Education Support

Academic

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” B. B. King

This year the Education Support Department has again seen some major changes. After approaching the Leadership team

Ms Lissa Coleman with a proposal that was Director of Education Support embedded with research and best practice, it was decided to employ three new Teacher Assistants to increase the amount of support for the College. The extra staff gave us the flexibility to provide a comprehensive support program for the students. Whilst the College has a tradition of inclusive education for all students, it was agreed that one practice does not suit all. Each student is unique and each one requires something different to assist them, so a program that incorporated inclusion, withdrawal and small group work was implemented. This year I taught English to Year 8 students and as part of this program implemented an intervention program, The Sound Way to Spelling, Reading and Writing. This has proved to be so successful that I have planned to deliver the junior version to the Year 4s next year. A gifted and talented policy and program has also been written and will be implemented in the Junior School next year. Cohort testing for Year 4 will help to establish those students who require enrichment in this way.

At Trinity College, the Education Support team provides many services to the whole school. We support Trinity students from Years 4 to 12 in striving for equity in opportunity and excellence in educational outcomes. We identify actual and potential barriers to individual learning and assist students to access the curriculum with modified programs or differentiated curriculum. The range of strategies we use encompasses identification of individual learning needs, providing options for extension and enrichment, collaborative planning and support for teachers, individual education plans, curriculum adjustment plans and individual case management. Outside the Education Support team other key personnel who help provide this support are the College Counsellor, the Aboriginal Liaison Officer, the Aboriginal Liaison Assistant and the College Chaplain. I would like to take this opportunity to thank these people for their unflagging assistance, friendship and support over the last twelve months. They have offered invaluable advice and their generosity of spirit has been overwhelming. The tremendous sense of teamwork and collaboration within this group has certainly made my role enjoyable and rewarding.

This year also saw the development of a policy and procedure process for managing student concerns for the department. This process will ensure the effective and efficient tracking and management of students with difficulties and disabilities. With the Year 7s in the Secondary School as of next year this streamlining of process was crucial for planning and programming.

At Trinity we have a wonderfully dedicated staff in all areas of the College, whose genuine interest and concern for their students ensures that the very best educational opportunities are offered to all. These wonderful people make my role of developing an approach of identification, intervention and monitoring students, that much easier. Case management meetings and I.E.P. development is always successful when the support and assistance is offered so graciously.

On a more personal note I would like to thank all the people who have supported me this year: the leadership team, for having the faith and confidence in me to allow me to run this department my way, the Heads of Year, Heads of Learning Area and Heads of Junior, Middle and Senior Schools for working closely with me and being very supportive and generous. To Gerri, Marieke, Catherine and Annabel (Education Assistants) I applaud their extraordinary efforts to support and assist every day with such good humour and grace.

I look forward to next year and all the new challenges it will bring. It has been a wonderful, amazing and frantically busy year.