Knockminna N.S: Policy for Special Educational Needs (S.E.N.)

Knockminna N.S: Policy for Special Educational Needs (S.E.N.)

Knockminna N.S., is a small, rural, 3-teacher school, approximately 3 miles

east of Ballymote. The current number of children attending the school is

78. A number of children are presently receiving supplementary teaching from the

Learning Support Teacher.

We are fortunate to have aLearning Support/Resource room in the pre-fabricated building which is equipped with a whiteboard, a blackboard,2 notice boards, computer, sandtray, a filing cabinet, shelving and literacy & numeracy resources.

Beliefs & Principles.

In KnockminnaN.S. we believe in giving all children equal opportunities (See enrolment policy) tosucceed and to achieve to the fullness of their potential, thusleading pupils to self-belief and respect for themselves. Whole school policies and parental involvement are vital if effective learning support is tobe achieved. Learning support should help in the battle to prevent failure, be intensive and early intervention is essential.We adopt a staged approach to intervention (See Appendix 1 of Learning Support Guidelines – available in the school)

In this school we follow the procedures for S.E.N. as outlined in the Learning Support Guidelines and Departmental Circulars as listed in Appendix 1.

Aims.

1. Primarily the aim of learning support is to optimise the teaching and

learning process in order to enable pupils with learning difficulties to

achieve adequate levels of proficiency in literary and numeracy before

leaving primary school.

1. Children with low achievement and/or learning difficulties will be

enabled to participate in the full curriculumat their own class level in

so far as is possible.

1. Positive self-esteem and positive attitudes about school and learning will

be developed in these pupils.

1. Pupils will be enabled to monitor their own learning and become

independent learners.

1. Supplementary teaching and additional support and resources will be

provided for children in English and/or Mathematics. However, special educational needs in areas such as self-esteem, social interaction, behaviour and application to learning tasks may also need to be addressed.

1. Parents are expected to be involved in supporting their children’s learning.

1. Teachers will collaborate to implement a whole school policy on

Learning Support.

1. Early intervention programmes will be established and other programmes

which will enhance learning and prevent, or at the very least, reduce

difficulties in learning.

Staff Roles &Responsibilities

A. The Principal.

1.The Principal teacher will have overall responsibility for the

Learning Support Programme and for the operation of services for

children with educational needs.

2.The Principal of KnockminnaN.S., in co-operation with the principal

teachers of the other schools in the cluster (Ballymote N.S., - base school & Killavil N.S.) and with the Learning Support Teacher, is responsible for the drafting of a cluster-wide policy that provides for the learning needs of pupils with very low achievement in each school. This cluster-wide policy has not yet been drafted for this cluster. Reviewing and updating this policy requires at least one meeting at the beginning and one at the end of each academic year.

3.The Principal teacher shall administer the delivery of learning support

and supplementary teaching in accordance with the Learning Support

Guidelines of the Department of Education & Science. (Pages 38/42 –

Appendix 2)

B. The Class Teacher(Stage 1 of staged approach)

1. The Class teacher has primary responsibility for all pupils in his/her class,

including those selected for supplementary teaching.

2. It is the responsibility of the class teacher to create a differentiated classroom

environment in which learning difficulties can be prevented or at least

alleviated.

3. The class teacher plays an important role in the initial identification of

pupils who are low achievers or who may have general or specific

learning difficulties. It follows therefore that the class teacher must be at

the centre of all aspects of learning support for pupils in his/her class,

including

Administrating & scoring of standardised tests

Selection

Collaboration with the learning support teacher

Consultation with parents before, during and following supplementary

teaching

Consolidate learning targets and instructional activities used in

supplementary teaching programme

Decide timetable for withdrawal/in-class support

Review progress of pupil

And in collaboration with the Learning SupportTeacher,decide when supplementary teaching should cease.

4. Where this extra teaching is being discontinued, it is the class teacher’s

responsibility to develop and implement a support programme that meets

with the pupils changing needs. (Learning Support Guidelines:Pages 42/45 –

Appendix 3)

5. The class teacher will liaise with the parents regarding the concerns of the

school in relation to their child’s progress and will meet with them when

necessary to do so.

C. The Learning Support Teacher(Stage 2 of staged approach)

1. The Learning Support Teacher is responsible for the co-ordination of the

learning support programme in all 3 schools in our cluster, in consultation

with Principals, class teachers and parents of the relevant children.

2. The provision of supplementary teaching is the main role of the Learning

Support Teacher.This involves delivering intensive small group or one-to-

one tutoring in English and/or Mathematics and/or other areas relevant to the

selected pupils’ learning needs. This intervention may take place in the

Learning Support/Resource Room or if preferred in the pupils’ regular

classroom.

3. The Learning Support Teacher will follow procedures for delivering the

learning support programme in accordance with the Learning Support

Guidelines of the Department of Education & Science (pages45/52 –

Appendix 4)

4. The Learning Support Teacher should keep a list of all pupils in a school

who are receiving supplementary teaching. Such lists together with profiles

and progress reports, are kept in a secure place, in the school attended

by the pupil to whom they refer.

5. The Learning Support Teacher will work closely with the Principal to

develop and implement the school’s learning support programme.

6. The Learning Support Teacher will consult with class teachers on a

regular basis to address issues such as:

• classroom programmes whichprevent learning difficulties,
• screening,
• identifying pupils for supplementaryteaching based on screening and diagnostic assessment,
• developing and implementing specific learning targets and activities for use in both supplementary and class teaching,
• monitoring and reviewing progress,
• theprovision of ongoing classroom support once supplementary teaching

has ceased and

• identifying children with general or specific learning

difficulties.

7. Before supplementary teaching can begin, parents may be invited to meet

with the Learning Support Teacher and the school’s policy for dealing with

learning support should be explained to the parent. (The class teacher

should, if possible, attend this meeting).

8. Before proceeding to carry out diagnostic tests, written consent must be

received from the parents agreeing to such tests and also agreeing to

allow the child to be withdrawn from regular classroom instruction. The

content, procedures used and results of such tests should be explained tothe

parent by the Learning Support Teacher. Written permission is also required to

allow the child attend learning support when deemed necessary.

1. The content of an Individual Education Programme for such a pupil

should be fully explained to the child’s parents and assistance in

continuing the programme at home should be sought.

10.The Learning Support Teacher should keep in regular contact with

parents about progress of such pupils. Parents should be consulted about

continuing or discontinuing supplementary teaching.

11.The Learning Support Teacher will ordinarily be responsible for referrals

and all correspondence and contact with psychologists, speech therapists

and other outside school specialists but always in consultation both with

parents and Principal teacher and written consent from parents for such

procedures, must be obtained.

12.Knockminna N.S. recognises that in addition to supplementary teaching,

the Learning Support Teacher must devote time in each school to non-

teaching activities such as diagnostic assessment, maintaining and

reviewing pupils’ records and consulting with teachers and parents. It is

also acknowledged by the staff of this school that the Learning Support

Teacher should never be expected to provide teaching cover for

colleagues who are absent.

Internal Provision.

1. Prevention Strategies:

Group teaching/individual attention.

Shared reading.

Teacher modification of presentation and questioning techniques to

maximise involvement in class activities.

Emphasis on pre-reading skills.

Emphasis on oral language development.

Extra tutoring in literacy and numeracy.

Co-operative games in literacy and numeracy.

Use of I.T.

Learning targets which are challenging but which will also ensure success

and progress.

The Buddy system i.e. the more able pupils helping the less able.

A print rich environment.

Early parental involvement.

Whole school approach to language development and mathematical language used.

Maximising use of personnel.

Ongoing structured observation and assessment of the language, literacy

and numeracy skills of pupils, particularly in the infant classes.

Extensive use of phonics throughout the school.

1. Early Intervention Strategies.

Children will be screened from senior infants(using the mist test in the second term) upwards to 6th class(using standardised tests) but

intervention will usually take place when the child is in senior infants, 1st or 2nd

class. The teacher is constantly observing the children’s work. If a need is identified in Junior Infants, early intervention may be needed.

Occasionally, it will be deemed necessary to provide supplementary

teaching for a more senior child in the school, particularly if such a child

has a specific learning difficulty.

Intervention is intensive and for a short period i.e. one school term. Afterreviewing a child’s progress at the end of the term it may be deemed necessary by all partners to extend the timeframe of the intervention.

Early intervention programmes should be based on a shared expectation

of success by everybody involved.

Supplementary teaching in an early intervention programme is given in

small-group teaching or on a one-to-one basis.

Focus of early intervention programmes in English should be on the

development of oral language, they emphasise phonemic awareness,

pupils engage in frequent supervised oral and silent reading and they

stress the interconnected nature of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

In mathematics, focus should be on the language development and the

development of mathematical procedures and concepts.

1. Types of Supplementary Teaching.

Withdrawal from the classroom for individual or small group teaching by the Learning Support Teacher.

In-class support where the Learning Support Teacher works with individuals, groups or the whole class.

I.T. should be an integral part of supplementary teaching.

Assessment & Reporting

1.Identification & Selecting Pupils for Supplementary

Teaching.

1. Ultimately, the class teacher is the person responsible for identifying

a pupil with low achievement and/or with a general or specific learning

difficulty. The class teacher will also screen pupils by administering

a Micra –T and Sigma – T standardised test. It has been agreed by the staff

toadminster these tests in late May/early June each year. The test booklets are

kept in the school for one year. The results are kept on file. Results are communicated to parents at the Parent/Teacher meeting using percentile scores.

1. Priority 1shall be at all times given to pupils with the greatest needs, that

is to those pupils who score at or below the 10th percentile (or 12th.

percentile to take account of testing errors) on the standardised tests in

literacy.

1. Senior Infants will be screened informally by their class teacher/L.S.T at the end of the first term by getting pupils to :

Name and sound the letters.

Say a word beginning with a particular letter.

Say and read words already known from a check list or using flashcards

The Mist test is also administered in the second term of senior infants by the Learning Support Teacher. When appropriate, the Learning Support Teacher uses the follow on programme ‘Forward Together’. Results of the Mist test are kept in each individual child’s file in the staffroom.

Therefore Priority 2 will be early intervention from senior infants to 2ndclass in literacy where a need has been identified.

1. Priority 3 will be those achieving at or below the 10th percentile(or 12th percentile to take account of testing errors) on the standardised tests in numeracy.

1. Priority 4 will be early intervention from senior infants to 2nd class in numeracy.

1. When the case load allows, children whose scores are from the 12th - 25th percentile in our school are considered for learning support with literacy being given first priority and then numeracy. On occasion, the case load may still not be filled at that, so children who score from the 25th – 40th percentile may be considered with literacy given first priority.

1. Exceptionally able pupils will also be offered support by the Learning Support Teacher when their learning needs cannot be met in the classroom setting in which they find themselves and when the case load allows. The class teacher is in the best position from observation and screening of such a child to assess whether they need support or not.

h.Pupils will then be referred to the Learning Support Teacher, when written

parental consent, for diagnostic testing has first been obtained and then

consent to attend learning support classes. The class teacher will be in a

position to say, based on his/her observationswhether or not the score

achieved by a pupilon a screening measure is an accurate reflection of the

pupil’s performancein class.

1. Before supplementary teaching begins, a meeting may take place between the

Learning Support Teacher, the parents of the pupil concerned and if

possible the class teacher.

1. As already mentioned, intervention will be concentrated on the juniors

except in exceptional circumstances.

2.Provision of Supplementary Teaching.

1.At present, learning support is provided on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10.40 am – 3pm, usually in the Learning support/ Resource room.

2. There is a combination of group teaching and one-to-one tuition.

3.Each class teacher also implements supplementary teaching and learning

support for the lowest achievers in his/her class, whether they receive learning

support teaching or not. The Learning Support Teacher is consulted on the

most appropriate programmes to follow.

4.Pupils are usually withdrawn from class on a rotational basis thus ensuring thatthey do not miss the same subject each week. They should never miss

English or Maths class whenever possible.

3.Continuing/Discontinuing Supplementary Teaching.

1.A review of progress will be carried out at the end of each school term.

Following consultation with the Learning Support Teacher, the class teacher

and parents, a decision will be reached regarding continuing or

discontinuing supplementary teaching.

2.The Learning Support Teacher may be in a position to provide some level

of support in the future, ranging from infrequent monitoring and

assessment to more frequent and intensive supplementary teaching.

3.Every effort will be made to discontinue supplementary teaching as soon as

possible so that pupils can resume uninterrupted regular class teaching.

4.It is believed in Knockminna N.S. that supplementary teaching should

cease at the end of second class or after three years with the learning

support teacher. However, ongoing support will be provided for those with

learning difficulties in so far as it is possible.

5. Continuation of appropriate support will be given to the child in the

mainstream class if supplementary teaching ceases and through consultation

with the pupil’s parents, it is hoped that continued support will also be given

in the home.

6.Where difficulties are persistent despite learning support intervention, the school will seek psychological assessment for that child.(Stage 3 of the staged approach)

4. Monitoring Progress.

1.Each child’s progress will be monitored on an ongoing basis in relation to

the attainment of short-term objectives.

2.A more detailed review of the pupil’s progress will take place at the end of

each school term. This review will refer to a pupil’s individual learning

programme and a decision will then be made on the level of support

that the pupil will need in the future.

3.If supplementary teaching needs to be continued for another school term,

there will be a revision of the learning targets and activities.

4.Where a pupil does not make the expected or desired progress, a review

will take place of the class-based and supplementary teaching programmes

being used, with a view to adapting or replacing them.

5.Record Keeping

1.It will be the responsibility of the Learning Support Teacher in

collaboration with, class teachers, parents and other out of school

specialists to complete and carry out individual profiles and learning

programmes for each child receiving learning support. This record is a

long-term plan which will cover the instructional period of one school

term. This plan will be reviewed and amended in the event of a pupil

needing continued supplementary teaching.

2.A weekly planning and progress record in respect of each child would

also be the responsibility of the Learning Support Teacher and would be

an excellent indicator of short-term goal achievement.

3.Other records which provide evidence of a pupil’s progress may also be

recorded or filed, eg: tape recordings of oral language, checklists, running

records and samples of written work.

4. All learning support records will be stored in a filing cabinet in the Resource

room.

5. Standardised test results are stored in the Principal’s files.

6. Report cards, Mist test results, consent forms for diagnostic testing and

permission to attend learning support and psychological reports are stored in

individual children’s files in the staffroom.

7. All teachers have access to records to inform them of children’s learning

needs. Results of tests and psychological report information is forwarded to

appropriate agencies when required, following receipt of written permission