Learning Support The Learning Support Department had a busy and successful year.   The team worked closely with Specialist Services and class teachers to ensure students in the programmes obtained the necessary skills and knowledge to close deficits and to reach individual potential. Intervention programmes were implemented to meet the specific needs of each student on the register. The diversity of needs continues. We have students with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, behavioural needs and some on the autistic spectrum. As a school, we believe these students deserve to be understood and their needs catered for. Over seventy students were placed in programmes to support their learning during 2017. Programmes included literacy, reading, spelling, writing, numeracy, social/emotional, and leadership. Resources used had strong research based credentials. Working closely with Learning Support in the Secondary School enabled relevant students to benefit from the accelerated Mathematics programme after school.
The school’s tier system provides an appropriate allocation of resources for each individual or group. Quality communication between Learning Support staff, private tutors, parents, class teachers and specialist staff ensures the best support is offered. Learning Support works collaboratively with many people and services during the year, e.g. educational psychologists, Special Education Services, Department of Health, speech and language therapists, SLD tutors and counsellors. This provides the necessary support to identify individual needs, and to provide learning goals and outcomes most appropriate for each student. Many of the interventions during the year were academic remediation but increasingly interventions in personal self-management and social skills are being taught to assist with anxiety and stress. For staff, a highlight of the year was being trained to facilitate the New Zealand based Travellers Programme (resilience and   well-being). This programme has now been implemented in the school. The programme sits alongside the FRIENDS for Life Programme which has been operating for 10 years.
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