Every opportunity is taken to establish the nature and extent of a pupil’s learning difficulty as soon as possible. Close liaison with out associated primary/secondary schools means that information on individual pupils is available to us before the pupils join the school in August. For other pupils, already in the Nicolson Institute, individual subject teachers monitor closely the performance of pupils and are able to request additional support for any pupil, from learning support staff.

Pupils experiencing difficulties with their learning may be helped in a number of ways:

• Providing direct help from a learning support specialist teacher
• Allocation of additional teaching or auxiliary staff to the class
• Advice to classroom teachers by learning support staff
• Consultations with pupils and parents
• Referral to specialist services
• Participating in case conferences
• Providing specialist resources
• Support for pupils whose first language is not English
• Agreeing with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) on alternative assessment arrangements for exams

Enquire: The Scottish 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 and practioners) and www.enquire.org.uk/yp (for children and young people)

Enquire also provides a range of clear and easy-to-read guides and fact sheets explaining a wide range of topics.