LEARNING SUPPORT
1. AIMS
to help departments ensure that all pupils, of all abilities, have the opportunity
to develop to their full potential.
2. PREAMBLE
All pupils are assessed in Year 7, by the learning support centre, using standardised
cognitive tests to assess areas of attainment in four areas of verbal ability,
numeracy and potential non-verbal reasoning.
Information from KS2 assessments is used to inform provision for each pupil's
learning needs.
Assistant Heads of Year (Academic) through their interpretation of monthly assessments
across the whole curriculum, assist the learning support centre to identify pupils
who are demonstrating possible specific learning difficulties.
3. OBLIGATIONS REQUIRED BY POLICY
i The teacher in charge of learning support should
offer additional provision for pupils encountering specific learning difficulties
in specific curriculum areas, either in the learning support centre or by supporting
the pupil and teacher in the classroom;
provide for each pupil withdrawn from regular classroom teaching an individual
programme of study which after diagnosing needs sets out ways in which those needs
are to be met;
monitor the work of such pupils, to ensure effective and appropriate provision;
be responsible for all 'statemented' pupils in the 11-16 school;
assume responsibility for informing and liaising with parents/guardians about
the ways in which the learning support team is meeting their child's needs;
convene meetings of all staff involved in providing for an individual pupil's
needs;
invite parents/ guardians to contribute to the development of pupils' learning
development;
help heads of department to devise departmental policies for pupils with learning
difficulties;
work with the Head of Year 7 in liaising with feeder primary schools in order
to identify statemented pupils and others who may have special learning difficulties;
co-ordinating the testing of new Year 7 pupils to identify strengths and weaknesses;
work with the Head of Year 7 to provide and develop reading workshops for new
intake pupils;
provide the teaching of English as a foreign language for pupils whose mother
tongue is not English.
v Heads of Department should
ensure that pupils with specific learning difficulties are sensitively identified.
vii Teachers should
inform their head of department about any pupil who they think requires special
attention in order to address identified learning difficulties.
4. The execution of this policy shall be monitored by the 11-16 management group.