The Support for Learning Team works in partnership with Class Teachers, the JS Leadership Team, external practitioners and parents to meet the additional support needs of the children across the Junior School. Support is delivered through 5 key roles. These roles are all complementary, and no one role is carried out in isolation:
Consultancy/Consultation
Consultancy can take place in many forms, from simply giving advice to working collaboratively with individual staff or Year Groups. Effective learning and teaching strategies may be discussed and developed and suitable resources identified and made available. This involves meeting the needs of learners with a variety of different needs, not just concerning literacy, but also social, emotional and behavioural issues with implications for classroom management, motivation etc.
2. Planning learning and teaching; including co-operative teaching with Class Teacher
SfL teachers may teach alongside class teachers in the classroom. This helps provide direct support to and monitoring the progress of all pupils in class; developing classroom strategies with the class teacher and assisting in recording and assessment.
Sometimes it is helpful for pupils, individually or in small groups, to work out of class with a member of SfL staff. This can aid the ongoing process of assessment and establishing what is likely to work best. Blocks of support may be given to larger groups of pupils to focus on development of specific skills. SfL are involved in planning and delivering specialised/focused programmes.
3. Identification and assessment
SfL works with colleagues to ensure the early identification of pupils’ additional support needs. SfL will be involved with observations, formative and summative assessments, screening and dissemination/feedback to parents/carers/staff/multi-agency consultants.
The SfL teacher/department holds information on individual pupils and is involved in further ongoing assessment and support when this is appropriate.
4. Partnership with specialist services
Partnership working is very important to ensure a holistic approach is taken in gathering information and placing the child at the centre. Support teachers regularly will be in contact with colleagues in schools/educational services and multiagency colleagues e.g. health and voluntary agencies.
5. Contributing and supporting professional development
The SfL teacher/department contributes to staff development in a variety of ways through:
- Sharing of insight, experiences and resources
- Presentation during staff meetings/INSET sessions
- Offering guidance on accessible resources/materials, curriculum, equipment and approaches
- Sharing effective strategies, disseminating information from courses attended.
- Disseminating information to staff on SCIS/local authority procedures, legislation and guidelines.