Support For Learning
We take children on a Support for Learning journey.
What is Support for Learning?
The Support for Learning team develops strategies for learning which ensure children of all abilities are supported to achieve their full potential.
As each individual is unique, so too is their learning experience. Children who may require Support for Learning are often neurodivergent learners, this means they have different ways of thinking which affects how they communicate with those around them. This umbrella term covers autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia, among others.
We have a dedicated, full time Support for Learning department located in both the Junior School and the Senior School, staffed by fully qualified and experienced subject specialists. We work with pupils, parents, staff and external agencies to provide:
• Early identification of neurodivergent learners and those with other additional support needs
• Appropriate intervention
• Targeted support to ensure effective teaching and learning
Support for Learning is integrated from the very beginning. We don’t focus purely on exam excellence, instead we holistically support children and young people to become successful learners.
We take children on a Support for Learning journey, from initial needs identification to sitting national exams and everything in between. We guide them every step of the way, focusing on skills development and encouraging independence so when the time comes for them to leave us, they have confidence in their abilities and their ways of learning, and they know how to ask for the help they require wherever they go next in life.
What does the Support for Learning Team do?
Alongside children and their families, we identify the strengths and preferred learning strategies of each child. We offer support which is specific to individual needs, and we create the optimum environment for learning.
Our support is:
• Responsive
• Needs-based
• Guided by effective planning, monitoring and review processes
At the Senior School, we work with pupils within their subject classrooms and provide support on targeted work or study skills outside class time within the Support for Learning base. This approach is reflected at the Junior School, where we support children within the classroom in conjunction with their class teacher. We also work with small groups and on a one-to-one basis from dedicated support areas located throughout the Junior School.
Did You Know...
• From the Class of 2024 S6 Leavers, 99% gained their firm choice university place. Across the year group, 22% had an identified additional support need.
• Those with additional support needs have gone on to study in top universities including the University of St Andrews and the University of Glasgow.
• Nearly one third (29%) of Senior 5 pupils with an additional support need achieved 5 As in their 2024 Higher SQA Exams.
One School Approach
Each child with a support need has an individual learning profile which is created through close liaison with the child, their parents, staff and external agencies. This profile provides all teaching staff with bespoke support and strategies to remove barriers to learning at every stage .
Primary school years are important foundations for future learning and development, with Support for Learning integrated seamlessly into the Junior School learning experience as a whole school resource for children, parents and staff. For example, we are actively involved in the teaching and delivery of phonics and numeracy in early years, and we are closely involved in the creation of the curriculum, as well as in the monitoring and tracking of pupil progress.
To foster an inclusive learning environment, each classroom at the Junior School features a ‘ barrier busting wall ’ which has Support for Learning resources such as coloured overlays, noise cancelling headphones and counting squares which can be used by all children.
At the Senior School, class tests, assessments and exams are a part of school life from Transitus (Primary 7) onwards as we believe that nurturing children through assessments early ensures they feel engaged, supported and confident in their abilities – this pays real dividends when they come to sit national examinations. The Support for Learning team are on hand to ensure that pupils receive the appropriate support they require during these periods of assessment. We are also involved in Additional Assessment Arrangements (AAA) for the SQA, ensuring that any pupils with additional support needs have access to appropriate arrangements to complete exams without compromising integrity.
Support for Learning and House staff work closely together to ensure a joined-up approach to each child’s school experience and wellbeing.
Times of Transition
Times of transition are especially pivotal. We run an Enhanced Transition Programme for neurodivergent learners and other learners identified as requiring this bespoke input, who are moving from Kindergarten to Junior School and from Junior School to Senior School to ensure a seamless transition.
Ahead of the move from Junior School to Senior School, this programme includes the Senior School’s Head of Support for Learning visiting Junior School pupils monthly as they prepare to leave the Junior School. Topics covered include ‘All About Me’, ‘Supports and Strategies used in School’, ‘Personal Passport’ and ‘Hopes and Fears’. Children and their parents are given an additional opportunity to visit the Senior School during the Summer Term to meet the Senior School Support for Learning team and learn more about the support offered. We extend aspects of this programme to new pupils who are joining us from other schools who also have identified needs.
The Admissions team work closely with the Support for Learning team to guide children with additional support needs through the Admissions process, ensuring a levelplaying field for all candidates, giving every child the best possible opportunity for success.
Did You Know...
• Specialist assemblies, such as dyslexia awareness assemblies, put a spotlight on peer learning: children hear from role models within the school about their experiences of Support for Learning and their many achievements.
• We organise interactive workshops for pupils and parents. Topics have included ‘iPad accessibility strategies’ and ‘the use of digital technology to access textbooks’.
• We also bring in sector experts - for example, Rossie Stone, Dekko Comics founder and former pupil, visited in 2024 to share an effective revision technique for neurodivergent learners. Feedback from participants was positive and included comments such as: “ Innovative ideas for learning ” and “ Everyone has different strengths and different ways of achieving their goals. ”
Today I met some incredible teachers. Teachers who showed me the changes they have already made in their support of dyslexia and their willingness to adapt even further. Teachers who worry that what they are doing isn’t enough and yet what they are doing is quite amazing. Teachers who are embracing this new era of neurodiversity and doing their upmost to normalise it. Teachers who care and teachers who see potential in all their students.
I am humbled and grateful. Thank you for what you do, you are changing lives and opening doors.
Sharon Hall MA, PGDip (SEN), Dyslexia Routes Dyslexia tutor, trainer and advocate
commenting following a visit to HSOG