The Additional Support Needs (ASN) Outreach Service consists of experienced staff working in a range of teams, to support children and young people with additional support needs. One of these is the Gypsy and Traveller Education Teacher.*
* Other cultural groups will have their own histories, cultural traditions and values respected in their own right – Occupational Travellers, New Travellers, Roma and Showmen.
Gypsy and Traveller Teacher: Mairi Moyes
The Gypsy and Traveller Education Teacher
The Gypsy and Traveller Outreach Teacher has knowledge and experience of working with children and young people from Gypsy and Traveller communities. An ASN Co-ordinator manages the work of the teacher and may be contacted for further information or any Gypsy and Traveller education discussion.
Who does the Gypsy and Traveller Teacher Work With?
A Traveller child or young person’s entitlement to a ‘school education’ is not affected by their family’s mobility. Traveller children, like any other children, must receive an education: this may involve going to school.
Traveller families teach their children and young people knowledge and skills, which they bring with them to school. Stirling Council schools will recognise, acknowledge and build on this prior learning.
The ASN Outreach Service should be informed if there are any nursery and school aged Gypsy and Traveller children and young people in the Stirling Council area. The Gypsy and Traveller teacher can then support any needs if appropriate with the parents and school.
What will the Gypsy and Traveller teacher do?
The support planned will involve a team of people working together, within the principles of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) and Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC).
This will include:
• The child/young person
• Parents/carers
• Class teachers
It may include other people as required:
• Speech & Language Therapists
• Educational Psychologists
• Occupational Therapists
• Gypsy and Traveller Site Manager
• Other outside agencies (E.g. Enquire and Respectme)
What might support from the Gypsy and Traveller teacher look like?
Stirling Council is fully committed to the inclusion of Gypsy and Traveller children and young people in all early years’ establishments and primary and secondary schools and they will fully support parents in providing this, whilst taking full account of the specific needs of the Gypsy and Traveller culture.
The support planned might involve the team in a variety of different ways, which may include:
• Supporting links between schools and families by making and maintaining personal contact with families.
• Supporting negotiated flexible access to education in schools and out of school settings.
• Enabling joint planning between parents and school staff
• Meeting parents in school or on home-visits
• Consulting and working with teachers and support staff in school
• Developing support strategies and approaches for home and school
• Working directly with children/young people as required
• Liaising with other agencies
• Working with peers to help them to understand and support children/young people in school
• Delivering staff development to schools
• Preparing children and young people for special support arrangements
• Attending meetings and contributing to Individual Educational Programmes (IEPs) as necessary
