Principal Teacher of Support for Learning:    Mrs J Hoy

Support for Learning staff work alongside pupils, staff, parents and partnership agencies to ensure that all the young people in our care are members of a learning community where they have access to a curriculum which meets their needs and prepares them for a positive and sustainable destination.

The department provides:

• In class support in all curricular areas
• Coordination of Dyslexia Friendly Schools project
• Literacy Tutorials
• Numeracy Tutorials (BGE only)
• Spelling Tutorials
• Coordination Groups
• Social Communication Tutorials
• Alternative Assessment Arrangements for internal and external Examinations including SQA
• Nurture Group (BGE only)
• Transition program in Senior Phase in conjunction with Ayrshire College Supported Learning Centre (Senior Phase only)
• Transitional Support

We care about every child and every aspect of their education.  We are acutely aware that every child has individual learning needs and that they should be offered an appropriately differentiated curriculum to take account of this.

OUR ROLE

• To know the pupils: a lot of time is devoted to finding out their strengths and their needs even before they reach the secondary school at P6 and P7 Primary Transition Meetings;
• To consult with and advise our colleagues about the pupils’ learning strengths and needs so that teaching methods and levels are appropriate
• To work collaboratively with colleagues in classes helping with the delivery of lessons and supporting pupils;
• To work with small groups to address particular needs such as spelling, comprehension and basic Maths skills;
• To adapt teaching materials to ensure that they are appropriate for all learning levels and styles;
• To draw up Support Strategies/IEPs along with the pupils’ teachers to decide on learning targets which will ensure that support is there to enable progress to be made;
• To work with our colleagues to identify the special arrangements needed for the SQA examinations to ensure that our pupils will be able to give a true demonstration of their knowledge, understanding and skills;
• To work closely with other agencies e.g. Psychology Service, EAST, CAMHs, Speech and Language Therapy, Vibrant Communities and Social Work.