We work to meet the needs of all pupils, providing extra support for pupils who will benefit from this, either for a short time or for an extended period. We also aim to challenge more able pupils providing extension work, challenging tasks or activities identified as appropriate to their needs.
The Education Authority has renewed duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2009.
The website for parents http://www.ea.e-renfrew.sch.uk/parents/asn/ provides important advice for parents as well as up-to-date information on parent forums and is updated on a regular basis. The Parents’ Guide to Additional Support for Learning is available to download at: http://enquire.org.uk/publications/parents-guide. To order hard copies of the Parents’ Guide or any other publications please contact info@enquire.org.uk.
Enquire – the Scottish Advice Service for Additional Support for Learning
Operated by Children in Scotland, Enquire offers independent, confidential advice and information on additional support for learning through:
- A telephone helpline – 0845 123 2303
- An email enquiry service – info@enquire.org.uk
- An online enquiry service
- Two websites – www.enquire.org.uk (for parents/carers and practitioners) and www.enquire.org.uk/yp (for children and young people).
In Mearns Primary we ensure that children are provided with work that is appropriate to their stage and development and tracking meetings are held at the beginning of each term. Targets may be achieved through class, group and individual teaching approaches enabling children to succeed. However, pupils may, at some point in their school life, experience a learning difficulty or barrier to learning of some sort. This could be due to ill health, separations, divorce or bereavement.
Class teachers are responsible for teaching all the children in their class and further support is provided by Support for Learning teachers, a Bilingual Support Worker, Pupil Support Assistants and members of the management team. Within our team we have expertise in a variety of specific learning needs and strategies to support these. This support may take the form of direct tuition, advice to the class teacher, provision of appropriate materials and practical help within the classroom. We also have in place several groups to support children’s learning, addressing identified needs and barriers to learning. Denise Donnelly, DHT is the school’s Support for Learning Coordinator. The school continues to have excellent relations with the health, Psychological Services and Social Work and other agencies. A Joint Support Team consisting of the Educational Psychologist, School Nurse, school based Social Worker, DHT, HT and other agencies or persons identified as appropriate (Campus Police Officers/ Outreach Support Teacher) meet monthly to discuss individual pupils. Regular meetings are held with Educational Psychologists to discuss progress in the identified area of support.
When children are experiencing specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, parents will be invited to the school to discuss progress and explore ways in which further support may be given. Parents are encouraged to contact the school if they feel their child’s needs are not being met, or could be addressed more appropriately.
We will be happy to give advice and information on specific learning difficulties. There may already be strategies in place to help deal with any problems that teachers have identified. However, if not, assessments may be carried out to establish the nature and severity of the problem your son or daughter is facing. These may involve specialist help and advice from an Educational Psychologist. The school policy is to keep you and your child fully informed of the results of these assessments.
As part of the drive to raise attainment and to ensure that each child’s needs are met, the school organises screening and intervention procedures. This involves completion of assessments by every child, use of various assessment tools including standardised test results and analysis of results. Thereafter, each child’s curriculum is reviewed in discussion with the Class Teacher, Depute Head Teacher and Head Teacher, especially for language and mathematics. Appropriate action and next steps are agreed. Implementation of the agreed action points takes place in the classroom over the remaining session, during which progress is reviewed and further action agreed. Identifying and addressing needs in this focused way ensures that all children are supported at crucial stages throughout the school and that their progress is monitored closely by teaching, support and management staff.
These approaches ensure we comply with The Education (Additional Support for Learning)(Scotland) Act 2009.
Inclusion: http://www.erc.education/stdcircs/docs/SC11-20/12.pdf
Mediation: http://www.ea.e-renfrew.sch.uk/parents/asn/mediation.htm
THE TREEHOUSE
We have established The Learning Centre in Mearns to support identified pupils. It offers them a secure base with focused, small group support for part of the week where they can develop skills necessary for good learning. Pupils spend the rest of the week in their own class and our ultimate aim is that they will be able to return to class full time. The focused support will usually last for a maximum of 4 terms and seeks to improve children’s ability to engage in learning. Several members of staff have received training to support pupils in The Learning Centre. Short term support groups are also often held in The Learning Centre.
