You are here  Parents School Support Teaching Policy
Introductory Statement
This policy was drawn up by the Principal, Staff and Support Teachers of Our Lady of Lourdes NS at a series of consultative meetings which took place during May and June 2003.
Rationale
The purpose of this policy is to provide practical guidance for teachers, parents and other interested persons on the provision of effective support teaching to pupils experiencing low achievement and/or learning difficulties and to fulfil our obligations under the Education Act, 1998.
Principles
Our Support Programme is based on the following principles:
 Effective whole-school policies and parental involvement
Prevention of failure
Provision of intensive early intervention
Direction of resources towards pupils in greatest need
Relationship to the Characteristic Spirit of the School
In our school we are dedicated to helping each child to achieve his/her individual potential. The provision of a quality system of Support Teaching is integral to this commitment.
Aims
Through the implementation of this policy we strive to:
• facilitate pupils to participate in the full curriculum for their class level.
• develop positive self-esteem and positive attitudes to school and learning.
• enable pupils to monitor their own learning and become independent learners within their own ability.
• involve parents in supporting their children’s learning.
• promote collaboration among teachers
• establish early intervention programmes to enhance learning and to prevent / reduce difficulties in learning
• optimise the teaching and learning process
Guidelines
The following procedures are being implemented as a means of responding effectively to pupils’ individual learning needs.
1. Prevention Strategies
As a means of preventing the occurrence of learning difficulties, the following strategies are being implemented:
development and implementation of agreed approaches to language development e.g. phonological awareness and to the teaching of other aspects of the English and Maths programmes e.g. Maths language; (Agreed school policies in English have been drawn up by Mrs. O’Rourke and in Mathematics by Mrs. Connaughton and have been circulated and implemented by all teachers).
class-based early intervention by the class teacher resulting in the provision of additional individualised support;
promotion of parental involvement in the school through their attendance at meetings for parents, the provision of the ‘School Booklet for Parents of New Infants’, the arrangement of formal and informal Parent/Teacher Meetings, the use of children’s homework journals and Homework Report Sheets;
implementation of Paired Reading programmes; and
ongoing observation and assessment.
Strategies for the Prevention of Literacy Difficulties (Support & Class Teacher)
Infants
The school will provide:
• a wide variety of reading materials – flash cards, charts, labels, big picture books etc
• strategies to children – skills to deal with reading
• language skills – oral work
• opportunities to make reading fun
• opportunities to use child’s words to make up sentences ie silly sentences or proper sentences
• a store of library books
• opportunities to make children’s own big books
• LEA stories (Language Experience Activities)
• phonic worksheets
• parental Involvement through (a) Word Boxes (b) School Reader (c) Library Books
• story time
• Jolly Phonics Programme
• PAT Programme
• Newell
No practices which encourage failure in reading will be used.
First / Second Classes:
• Teachers will be more aware of indications / symptoms of problem with reading
• Early assessment will be used
• Word identification supports for spelling and writing
• There will be a strong link between reading and writing and the writing will be relevant, age appropriate and linked to their own experiences
• Teachers will have the option of the Support Teacher coming into class
• Shared Reading will be introduced which will involve parents. Choice of books is essential
• PAT Programme will be used
• Magnetic letters will be used in Support Classes
• Newell
Third / Fourth Classes:
• Reading will be fun and a variety of reading materials will be used (Easy books, cartoon books, comics, factual books, ask children to read their own stories, book reports, class novels, making books, audio books).
• A variety of approaches will be adopted to reading
• A consistent approach to the teaching of spelling is seen as crucial
• Dictionary skills will be taught
• Paired reading will be used where appropriate
• PAT programme to be followed
• Different forms of comprehension will be used
• Newell
Fifth / Sixth Classes:
• Alpha to Omega programme to be used
• Emphasis on syllabication
• Reading skills – Parental involvement through paired reading during the second term. Peer tutoring will be used in class
• Strategies will be taught for comprehension
• Writing: (a) Dictionary / thesaurus (b) Redrafting using thesaurus (c) Consistent approach to spelling (d) Alternative word charts
Evolving Reader Stage of Development Checklist
Junior Infants
• Can the child recognise, name and sound the letters of the alphabet?
• Has the child learned to isolate the beginning sound of a word or a syllable?
• Does the child understand the function of text having become aware that text says something?
• Has the child built up a sight vocabulary of common words from personal experience, from experience of environmental print and from books read?
• Can the child predict future incidents and outcomes in stories?
• Can the child respond to characters, situations and story details and relate them to personal experience?
• Can the child discuss books, stories, nursery rhymes, poems and songs?
• Can the child say a nursery rhyme?
• Is the child an active listener?
• Is the child familiar with the terminology and conventions of books (e.g. author, illustrator, cover, contents, front, back)?
• Is the child interested in reading some of the words in the books?
• Can the child retell a story?
• Can the child understand and respond to characters, situations and story relating them to personal experience?
• Can the child talk about significant events in the story?
• Can the child analyse and interpret pictures and illustrations?
• Can the child differentiate between text and pictures?
• Can the child handle books and browse through them?
• Has the child encountered reading through large format books and language experience material?
• Has the child engaged in shared reading activities?
Evolving Reader Stage of Development Checklist
Senior Infants
• Can the child recognise, name and sound the letters of the alphabet?
• Has the child learned to isolate the beginning sound of a word or a syllable?
• Has the child learned to isolate the part of a word or a syllable which allows it to rhyme with another word or syllable?
• Has the child built up a sight vocabulary of common words from personal experience, from experience of environmental print and from books read?
• Can the child predict future incidents and outcomes in stories?
• Can the child respond to characters, situations and story details and relate them to personal experience?
• Can the child discuss books, stories, nursery rhymes, poems and songs?
• Is the child familiar with the terminology and conventions of books (e.g. author, illustrator, cover, contents, front, back)?
• Can the child retell a story?
• Can the child understand and respond to characters, situations and story relating them to personal experience?
• Can the child talk about significant events in the story?
• Can the child analyse and interpret pictures and illustrations?
• Has the child engaged in shared reading activities?
Checklists for difficulties in Mathematics
Junior Infants
Children should be able to:
• match four pairs of identical objects in one to one correspondence
• sort collections of objects
• able to add similar objects to a clearly defined set
• make equivalent sets to establish enough / as many as
• identify non-equivalent sets to establish more than / less than
• compare width
• count in sets of one
• sort 3 D shapes
• order according to size and using ordinal numbers
• count the number of objects in a set
• read and write from 1 to 5
• name 2 D shapes
• read a numeral (2 – 5 ) and assign the correct amount of objects
• add one more to a given set and consolidate an understanding of the components of number
• combine sets of objects
• recognise and select appropriate coins
Senior Infants
Children should be able to:
• count the number of objects in a set 1 – 10
• read numerals 1 – 10 and assign the correct amount of objects
• combine sets of objects, total to 10
• match number to word
• find missing number
• partition sets of objects
• use symbols + and = to construct addition sentences
• sort and name 2 D shapes
• read time in one hour intervals
• extend a colour and shape pattern
• represent data using pictures
• solve problems using money
• combine sets of objects, totals to 10
• use + and = to solve problems with three sets of objects
• explore the components of number, 1 – 10
• combine sets of objects, totals to 10 and order numbers
• can assign word to numeral
• use language of ordinal number
• solve simple problems and problems using money
• use the symbols + and = to solve problems
2. Early Intervention Programme
Early intervention begins for pupils in Senior Infants in response to the class teacher’s observations and/or the methods outlined next –
The class teacher uses a variety of methods for identification of children with reading difficulties. These include (a) MIST (b) Dolch List (c) Check list from ‘Sounds Abound’, (d) Sight vocabulary from the class reader, (e) check list for specific learning disabilities and (f) teacher observation
Screening and testing will be administered by the Class Teacher/Support Teacher and the diagnostic tests administered by the Support Teacher
Great flexibility will be ensured in the taking of children from Senior Infants to Second Class
The school year is divided into two instructional terms.
Taking account of the level of provision of Support to our school, lessons take place at least three times per week and are of thirty to forty minutes duration.
The Support Teacher decides the size of groups, taking into account the individual learning needs of pupils and the overall caseload. This caseload will include 30 children as a maximum.
Children are not taken on a one to one basis generally.
Lessons focus on the development of phonemic awareness, word identification strategies, oral work, silent reading, comprehension skills and mathematical procedures and concepts.
3. Selection of Pupils for Supplementary Teaching
From First Class upwards, all pupils are screened annually using standardised tests. The tests in use are the Micra-T English Reading and Sigma-T Maths Tests and are administered by the class teacher.
Priority for Support Teaching is given to those pupils who perform at or below the 12th percentile
In the case of pupils performing at or below the 12th percentile the parents will be asked to meet with the class teacher to discuss the results of the standardised tests. To ensure confidentiality all communication will be written and posted to parents. Written parental consent is sought by the Class Teacher for the conducting of diagnostic assessment by the Support Teacher
The tests in use are as follows:
Schonell Word List
Schonell Spelling List
Jackson Phonic
Neale Analysis
Quest
Dyslexia Early Screening Test
4. Provision of Supplementary Teaching
The primary work of the Support Teacher is the provision of supplementary teaching to the pupils identified in section 3 above.
The Support Teacher in consultation with the class teacher devises Individual Education Plans (IEPs), in consultation with the parents. The pupils involved also contribute to setting their own short-term targets.
Such plans address the pupils’ full range of needs and include:
details from the pupils’ class teachers;
assessment results;
other relevant information e.g. reports from other agencies;
learning strengths and attainments;
priority learning needs;
learning targets;
class-based learning activities;
supplementary support activities; and
home support activities
practices to raise the pupil’s self-esteem.
Each plan is monitored through teacher observation, the keeping of planning and progress records.
A detailed review takes place at the end of each instructional term. The Support Teacher and/or the class teacher meet the parents to discuss their child’s progress in the light of the review.
The Support Teacher maintains the following documentation in individualised files:
individual profile and learning programme;
short-term planning and programme record;
samples of written work; and
reading analysis running records.
A system of withdrawal and/or in-class support operates in response to the needs of the individual pupil. The in-class support will very much depend on the individual class teacher. The timetable for the withdrawal of children is drawn up by the Support Teacher in conjunction with the class teachers and principal.
5. Procedures for Continuing/Discontinuing Pupils
Following the end of instructional term review as detailed in section 4, a decision is made to continue/discontinue the provision of supplementary teaching.
The criteria on which this decision is based include:
has the pupil achieved some/all of the learning targets set?
will the pupil be able to cope independently/semi-independently in the classroom learning context?
The decision-making process involves consultation between the class teacher, the Support Teacher and the pupil’s parents and account is also taken of the overall Support Teaching demands in the school.
A decision to continue the provision of supplementary teaching will result in a revision of the pupil’s IEP.
6. Communication Strategies
The operation of an effective communication system between all the parties involved in meeting the learning needs of the child is considered essential. The various strands of this system include:
class teacher and Support Teacher following a low score on a screening test;
Principal and/or Support Teacher and/or class teacher and parents following a low score on a screening test, including the seeking of approval for diagnostic assessment and provision of supplementary teaching; and
ongoing communication between the Support Teacher and the class teacher throughout the instructional term.
Time is set aside each Friday afternoon (12.45pm – 2.30pm) for communication between the Support Teacher and class teacher and for Team Planning. It is the responsibility of the Support Teacher to ensure that this communication is maintained as the school acknowledges that it is unable to give the same non-pupil contact time to class teachers at present.
7. Parental Involvement
Regular communication takes place between the Support Teacher and parents.
Specific support is available to parents to assist them to work effectively with their child. This support is available from the Support Teacher.
Parents are actively involved in the achievement of the targets set for their child e.g. through shared reading.
The parents and Support Teacher meet at the end of each instructional term to review the child’s progress and at both Parent/Teacher meetings held after Halloween and whenever necessary.
8. Referral to Out-of-School Agencies
The Support Teacher in co-operation with the principal co-ordinates the referral of pupils to the Educational Psychologist. The Support Teacher and/or class teacher meet with the parents to discuss the need for the referral and to seek consent. The class teacher completes the necessary referral form in consultation with the appropriate school personnel.
The external professional visits the school to meet with the pupil, parents, Principal, class teacher and Support Teacher. This is followed by a return meeting at which findings are discussed, recommendations are considered and an appropriate response is agreed.
9. Provision of Resources
Resources for the provision of Support Teaching include a variety of textbooks, library books and ancillary materials and oral language programmes. A variety of testing materials are also in use which include standardised, diagnostic, screening, non-reading intelligence, reading experience, reading attainment phonological awareness and Maths attainment.
Funding for materials is provided from the Support Grant. This grant is given to the Support Team each year who is responsible for keeping written records of all expenditure from the grant. Should additional resources be required the Support Teacher will in consultation with the principal ask the Board of Management/Parents Council for additional funding to meet the identified needs.
Support resources will primarily be used in the Support rooms. These resources may be made available to class teachers following consultation with the Support Teachers. An inventory of all resources available in the Support Rooms is on display in the Support Rooms.
Timetabling
The provision of Support Teaching is in addition to the regular class teaching in English and Maths. It is stressed that this support is not instead of the normal class work.
Effort is made to ensure that pupils do not miss out on the same curricular area each time they attend Support Teaching. A flexible approach to timetabling is adopted by class teachers while class disruption is minimised. Should children attending Support from a particular class be unavailable due to other programmes in the school such as Christmas Concert, preparation for sacraments etc the Support Teacher will in conjunction with the class teachers withdraw other children on the Support Teaching list to ensure maximum Support Teacher/pupil contact time is maintained.
Flexibility of class teachers will be assured so that maximum help is given to children. The provision of support includes withdrawal of pupils from their classroom and in-class tuition.
Support Teacher’s Work Schedule
The work schedule of the Support Teacher, in addition to providing supplementary teaching, may include the overseeing of early intervention and prevention programmes, the conducting of diagnostic assessment, the maintenance and review of pupil records, the co-ordination of special needs services and consultation with teachers and parents. In recognition of this varied role, the caseload of the Support Teacher will be regularly reviewed.
Success Criteria
The school-wide implementation of this policy will result in enhancement of pupil learning in the following ways:
improved standards of academic achievement within the pupil’s individual learning programme;
enabling of the discontinuation of the provision of Support Teaching based on positive assessment results;
enhanced parental involvement in supporting their child’s learning needs; and
increased opportunities for effective communication between school personnel in relation to pupils’ progress.
The achievement of these success criteria will be assessed through feedback from teachers, pupils and parents.
Implementation and Review
The policy commenced in September 2003 and was reviewed in June 2004, June 2005, September 2006 and June 2007. It will continue to be reviewed at the end of every second school year thereafter. The next review date is June 2009.
Ratification and Communication
Parents may obtain a copy of this policy from the Parents’ Council or it may be viewed at the school on appointment with the Principal or Support Teacher.
Procedures and timetable for drawing up Individual Education Plan (IEP) for children receiving additional support from a Support Teacher.
• There will be two instructional terms in the year. Term One is from the beginning of September to the end of the third school week in January. Term Two is from the beginning of the second week in February to the end of the first week in June.
• Support teachers will meet with the class teachers to discuss child’s progress each Friday immediately after Christmas. This will enable the class teacher’s input into the review of the existing Individual Education Plan and into the drawing up of the new or revised Individual Education Plan during the end of January/beginning of February period.
• Support teachers will test children during the last week in January and the first week in February. (The Jackson Phonics Test – Get Reading Right is used). Individual Education Plans will be written during and after this process.
• Parents will be asked to meet with the Support Teachers in February to review progress with the existing Individual Education Plan and to compose the revised or new Individual Education Plan for each child. These Individual Education Plans will be signed, copied and posted to parents before the end of February. Each Support Teacher is responsible for copying, for the distribution to class teachers and principal and for the posting of the I.E.P./I.P.L.P. When posting the I.E.P./I.P.L.P. a standardised school letter will be used. (There are two versions of this letter, depending whether the parents came to the school or not, copies attached).
• Support classes will recommence for children at the start of the second week in February.
• Support teachers meet new class teachers during the last two weeks in September. Parents are met in the first week in October and I.E.P.s / I.P.L.P.s posted the second week in October.
• For children new to Support Teaching the Individual Education Plan will be completed and posted to parents by the end of September.
• Class teachers will ensure the transfer of all relevant information (class lists, I.E.P.’s etc) to the next year’s class teacher.
• Support Teachers will ensure that all relevant information (assessments, copies of I.E.P.’s etc) has been filed in school records before the summer holidays. Records will not be given to the office on the day before or on the day of the holidays.
• Following the consultation process during May 2005 all Support Teachers will use the agreed standardised Individual Education Plan Template to draw up the I.E.P./I.P.L.P.
• All communication to parents about Support Teaching and the results of screening and diagnostic testing will be done on headed notepaper and posted. Children will not be given notes nor will homework journals be used.
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