
  • Resource Teacher
    • To assist in the identification and the assessment of pupils with learning difficulties.
    • To work with teachers and parents plus other appropriate agencies to develop IEP’s for children with special needs
    • To work with classroom teachers on the implementation of programmes for students with special needs
    • To assist in the monitoring and evaluation of programmes for pupils with special needs
    • Direct teaching of a child either in a separate room or in the classroom
    • To meet and advise parents
    • To timetable allocated resource hours authorised by the SENO (Special Education Needs Officer). Every effort will be made to ensure that pupils do not miss out on the same curriculum area each time they attend (except where a pupil has been exempted from a subject by DES). Likewise, the school will endeavour to ensure that pupils do not miss classes they particularly enjoy such as Art or. P.E.
  • SNA (Special Needs Assistant) – Ref circular 07/.02                            The Special Needs Assistants (SNA) are assigned duties by the principal teacher in accordance with D.E.S. guidelines and sanctioned by the board of management. Their work will be supervised either by the principal or the class teacher. The duties involve tasks of a non-teaching nature such as;
    • Working classroom hours and attending preparation and tidying up of classrooms in which the pupils with special needs are being taught
    • Special assistance a for pupils with particular difficulties
    • Assistance with clothing feeding toileting and general hygiene
    • Assistance with out- of -school visits, walks and similar activities
    • Assisting the teachers in the supervision of pupils with special needs in assembly recreational and dispersal periods
    • Accompanying individuals or small groups who are being withdrawn temporarily from the classroom and to subject lessons e.g. handwork,.eurythmy and P.E.
    • Ensuring that the child is focused on the task set by the class teacher and that the child completes work assigned by the class teacher
    • Supporting the special needs pupil while encouraging independence and participation in class activities or recreational activities during break times
    • General assistance to the class teachers under the direction of the principal, with duties of a non-teaching nature (Special Needs Assistants may not act either as substitute or temporary teacher, nor are they left in charge of a class)
    • The SNA may accompany the child to the resource room and follow on-going strategies and activities that may be practised in the classroom.
  • Eurythmy Teacher/Eurythmy Therapist

Eurythmy is an artistic physical movement curriculum developed by Rudolf Steiner for all children attending Steiner schools. There is also a series of eurythmy exercises to help individual children. Therapeutic eurythmy exercises target specific problems, physical, postural difficulties, clumsiness, tension, anxiety, nervousness and dexterity skills. Children are referred for eurythmy therapy termly depending on the individual needs. Some children continue to practice their routine at home; in consultation with the class teachers, support teachers and parents. Eurythmy teachers undergo a 5 or 6 year training.

Prevention strategies

  • Development of agreed approaches to language development and to teaching English and maths in order to ensure progression and continuity from class to class.
  • Provision of additional support in language development and relevant early literacy and maths skills to pupils who need it
  • Implementation of paired reading and shared reading programmes involving adults/parents and pupils in the school
  • On going structured observation and assessment of the language, literacy and numeracy skills in the lower classes to facilitate early identification of possible learning difficulties

Early Intervention Strategies

  1. Early years; observation of individual children noting language gross/fine motor skills, self-care, social and emotional development
  2. Class one screening; Prior to moving up to the more formal main school setting i.e. “ Raheen Wood  Class One Readiness Assessment Screening” is used to assess; Hand/eye co-ordination, movement and balance (gross), spatial awareness body geography and Auditory Processing, Kinaesthetic screening and Basic Numeracy, Fine motor skills, Dominance, Midlines, Laterality, Eye- tracking, Drawing, Visual, Kinesthetic and Auditory memory.

3    Learning support/resource teachers work in a variety of ways in collaboration

with the teachers to support children with learning difficulties;

  • In-class support ensuring inclusion of  weaker children and those with SEN in the classroom
  • Withdrawal of individual pupils or small groups for intensive work within a specific time frame (usually a term)
  • Team-teaching; Learning support/resource teachers work together with class teachers.
  • Steiner schools can also offer a body of exercises called the Extra Lesson, largely directed at body coordination. We also offer Form Drawing which has a movement component, both in class or in supplementary teaching. This can strengthen the sense of balance, dexterity, concentration.

Ref: The Extra Lesson by Audrey McAllen

  • Several teachers at this school underwent INPP training and are qualified to deliver this movement program aimed at retained reflexes and coordination. This is a daily ten minute program to be implemented for the school year to a whole class or in small groups.
  • The school has dedicated learning support/resource rooms catering for small group work.

Assessment and Reporting (The Staged Approach – see circular 02/05)

Stage 1; Class teachers/parents may observe weaknesses in academic, physical, social, behavioural or emotional development of a child. Classes are screened using standardised tests.

Kindergarten teachers are looking at the B.I.A.P. assessment to deem its suitability.

Class one is assessed at Easter using the “M.I.S.T. – Middle infants screening test”

Class teachers use standardised tests for literacy and numeracy, (maths- Sigma T, literacy- Micra T). The above assessments are used in conjunction with teachers’ own observations and informal assessment in determining which children need supplementary teaching.

Class teachers will provide additional support in the classroom through differentiated activities. If the child does not progress following additional support in the classroom, then the child can be referred for further intervention at stage 2.

Stage 2 ; The school will endeavour to provide supplementary teaching to children in the lowest 20th percentile as indicated by standardised tests. Priority will always be given to those in the lowest 12th percentile. If intervention is considered necessary at stage 2, then the pupil is referred to the learning support/ resource teacher, with parents permission for further diagnostic testing. Tests include; Maths Tracker 1sr to 3rd class, MALT- Maths Assessment for Learning and Teaching 8-10 years, NARA- Neale Analysis of reading Ability. The Learning Support teacher will seek consent from parents/guardians for the child to attend learning support sessions.

An IPLP(Individual or Group Profile and Learning Plan) will be drawn up for each child/group with targets agreed in conjunction with the class teacher. The child’s progress is assessed informally by class teachers, parents and learning support teacher and by diagnostic testing. The IPLP is reviewed at the end of each instructional term and a new set of targets agreed. Some pupils may not continue with learning support if they have improved a lot and are able to work at class level.

Stage 3; Some children who continue to present with significant learning needs will require more intensive intervention at stage 3. A child is referred to NEPS, private educational psychologist, SENO, paediatrician, speech and language therapist or an audiologist, following consultation with the parents, principal, class teacher and/or learning support/resource teachers.

Supplementary Teaching and Monitoring Progress

Priority for supplementary teaching is given to those children with an identified difficulty (especially those in classes 1-3). See stage 2 above.

Weekly Planning and Progress Record sheets are kept for each group (for each child in the case of SEN) with details of work carried out and notes on progress and/or difficulty.

We believe parents can contribute in many ways to supporting their child. They may share insights into their child’s difficulties, paired/shared reading, developing oral language, helping with homework, developing children’s mathematical knowledge, and attending meetings with teaching staff.

In the case of literacy support, a reading record booklet with a space for teacher and parent comment is sent via school and home in the reading folder.  A similar system for maths is currently being set up. Termly meetings and/or telephone consultations are held with parents.

If a child is diagnosed with low incidence disability and assigned teaching support hours the resource teacher will draw up an IEP (Individual Education Plan) based on the psychological report and information received from the class teacher, parents and school assessments. There is continuous monitoring with the class teacher, parents and any SNA’s to review progress and set new targets.

Record Keeping

Learning support and resource staff work in-class also and can evaluate how effectively pupils receiving support are using strategies and coping with class work.

A termly meeting is held with class teachers. Teachers cover for each other to accommodate planning meetings.

Timetabling for in-class or withdrawal support will be prepared, bearing in mind an inclusive approach to the education of the pupils as far as possible.

Records of the child’s assessments from outside bodies, I.E.P.s, consent forms, records of screening and diagnostic testing are held in the school office in a locked filing cabinet, included with files for every child in the school.

The learning support/resource rooms are a distance from the main school, so some records are kept there in a locked filing cabinet:

  • A file for each child in receipt of resource hours, containing reports, I.E.P.s, diagnostic assessments
  • A file containing IPLPs, many of these are group plans so cannot be put in individual files.
  • A file containing Weekly Planning and Progress Records.
  • A  file containing assessments and reports grouped according to class level, to provide an overview of progress to class teachers

The class teacher, resource teacher, learning support teacher, psychologist, principal, inspector and parents have access to the files (parents can access files pertaining to their own child only)

Links with Outside Agencies

The principal teacher has overall responsibility for developing and implementing school policy on learning support and special needs services.

There has been a steady increase in the number of children presenting with special needs in this school over the past year and  with that more resource staff and administration. To date, one teacher has been overseeing coordination of teaching support staff, links with outside agencies and the SENO, in the school. This situation will be reviewed in May 2011, once new staff have settled in.

Comments are closed.