Support for Learning

INTRODUCTION 

The Support for Learning Department forms part of Lochend Community High School’s Pupil Support team. The team works closely together, but the Support for Learning Department work mainly with pupils who have additional support needs (ASN) in their learning.

The department works closely with teachers in the classroom supporting pupils who have additional support needs.

In keeping with the Local Authority’s policy on Equality and Inclusion, the department works hard to ensure that the curriculum is appropriate for all pupils. This is made possible through curricular adaptation and differentiation. 

All children and young people need support to help them learn. Through high quality learning and teaching, staff in schools are able to meet a diverse range of needs without additional support.

Some children and young people will, however, require support that is additional to, or different from, that received by children or young people of the same age to ensure they benefit from education. There are many reasons why children and young people may need support to help them learn.

Additional support needs can be both long- and short-term, or can simply refer to the help a child or young person needs in getting through a difficult period. Additional support needs can be due to:

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 informs practitioners and organisations of their duties, and parents of their rights, in respect of the provision of support for children and young people.

STAFF

Dr T Reilly | Principal Teacher
Miss L Cassidy | Psychology

Mrs M Hewitt | SfLW Coordinator
Mrs M Reid | SfLW
Mr J Bonini | SfLW
Ms E Keys | SfLW

Curriculum

The role of the Support for Learning Department is to provide pupils with the necessary tools to access the mainstream curriculum of the school. Through a number of programmes and planned interventions, pupils are furnished with the essential skills required for learning and encouraged to develop as independent learners. 

The Support for Learning department consults regularly with class teachers about pupils’ additional support needs and helps provide information and advice about your child’s learning.  Staff help develop suitable course materials and provide strategies to remove barriers and maximise learning. This is a very important form of support for your child although in this case a classroom presence is not seen.

Support may be provided on a long or short term basis depending on the need identified. It may involve staff involvement within the classroom, extraction from the classroom to work in one-to-one and small group tutorials within the department, or the provision of an alternative course of study, such as ESOL in place of English.

The department provides alternative learning materials and aids, such as IT equipment to support Reading and Writing, key words lists and chapter summaries, planning templates and adapted texts to support young people with visual impairments, for instance.

It also provides additional assessment arrangements for internal assessments and external exams.

English for Speakers of Other Languages

The department offers ESOL courses for new pupils whose first language is not English. In these courses, teaching and learning focus upon the four skills of Speaking, Writing, Listening and Reading. The topics and tasks covered are relevant to learners and are related to everyday work, study, community and social situations.

ESOL courses and qualifications also offer young people an introduction to various aspects of everyday life in Scotland and the UK.

General ESOL (and EAL) tutorials are offered from S1–S3.  In the Senior Phase, along with ESOL tutorials, the department presents candidates for National Qualifications ranging from National 3 through to Higher.

Learning Experiences

The Support for Learning department makes use of a number of strategies to help with learning and remove barriers for young people. 

Life & Work

The Support for Learning  department works closely with both our Pastoral Care team and external partners to ensure that pupils with additional support needs are offered appropriate choices post-school. This may involve supported courses at college or simply ensuring that employers or educational establishments are aware of the nature of the additional support need and how to address it appropriately. 

Resources