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Learning Support
Staff
Mrs A Grant
SENCO/Pastoral Head of KS3
and
Form Tutor / Learning Support
Prospective Parents
For information about arrangements and reasonable provision for pupils with a disability or learning difficulty and enrolment to the school, please contact the Headmistress’s P.A. Mrs A Faulkner
The Department
The Learning Support Department is run by Mrs A Grant with part-time help from Mrs D McFarland. The Learning Support room is situated close to the staffroom making liaison with teachers very convenient. We aim to support pupils who, whilst able to access the school curriculum, may need extra help due to a specific learning difficulty or a lack of confidence in a particular aspect of their work. The range of specific learning difficulties includes: dyslexia, dyspraxia, Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD/ADD and dyscalculia. Provision for girls for whom English is an additional language is also available.
Pupil Screening
All pupils, upon entry to the school in Year 7, take part in a screening for the following:
- Preferred learning style
During Form time a questionnaire is completed by the pupils to find out whether they are visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learners. The results are recorded by both pupils and teachers to maximise learning/teaching potential.
- Screening for literacy difficulties
The assessment consists of group attainments tests for reading, reading comprehension, spelling, handwriting and writing speed. If there is a discrepancy between ability and attainment, further individual screening is normally undertaken. This takes place with the specialist teacher, Mrs A Grant. A report with recommendations is provided for parents and support offered where appropriate.
The group testing previously mentioned, is also repeated in Year 8 and again in Year 9. The results are collated each year, to monitor and track the progress of all pupils as they move through Key Stage 3.
- MidYIS Screening
MidYIS tests, which measure verbal, non-verbal and quantitive ability, are administered by the school during the autumn term.
Support
The most common learning problems encountered are usually within one or more of the following areas:
- Reading
- Writing
- Spelling
- Maths
- Study Skills
- Exam performance
- Organisation Skills
Specialist individual specialist tuition is available for individuals of all ages with teaching programmes devised for each individual based on assessment. The school makes an additional charge for 1:1 support. Most lessons take place in The Lodge, Prep. Library and Senior Library. Support lessons in the Prep. Department last 30 minutes and in the Senior School, 45 minutes.
An individualised approach is adopted for all tuition and is not restricted to any particular method. An individual teaching programme is devised for each pupil. Auditory and visual skills are considered so that teaching is directed to building on strengths whilst improving weak areas. Poor motor co-ordination and speech and language difficulties are also taken into account.
Study Skills support is offered on a 1:1 basis, as part of the PSHE programme, as a current subject option at Key 4 and within the sixth Form General Studies programme.
Examination Access Arrangements
For those pupils requiring extra time and/or word processing for examinations, an educational/clinical assessment must have taken place during their secondary school career. These need to be updated in Year 9 in readiness for controlled assessments and modular examinations, which start in Year 10. A history of provision is normally required in order to allocate extra time and other examination concessions. In addition these pupils will need to be assessed by the Learning Support Department as evidence for the Examination Boards concerned.
